Weekend of the 20th and 21st of March
were able to attend an exhibition for the first time in 18 months. Bundaberg,
was the location.
On the way on up Friday we dropped into Harvey Bay and
had a look at Merv Bagnall's layout. More details of Merv’s layout can be found
in the January/February 2021 Issue of MainLine. Australasian Region MainLine
(nmra.org.au)
Saturday and Sunday was the Bundaberg Model Train and Hobby
Expo. Both days I gave the club a hand assisting with their Queensland Health
approved Covid-19 Plan, this was required to allow the event to be held and
something none of us had been involved in before. Being posted out front, visitor
attending needed to register, social distancing, and pay the entrance fee. At the
same time, keeping the line of visitors moving, making it hard to chat with modellers
arriving at the front door. I apologise to those to whom I appear rude or unfriendly.
Once off duty I was able to catch up
with some inside, some I know, others I didn’t. Some I missed, sorry, hope were
can catch up soon.
All up a great show that broke all previous records in a
nice venue.A lot of work went into the
arrangements to obtain a Qld Health Covid-19 approval to allow the show to
proceed.
Great to see various clubs helping the host club by providing
extra assistance to make the weekend possible with the additional health
approval requirements.All the
exhibitors also had a role to play in this as well, cleaning the fence in front
of their display. The photos are only an overview and is not all of the layout/displays
at the show.
Last year the show was cancelled at short notice due to
the lockdown costing the club a truck load of cash that couldn't be
refunded.
And Yes, with 10 Traders present, I did come home with less cash in the pocket and
more MR parts for more projects for Westgate.
We were able to have a quick look around town, port, beaches
and stock up on Bundaberg Ginger Beer and Sarsaparilla. Wet weather was coming
in, lots more to see, next time.
Monday returning home we had a quick look at Maryborough,
the day was to wet for photos, and heading home sounded much better. We had
already passed a head on smash at Tiaro in heavy rain.
Between 1965 and 1981,
550 general traffic open goods/freight wagons entered service on the QR
Network. The wagons were much the same size as the previous HJS wagons that
entered service in the early 1950’s. The wagons entered service manufactured over
five separate contracts with modifications being made to four of five contracts.
The years that followed also saw various modification and changes in the classification.
The wagons were a steel
construction, the underframe was 32’ (9 750 mm) long, and 7’ 6” (2286 mm) wide.
The outside frame of the wagon was 32’ 4¾” (9 875 mm) and 8’ 6¼’ (2 598 mm) wide.
For loading, the width of the wagon across the floor was 8’ (2 438 mm) between
the doors, and 7’ 6¼” (2 292 mm) between the stanchions. The inside length was
31’ 11¾’ (9 748 mm). The average tare was 10 Ton 2 Cwt (11 t), carrying
capacity 25 Ton 18 Cwt (26.5 t) with a Gross weight of 36 Ton (37.7 tonnes). Capacity
672 cubic feet (19 m3). When built in 1965, the unit length was 2, changing to
2.1 when metric measure was introduced in 1973.Estimated height of centre of gravity of the tare mass is 25.6” above
rail when fully loaded.
All wagons were Express
Freight rated for 50 mph/80 Kmph running and carried a red circle. On the job
the wagons were referred to red spot H’s.
Contract
# 1. HSA Class # 33119 - 33268, built by Scott’s
of Ipswich in 1965. Fitted with QR 20 cast steel bogies. This contract differed from the following
contracts. Painted black, Premium hook drawgear, later known at D2. Stamping on
the doors and ends were donut shape that finish just short of the top and bottom
sills.
HSA 33122
painted freight grey.
Contract
# 2. HSAT Class # 34667 - 34799, built by Scott’s
of Ipswich in 1971. Fitted with QR 20 A cast steel bogies. This contract the
stamping in the door and ends was U channel shaped, the wagons were painted
freight grey. Automatic and transition couplings were fitted to the wagon
increasing the wagon tare. Drawgear classification was D1.
Contract
# 3. HWA Class # 35820 - 35969, built by Scott’s
of Ipswich in 1972. Fitted with QR 20 A cast steel bogies. The contact had the same
outside features as the previous contact except the wagon had a wooden floor.
Wooden floors have a few advantages over steel, it was easier to secure loads.
Wooden chocks could be nailed to the floor to stop loads from moving in
transit. This method was used with the wooden wagons. Steel floor wagons
required a frame to be constructed between the load and the end of the wagon. Friction
plays are part in securing freight, wooden floors provide greater friction to
steel. Plus, during wet weather, water
flowed out between the floor boards, instead of pooling across the floor to flow
out under the doors. Tarpaulins often had holes in them and during rain water
could blow in onto the load where the two tarpaulins jointed to cover the load.
There was less damage to freight with water running out through the floor
boards.
HWA 35936
Wacol.
Note the logo on the
centre door. I think this was mainly on wagons coming from the manufacture.
HWA wooden
floor. At the time the photo was taken, the wagon was being used for conveying
concrete sleepers.
Contract
# 4. HWA Class # 36726 - 36775, built by Scott’s
of Ipswich in 1972. Fitted with QR 20 A cast steel bogies. The wagons were
identical was the previous contract.
HWA 36732
Coopers Plains.
Contract
# 5. HWA Class # 41036 - 41135, built by Vickers
Ruwolt (a division of Scott’s) of Ipswich in 1980/81. Fitted with QR 24 A, 20 A
, 17 and 17A cast steel bogies. The wagons were identical was the previous
contract except the wagon was fitted with internal retractable securing rings
for attaching chain.
Securing rings
can be seen hanging down below the doors. Wool Load.
The wagons were used on
all lines across the network and could be found on most goods/mixed/express
freights trains carrying all sorts of loads, many covered with tarpaulins in
various outline.
The wagons were
fitted with a “W” type freight brake equipment.
It didn’t take long for
other uses to be found for the class, many HSA wagons were used in Central
Queensland Highlands grain traffic. Pipe supports for tarpaulin were added and
the wagon were reclassified to HSAG. Custom made tarpaulins were used to
protect the load.
Around 1988 first
contract HSA were fitted with auto couplings, then classed HSAT.
Approximately 45 HSA were
modified for magnetite traffic and classified HSM and HSAM in 1990 replacing
HJS wagons used in this traffic.
Early 1990’s the buffer were removed,
all wagons were classified HSA.
Like the HJS wagons,
workshops manufactured replacement doors when the original ones became damaged.
Check photos as there were was a couple different types. Not uncommon to find a
wagons with various door types as time went on.
Three HWA wagons became
part of the weighbridge test in 1991, MHWA classification.
Mid 1990’s some wagon
were modified for track maintenance work and to carry concrete sleepers HSAC /
HWAC.
Around the same time, the class was
given Business Group Identification.
HSAB / HWAB (Business Service. T.L.M)
HSAF / HWAF (Freight)
HSAI / HWAI (Freight Infrastructure)
HSAH (Heritage for coal, some of these
wagon carried a red diamond and at times were part of country heritage
excursions).
HSAM / HWAM (Coal Infrastructure).
HSAG Primary Industries.
HWAO (Freight Operations tutor train).
HWAC / HSAC (Freight Operations).
HSAN (Citytrain Infrastructure)
HWAW (Workshops)
ITS timber sleepers. (Freight
Infrastructure)
Wagon that have not been re-stencilled
remain for Express Freight and Q-Link traffic only.
HSAH
HWAI (note;
replacement door stop unpainted)
HSAT 34753 with
a mix of door types, replacement door stops.
HWAC 36741
This wagon was
taken off a train due to flat springs (In other words the wagon over loaded).
I wonder who
did that ??
Warwick. Oct
1996 with Workshop replacement ends.
By 2010 less than 100
were left in service, most being used on the SEQ spoil trains in a poor
condition. Around 2015 these wagons were replaced with containers on PCUY
wagons bring the life of the class to an end.
Models
on the Layout:- Being a
32’ wagon, they are a great size for most layout.
All wagons are mounted on
Wuiske Models QR 20 bogies. After reading Joe Fegates book “Make it run like a
Dream – Rollingstock” I have developed a standard for my rollingstock that
suits my track. These days, all wheelsets are bench tested on the workshop test
track. Wheelsets not meeting this standard are refined before going to the
layout. Having a good wheel/track interface is important to having a trouble
free operating layout. Having trouble free operations makes a layout so much
more enjoyable. On the weighbridge, all wagons were weighted to 50 grams.
Coupling are Kadee # 158, on the scratch build wagons the coupler box was built
into the underframe during construction, another feature I have come up with to
improve operations.
Far North
Hobbies Kit. Grain bins are scratch build.
Wuiske Models
Kit. Bricks and pallets are scratch build. The securing web straps are plastic
shopping bags painted yellow and cut into strips.
The following
wagons fitted with tarps were all scratch build, just a simple styrene box with
below floor detail only. Tarps were made from used tea bags.
The standard QR tarpaulins were made so
one size fits all applications, for lower loads the sides could folded up to
keep the tarps away from the running equipment on the wagon.
Modelling the early
1970’s there was a mix of tarpaulins in use. The green canvas were being
replaced by yellow PVC type. Late 1960’s there was a few trial orange PVC
traps.
Vallejo acrylic # 70.915 Deep Yellow,
and # 70.922 Uniform Green was used to paint the tarps.
Each wagon could be made different by
altering the colour of the tarps by added a drop or two white paint to the base
colour being used to produces various shades of fading.
Wagons fitted with tarps in this manner could be conveying general
freight, grain and other products.
Where loads were below the sides, portable
tarpaulins supports (one each end) was used to make a water shed. Otherwise in
wet weather water would pool in the tarps between the sides and at some stage,
water would enter the covered area damaging the freight.
The HSAG used in the
Central Queensland grain traffic had pipe tarp support fitted and a custom one piece
tarp manufacture to suit the wagons much the same as the WH and WHE wagons. Due
to the smaller size tarps, door ribs were added.
The tarpaulins signage is homemade
decals made up using “Word”. Thanks Ken E-W.
Another plus for
modelling the early 1970’s, is that both black and freight grey coloured wagons
were running on the network for a few years.
Now the wagons have decals added, it’s
just finding time to lightly weather them next time the air brush is out. Talking
of weathering, if you model a later era around 2000, boy, I think you could
have lots of fun with a few different shades of rust.
All the covered wagons can be found at
work on my Central Queensland Grain Train, check out my YouTube channel
Trust you find the information helpful
and assists in making a prototypical railway.
