Thursday 5 December 2019

Fruit Bins.


Golden Circle began in the 1940’s as a grower’s cooperative and commenced a pineapple cannery at Northgate in 1947. In 1964 the cannery split from the COD and became a separate business.  

In the 1970’s, pineapples/fruit traffic was big business for Queensland Railways on the North Coast Line (NCL). Train loads of pineapples were a regular sight when the fruit was in season. I recall special trains running with a full load coming out of just two stations, Woombye and Palmwoods. Most stations between Caboolture and Gympie loaded fruit. On top of this was the Wamuran, Mary Valley, Pialba Branches, Wide Bay area and the Yeppoon Area. Over time the wagons carrying the fruit varied considerably. Given most destinations were overnight travel, ordinary open goods wagons were used, FJS, H class wagons. In 1964 a numbers of “S” wagons were converted to “SP” wagons to convey fruit bins. Around this time a number of “S” wagon were also converted to “SS” wagons for sleepers and “SM” wagons to convey motor vehicles. Not sure if this had anything to do with a large number of branch lines being closed at the time.    

Most of the shunt trains off the North Coast arrived at Northgate after the last suburban train for the day, the Working Time Tables required Northgate loading to be marshalled on the engine. The train was broken into two at Northgate, the front half would move up to the platform and the cannery shunt engine would pick the loading off the train engine and take it down to the cannery. Trains arriving at other times went through to Mayne and the loading came back at the first opportunity.  The returned empty bins were conveyed to Mayne and marshalled into their respective trains for their destination.

 
Fruit bins came in two sizes, generally the Central Queensland bins were used in the Yeppoon area. However, in later years they were also used in the Wide Bay Area.   

 South Queensland   (SEQ)          Outside Measurements

                                        7’ 0” Long,   x   3’ 0” wide  x  3’ 2” high
                                        2134 mm           914 mm         965 mm


Kandanga. Bins marked with an “A” most likely were Amamoor growers. 

PHO Wagon at Elimbah.
SP wagon at Maryborough, mid 1970’s. 
The bins were the same size, the photos show there was a couple of different methods of construction, some also had cross bracing.
 Central Queensland    (CQ)         Outside Measurements
                                             7’ 0’ Long     x    4’ 3”  wide   x  2’ 6” high
2134 mm           1295 mm        762 mm
 
CQ Bins at Mungar on a PB wagon (Early 2000’s).

Likewise, the CQ bins also had a couple of variations where sheet steel was used for the ends. 

The bins mainly conveyed pineapples from the farm to the nearest railway station. Many stations had Fruit Co-ops that would load the wagons with fork lifts. The fork lifts would also lift the wagon door and close it, after watching is a number times I’m sure I know the reason why so many doors needed replacement. Bins loaded with fruit were regarded as 1 ton. Smaller stations, the yard crane was used to load the bins. Bins carried markings, just about every location had a different method, most bins were numbered and some means to identify their owner/location.  

All bins are to be loaded with the longest side across the wagon, no more than two tiers high. The bottom tier should completely occupy the length of the wagon before commencement of loading of the second tier. Under no circumstances, must bins of different types, loaded or empty, be loaded on the same wagon.  

Wagons designed for heavy loads should not be used for this traffic, where lower capacity wagons can be used. However, care must be taken when using high capacity wagons on B class lines to ensure that the axle load limit on these lines is not exceeded.  

Over time most class of open wagons fitted with drop doors and platform wagons were used to convey the bins.  

This load table was in the 1981 Loading & Securing Manual.

Southern Bins

Wagon
Class
No of Bins
On Floor
Loaded Bins
Top Tier
Empty Bins
Top Tier
Remarks
FJS/FWS
5
3
3
No end bins top tier
30’ H
9
2
7
No end bins top tier.
One loaded bin on top tier to be placed over each bogie
32’ H
10
2
8
No end bins top tier.
One loaded bin on top tier to be placed over each bogie
HJS/HSA/HWA
10
8
8
No end bins top tier.
MTW
13
11
11
No end bins top tier.
SP
9
4
9
When 4 loaded bins placed on top, two to be placed over each bogie.
QFX/QFC
16
14
14
No end bins on top tier. Allowed on S & A class Lines
QFX/QFC
16
12
14
No end bin top tier. Allowed on S & A and B class lines with 12 tonne axle load
QFX/QFC
16
6
14
No end bins top tier
When 4 loaded bins placed on top, two to be placed over each bogie.
HWO
16
16
16
Allowed S & A lines only
HWO
16
12
16
Allowed on S & A and B class lines with 12 tonne axle load. Space between bins on top tier to be at centre of wagon

 Central Queensland Bins

Wagon
Class
No of Bins
On Floor
Loaded Bins
Top Tier
Empty Bins
Top Tier
Remarks
FJS/FWS
4
4
4
 
30’ H
6
6
6
 
32’ H
7
5
7
No loaded bins at end of top tier.
HJS/HSA/HWA
7
7
7
 
MTW
9
7
7
No end bins top tier.
SP
7
5
7
No loaded bins at end of top tier.
QFX/OFC
11
9
9
No end bins on top tier.
HWO
11
9
11
All Lines Leave gap at centre on top tier of bins
HWO
11
11
11
Allowed on S & A and B class lines with 12 tonne axle load. Space between bins on top tier to be at centre of wagon



 Security of loading of these bins should be ensued by the use of :-

(1)  Rope
(2)  Seel U Clips or “Hairpins”
(3)  End and side stanchions on SP, QFC/QFX wagons.
 
No less than 2 ropes shall be applied to the full length of each wagon load. The 2 bins at each end of the top tier must be held together, and to the other top tier bins when applicable, by steel “U” clips or hairpins, which are supplied by the consignor. Where part-load consignments or other circumstances leave part of the floor space unoccupied on MTW and SP wagons, the free end of the loads to be anchored by chocks nailed to the floor as well as with ropes and hairpins as above.   

Tarpaulins are not to be supplied or used for this traffic. When loading a second tier, care must be taken to ensure the carrying capacity of the wagon and the axle load of the wagon on which it is to travel are not exceed. 

Canneries were also located at Newstead and Manly.  In the early 1970’s I recall oranges from Gayndah being conveyed in the same bins.  

During the mid 1980’s, QR was moving towards having a modern fleet of steel wagons fitted with auto couples which were capable of operating at 80 km/h. This would allow QR to run faster trains on most services which provided shorter travelling times with a better service for their customer. This resulted in phasing out their wooden wagons and in many cases coming up with replacement wagons.  

For the pineapple traffic WHA and WHE grain wagons were converted by removing the sides and classified PWA and PWH class. By keeping the ends is allowed for a full row of bins on the second tier.  

PWA QR Drawing P - 454. Tare 10 t, carry 29.7 t.

PWH QR Drawing P – 453. Tare 11.4 t, carry 29.2 t all lines and 33.5 t on some “B”, “A” & “S” lines.   

The number board shows the wagon class as PWA, when modified the wagon class became PWH wagon. The wagon is conveying SEQ Bins at Bindha.
These wagons could carry 26 SEQ bins and 18 CQ bins. By adding stanchions rails to the ends of the PWH wagons, a third layer of CQ bins could be loaded, all up a load of 27 bins. This is a great improvement on 12 bins allowed on an SP wagon.

With changes coming to the container traffic with higher and heavier containers, special container wagons also started entering service, this made most QFC wagons surplus to this traffic. Many of the class were rust effected in the headstocks from carrying salted skins and hides, resulting in a large number of the class being scrapped. Some remaining were fitted with end stanchions and allocated to pineapple traffic.
 
QFXS 33010 Banyo Nov 1994. (Wamuran Bins)  

Other were fitted with 2 x 20’ flat rack containers and also saw service in the pineapple traffic. These containers could carry 12 CQ bins subject to track class. (Wagon 20t, containers 6t, 24 bins = 24 t, total 50 t).   
 
QFXC 35751 Rockhampton Dec 1996.
Securing of the bins to the wagons/containers moved from rope to web straps. However, rope did may a return to some loading location where the loading area was adjacent to lines with overhead traction power lines.    
PB and PHO class wagons were also used at times in this traffic, loads carried were subject to the track class they operated on.  
QR transferred the traffic to road around 2002/3.
 
FJS wagons of Pineapple Bins at Nikenbah on the Pialba Branch Mid 1970’s.
 
Train load of Pineapples leaving Maryborough.
 
Yard Crane at Cooroy with case lifting adaptor attached.
Consignments of fruit was conveyed from the Granit Belt in bushel cases. I think there was half bushel and one and half bushel cases as well, all made from pine wood. They were recycled as chips (fire starters) for the old Crown stove at our place. The minimum freight charge was .42 cents, which just about covered most locations in Queensland for a half bushel case (15kg), the 2 cents was a fruit levy. This traffic was conveyed in louvered box wagons, in later years in CMR refrigerated wagons were used. Tranship locations would move the fruit onto the next available train, often passenger trains. Fruit arriving at Roma Street was taken over the suburban platform and conveyed on the next train to the suburbs. Mangos from north Queensland was conveyed much the same manner. Fruit was consigned from various station on the network, Caboolture – case of Bananas, Eumundi, Cooroy and Pomona would load two or three wagons a day for interstate. Yarwun paw paws   
On Westgate I currently running a couple of wagons with bulk fruit. 
 
SP wagon loaded with bins of oranges. The wagon and bins are scratch built, I think the 13 bins on the wagon were built 13 different ways. The oranges at Woodland Scenics T47 Fruit Apples & Oranges product, a block was made from styrene and the apples attached with super glue. After a few months some of the apples turned white, the load was painted with Vallejo Model Color (acrylic) Light Orange # 70.911. Black cotton was used for the rope to secure the load.  
 

32’ H wagon loaded with bins of pineapples. The H wagon was an old poxy kit which didn’t have any inside detail. PGC scale models have a HJ model with inside detail which could be used. The pineapples were made from long grain rice cut into two. As for the apples, blocks of styrene were made for each bin and the cut down rice glued to the blocks with super glue. The load was painted with Vallejo Model Color # 70.881 Yellow Green. Vallejo Model Color Light Orange # 70.911 was dried brushed over the rice. Not sure the rice was a good idea, of late a few pineapples have gone missing overnight just as they did on QR during their journey to the cannery.
Trust you enjoy the post, until next have fun.
Acknowledgements.
QR Loading Manual 1981.
QR Working Time Tables.
AMRA Qld Inc and Keith McDonalds Collection.
 Trust you enjoy the post, until next have fun.
Arthur.

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