Towards the end of last year, I was at a buy & sell, one stand was selling a Caintode Flats “CL” Sydney Mail car kit for $20.00. I have one on the layout and I didn’t think I needed a second one. As a rule, you only see one per train, mainly as an extra car or on the back of a mixed train. Another place you may see them is on a train that need passenger accommodation and the guards van available for the train does not have passenger accommodation. After walking around for an hour or two, the kit was still for sale. The brain started ticking, I could use it to make something else, $20.00 is not going to break the bank.
Arriving home with the kit the search was on for a project. I recall a couple of end veranda guard’s vans in the 1960’s, long before the DAS conversions to DAV vans. A plan and a couple of photos were found for Van 264. It was unusual rare unique van, there was nothing else like it. It was obvious that the van was converted from a carriage. The plan didn’t any clue to what it was converted from. The plan was for a previous conversion and some things on the plan didn’t add up, which is not all that uncommon for QR plans. May be if I found the original plan of the carriage it would help with some dimensions. Looking for other carriages in that number range I didn’t come up with anything, there was nothing even the same length.
The next stop for
information was the history cards, bingo, there were five (5) cards for the
van. If you think recycling is some new, take a look at this, QR was a master
of it 80 years ago.
The carriage entered
service in November 1910 as a 1st class suburban car numbered 554.
Weekly Notice 5/22 dated
2nd February 1922 states the carriage was renumbered to 264. The
carriage was fitted with rolling bearings in 1939. July 1940 the carriage was
converted into a mobile X-Ray Unit for the Defence Department. The follow was
found in Weekly Notice 30/40 on the operations of the car.
Mobile X-ray Unit, Defence Department. Car 264 has been converted into a Mobile X-ray Unit for use by the Military Authorities. A hire charge of £2 10s. per week for the car, plus 5s. per week for equipment will be levied and a debit for this will be arranged monthly by the Chief Accountant. The haulage, charge is one (I) shilling per mile and the car is to be waybilled or invoiced from point to point and a debit made to the Military Authorities in the usual way by the stations from which the car is despatched. Five officers will travel with the car. Two of these officers will be issued passes, and Defence Force Warrants will be issued to cover the three remaining officers for whom fares will be charged the Defence Department at ordinary prevailing rates. The car will leave Brisbane for Bowen by 247 Down on Saturday, 27th July 1940, any future movements will be arranged by the Officer-in-charge of the car. Requests, for movement of this car from point to point should be, referred to Divisional or District Officers so as to avoid the necessity of attaching assisting engines or dividing trains for the purpose of accommodating the car.
June 1941 it was
converted to an emergence brake van. September 1943 another conversion, this
time to a USA Hospital Van, a power car for the hospital train. The gross
weight was 31 tons 3 cwt. The carriage was fitted with a diesel engine driving
a 110 volt 2.5 Kw generator. 250 gallon fuel tank and two (2) sleeping berths
were also added with storage.
In August 1949 the
carriage was converted into a 2nd class van classified BV” class to
carry 12 passengers. The carriage was condemned at Ipswich in October 1974 and
the body burnt in May 1975.
July 1977 the underframe was used to build electrification work wagon EWT 13 fitted with MTW bogies. A flat top wagon with elevated platform and was marked “Inner City Tunnel Contract Traffic Only”.
Yes, it was very unique vehicle, most likely the only power guards van ever to run on the QR.
Van 264 did have a mate in BLV 536 in some ways, built in February 1910 as a Parlour Car, 1943 converted into a Pantry/Ward Car for the USA hospital trains and then converted to BLV (Second class Lavatory Van) in August 1949. The van finally finished service in November 1982. This van carried 18 passengers and had the verandas both ends.
Then from the mid 1970’s to the early 1980’s came the DAV vans, which were more or less for traincrew accommodation for when crews travelled spare returning to their home depots.
Model.
For the model it will be what I recall in the 60’/70’s as a BV. Like most research, both photos located were of the same side. Both sides were built to match. When I printed the photo as a work reference, the full photo didn’t print. Working off both photos the rear window was built into the sides, Opp’s. Just realised my error adding the photo from the computer.
From the kit I used the
roof, underframe with bogies and fittings, buffers, trust rods etc. Two new
side and ends were built from Evergreen scribed sheet styrene. There were built
on a tray with a brass straight edge to keep the bottom uniform and the sides
square. Starting from the passenger compartment end both sides were built
together working from a centre point away from each other to give a uniform
side once on the underframe. This continued to the two windows in the baggage
area. The Guards compartment was build next, this allowed for an exact
measurement for the boarded area between the two sections to replace the
original sides.
Underframe, bogies, seats and roof were paint black. Hard to tell from B/W photos the roof colour. Black didn’t look right, or should I say I didn’t like it. A second look at the photos the roof looked lighter in colour than the underframe. The roof was repainted using SMS orange with a drop or two of black. The sides were painted using P.C.G. Passenger Red.
With my check list this time I did remember to paint the window frames, unlike the last carriage build.
Tamiya XF 68 Nato Brown
XF 52 Flat Earth
XF 57 Bluff
Yep, there was a bit of modellers licence in the construction of the van, not all features could be clearly for determined. Yes, another van for the layout, I have lost count on the number, working on the layout at present there is 15 vans and there will be some in storage under the layout. Trust the information is helpful and assist you in your modelling.
The next four weeks or so are fairly busy, next week the NMRA Regional Convention starts with 7 days of activities. Both layouts are open for viewing for 3 days for the Layout Tours. Amby West will crewed by convention delegates. We are expecting visitors from most states in Australia as well as the US and NZ.
The floor plan for the Brisbane Model Train Show arrived a couple of days ago. Amby West has been kindly allocated a spot. There will be positions vacant for driver and shunter during the weekend, come to test your skills in the shunting yard. Be sure to drop by and say good day, it will be great to meet you and catch up on what you are doing. It looks like there will be 4 other HOn3½ QR layout on display. Spring Bluff, Walloon, Stannumvale and Coolooawah. That must be a record number for a show.
Brisbane Model Train Show
is on the Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st of September at
the Northside Indoor Sports Centre, 20 Cambewarra Street, Zillmere. Just a
short walk from the Zillmere railway station. Looks like there could be another
week of busses on the Beenleigh/Gold Coast line for Cross River Rail works that
weekend. A quick count shows around 76 displays, layouts, and trade stands will
be attending. Check out the AMRA Qld website for additional information. BRISBANE MODEL
TRAIN SHOW 2025 – Australian Model Railway Association, Queensland Branch Inc.
Thanks for your support and until next time, enjoy the hobby.
Arthur H.
Acknowledgements.
QR Plans
QR Weekly Notices.
Queensland State Archives