Westgate - South Western Rail

Prior to the early 1950’s, water wagons (gins) were converted wooden goods wagons. Sides, bolsters were removed to make a platform wagon and tank/s of various sizes with a capacity within the carrying weight of the wagon were added. All these wagon were restricted to 35 MPH. Many of these were covered in the blog post back in May 2019.

The early 1950’s was a period of change for the QGR, steel wagons, roller bearing steam locos, diesel electric locomotives, steel air conditioned carriages were making their onto the network. The carriages would form what we know as the “Westlander”, “Midlander”, “Inlander” and the “Sunlander” trains. At the time of construction, all would be steam hauled some part of the journey. Steam engines needed water and from time to time watering stations/locations would have breakdowns and water would not be available at that location. If this was the case, a water wagon was added to the train. The new passenger trains could run with speeds up to 50 MPH. These services were the life blood of the state not only for travel, but for supplies and other services, on time running was essential.

One was part of the consist on the Westlander between Charleville and Cunnamulla. The train was hauled mostly with a 1924 Walschaert PB 15 locomotive pulling 9 A/C “M” cars and a WW water wagon. With the flat country, steaming was required the whole distance, the only shut offs was to stop. Crews indicated it was up hill both ways. There was only one watering station for the 121 miles journey.

15 steel water wagons for passenger trains were built, these wagon would have the capacity to hold 3750 gallons, much the same as steam engine tender capacity. The wagons were classed “WW”, one of the very few classification that make some sense. 10 were built for Garratt locomotives, the tank was elevated to accommodate the higher water tanks on the locomotive, and these were given “GWW” classification.

Running Numbers for WW 23245 to 23259

GWW 23260 to 23269

The wagons were 32 ft. long and had Pressed Steel bogies fitted with 36 in spoked wheels, they were available for Passenger Trains.

Some notes from history cards.

23245

Date	Notes
Aug 1953	In Service Evans Deakin Stem buffers, Painted black, Ladder each side, side & end discharge pipes. Two lifting lugs on top of tank.
Sep 54	Number stamped on headstock (Rton)
Jul 1961	Headstock reinforced, cast steel self contained buffers fitted. (Rton)
Jul 1962	Modified for shunting in electrified areas.(CD).
Jan 1994	Condemned ND

23246

Date	Notes
Aug 1953	In Service Evans Deakin Stem buffers, Painted black, Ladder each side, side & end discharge pipes. Two lifting lugs on top of tank.
Sep 54	Number stamped on headstock (Rton)
Dec 1955	Axle renewal dates stamped on solebar altered 2000 to 1980 (Rton)
Jul 1961	Headstock reinforced, cast steel self contained buffers fitted. (Rton)
Jul 1962	Modified for shunting in electrified areas.(CD).
Sep 1988	Red Dimond replaced with red circle.
Mar 1993	Condemned ND

23247

Date	Notes
Jan 1954	In Service.
1978	Derailed ND Mt Surprise
1980	Derailed ND Bullock Ck.
1986	Derailed ND Forsayth
1988	Derailed ND Forsayth
1992	Condemned ND

23248

Date	Notes
Feb 1954	In Service
Oct 1960	Fitted with CSSC Buffers (Ips)
Jun 1988	Red Diamond replaced with Red Circle SD
May 1992	Condemned Ips.

23249

Date	Notes
Apr 1954	In Service
Jul 1959	Shown to be numbered 23219 Twba. Renumbered Roma to 23249
Jan 1962	Fitted with CSSC Buffers (SWD).
Jul 1981	Derailed Emmet
Jan 1984	Derailed CD
Oct 1987	Modified for electrified areas
Feb 1988	Red Diamond replaced with Red Circle CD

23250

Date	Notes
Apr 1954	In Service
May 1959	Hand grips fitted (Twba)
Feb 1962	Train Line modified (Rton)
Feb 1980	Fitted with CSSC Buffers (Twba)

23251

Date	Notes
May 1954	In Service
Feb 1955	Axle dates altered from 50 to 30 years.
Sep 1957	Modified (M’boro)
Nov 1964	Fitted with CSSC buffers (M’boro)
Dec 1977	Top drawhook rubbing block provided (Twba)

Charleville (Bogie repairs)

23252

Date	Notes
May 1954	In service
Sep 1973	Derailed Olio CD.
Jan 1991	Written off IPS.

23253

Date	Notes
Jul 1954	In Service
1963	Stencilled both sides “For Chromated water, not suitable for drinking or washing”.
May 1977	Derailed Redbank

23254

Date	Notes
Jul 1954	In Service
Feb 1955	Axle dates altered Tve.
Oct 1988	Alter to Red Circle.
June 1992	Condemned ND

23255

Date	Notes
Aug 1954	In Service
Jul 1963	CSSC Buffers fitted (Tve)
Mar 1969	CSSC Buffers fitted (Twba) revenue
Jan 1987	Modified for Electrified Areas. (CD)
Feb 1989	Red Circle replaced Red Diamond (CD)

23256

Date	Notes
Oct 1954	In Service
Oct 1962	CSSC Buffers fitted (Tve)
Jan 1984	Derailed Hughenden - Winton
Mar 1992	Condemned ND

23257

Date	Notes
Oct 1954	In Service
Feb 1955	Stencilled “Empty and Full instead of Tare and Carry. Axle dates altered (Ips)
May 1962	Headstock modified (Ips)
Oct 1994	Condemned ND

23258

Date	Notes
Dec 1954	In Service
Oct 1956	Modified for chromated water for DEL’s. Adaptor nipples to end outlets. End cocks fitted with locking lugs. Side outlets blanked off. Top hatch fitted with locking. Standard 2 in end outlets cocks fitted in place of existing John values. 1 ft. dark blue band painted around tank and stencilled on both sides. :Chromated Water only, not suitable for Drinking or Washing”,
Aug 1957	Two cross members and headstocks straightened. (Ips)
Aug 1960	Grab handle over brake lever.
1975	Relettered Waste oil Mayne to Ipswich
Apl 1992	Condemned Ips

23259

Date	Notes
Dec 1954	In Service
Sep 1957	Brake pipe mods (M’boro)
Sep 1961	Sent ND
Nov 1964	CSSC Buffers fitted (ND).
Oct 1988	Red circle replaced red diamond.
Mar 1992	Condemned ND

A modification that has not shown up in the history cards is rolling bearing bogies. I guess a bogie from a Sunshine Car.

As far as I’m aware, one was at Pioneer Steam Railway, Box Flat and the another at Southern Downs Steam at Warwick.

Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway Box Flat.

Downs Explorer (Southern Downs Steam Railway) Warwick

GWW Wagons.

The tank was elevated on a cradle with grab handles and steps.

Much the same alterations were made to them as above for the WW wagons.

Some were shown to have lid modifications.

23260 In Service April 1955.

23261 In Service April 1955

23262 In Service May 1955. Condemned Aug 1989.

23263 In Service July 1955. Heritage wagon, restored to books Feb 1995

23264 In Service Aug 1955. Converted to WW Dec 1982 (M’boro). Condemned May 92 Ips.

23265 In Service Sep 1955. Condemned Dec 1991 Ips.

23266 In Service Dec 1955. Heritage wagon, restored to books Feb 1995.

23267 In Service Feb 1956. Condemned Feb 1992 Ips.

23268 In Service Mar 1956. Condemned Dec 1991 Ips.

23269 In Service May 1956. Condemned Aug 1989 CD.

In service, wagons were painted black until 1969, after that they were painted grey the same as all other goods/freight wagons.

As I’m making a chromated water wagon, around 1971, a C17 tender was modified to carry Chromated water, classified as CWW # 1.

Before looking at the models, let’s look at some prototype operations around the diesel shed we can do on our layouts.

My loco shed comes from the steam era and lacks detail for diesels.

My shed is modelled on the Charleville. The shed served diesel locomotives from 1960 onwards until blown down in a willy willy dust storm in about 2003.

To keep the shed operational for diesels, fuel is required, nearby could be a small tank farm and a refuelling point is required.

Refuelling equipment can be located in other areas around the station yard. Some locations locomotives and power cars can be refuelled on the main line.

To assist with traction, sand is trucked in and placed in various sand boxes around the shed or yard.

Toowoomba Sand Wagon No. 1.

FJS 28639 Converted Twba Jan 1964, classed Z Wagon Apr 91, W/Off Aug 92.

Central Division. FO 36273 wagon.

In Service. Feb 1983, ex coal wagon JVD 24219. W/Off Jun 1990.

FSS 26278 wagon.

Converted FJS wagon, In Service Jun 1984. W/Off Jun 1990 SWD.

PST 44998 wagon.

Converted from BLC Aug 1986.

Waste oil may need to be sent away for disposal.

FJO wagon

And the new wagon for chromated water could be included into the operations around the diesel shed.

All this can be added into your local operations with just a small amount of infrastructure required as a position to place (spot) the wagon.

Models.

A “WW” wagon was something that was always going to be on my layout. Seeing them on the Westlander as a boy in Charleville made them a “must have” model. In grade 8 at primary school my grade 7 teacher (Mr Bradley) made one for me. The red caboose in my train set didn’t cut the mustard. After purchasing a composite BR guards van on holidays in the big smoke the caboose was surplus to requirements. Graham cut the top off the frame and added a balsa tank. The top section was made into a lineside structure. Wow, two for one deal and scratch building gave me a new meaning to model railways.

Many years back, most likely in the 1990’s I purchase a “WW” kit from the Turntable hobby shop, I think it was a Fox kit. The wagon is still part of my rollingstock fleet today. I recall making some changes to the kit during construction.

Wagon is fitted with Steam Era bogies that were narrowed gauged for HOn3½ operations.

At the May show this year I missed out on the new PGC scale models tank wagon kits, all sold before I arrived. Seeing a “WW” kit on the stand I purchased one. They have been around for a few years, they look a good model but are not on their website.

As with most kits these days, paint and coupling are required to complete the kit.

Flash needs to be cleaned from both underframe and floor frame. Quite a bit of work removing flash from each section to have an open frame.

Placing the wagon on the bogies there about 3mm difference in floor heights with other rollingstock on the layout. Wagon floors, underframes, headstocks need to be at the same level regardless of wheel sizes and bogies. Buffers, drawhooks need to in the same plane so wagon can couple of other rollingstock. For us modellers, coupling heights need to be all at the same height.

A dermal cutter was placed in the drill press and the height of the bogie mounts on the bolster was reduced.

The coupler was mounter without a coupler box to keep the coupler at the correct level for my layout. The coupler swivel was made by cutting a length of K & S ⅛ inch brass tube to length, the same as the thickness of the coupler shaft. A 2mm screw with a washer was used to mount the coupler. The width of the couple box was reduced to cut back on the amount of cross swing in the coupling. I do this on all my wagons. The coupler don’t foul the buffers and I feel it helps to keep coupling in line when pushing back during shunting (switching) reducing the chance of derailments. Don’t look to close, yes, I did stuff up mounting the brake cylinder??