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.
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.
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
|
|
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
|
(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.
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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