Bulk Apples on QR

Coal hoppers have been converted to convey many bulk products on the QR network, grain, sugar, lime, fertilizer etc.

Loading of bulk apples from "The Summit" for juice commenced in the mid 1990’s, VAO class coal was used for this traffic. To identify the wagons allocated to the traffic, they were classed VAOA. Other factory fruit in bins was loaded into QLX type wagons. The wagons were conveyed to the Golden Circle Cannery at Northgate in Brisbane.    

 

Apples arriving at The Summit. July 1995.

 (I just love farm trucks, they are a great project to add realism to the layout). 

Sidings at "The Summit" were not that big, often loaded and empty wagons were conveyed to Wallangarra, some day’s 12 wagons came to Brisbane.   (100 metre = 6 wagons).

 

 

Combined Goods/Cream Shed

Empty VAOA wagons arriving at The Summit

 

Empty wagons being placed at the siding to be loaded.  

 The Summit Yard, cases of Apples being loaded into VAOA wagons. (Eastern side of the Main Line).

 Apples being loaded.

 

As much as possible, red and green apples were loaded into separate wagons.

Likewise at the cannery red apples were unloaded first before the green apples to save on cleaning the plant between to two types of apples.

 

The Summit western side of the main line, loading bank, station and fruit shed.

QLW in the fruit shed for factory fruit.

This wagon has tail light brackets on the end, suggesting it may have been a QLXP and a QLDP before becoming a QLW. That’s a long story, I will leave that for another day.

 

VAOA Wagons at Wallangarra

 

Train 7F09 leaving Acacia Ridge for Bindha with apples.

VAOA next for the unloading pit.

 

Golden Circle Cannery Rail Vehicle Placer shunts a QLX of apples.

(This unit takes first place for me).

 

The station building, combined Cream/Goods Shed and the loading bank were all on the Main Line.  The location would make a great modelling project.

Trust you enjoy.

 Arthur.