New South Wales stainless steel carriage stock
The New South Wales stainless steel carriage stock was a type of passenger carriage operated by the New South Wales Government Railways from 1961 until 1993.
Car Service Sets
Brisbane Express Cars
In late 1954 tenders were called for by the Department of Railways for 24 air conditioned carbon steel bodied cars for the Brisbane Limited similar in construction the HUB and RUB sets. The contract was awarded to Commonwealth Engineering, Granville in August 1955. Commonwealth Engineering had put an option in their tender application for these cars to be constructed from stainless steel instead of the carbon steel specified and they were successful with this option. However reduced available funds lead to extended delays and the renegotiation of the contract and with the contract being changed and by 1959 the cars actually ordered had changed to only 5 LAN roomette sleepers (2323-2327) and 5 NAM twinette sleepers (2328-2332). These cars were built from stainless steel and used design techniques that Commonwealth Engineering had licensed from the Budd Company.[1][2]
Southern Aurora & Spirit of Progress Joint Stock Cars
A fleet of 34 stainless steel carriages were jointly purchased by the Department of Railways New South Wales and Victorian Railways for the commencement of the Southern Aurora between Sydney and Melbourne in April 1962. The carriages were ordered from Commonwealth Engineering, Granville and the cars as ordered for this service consisted of:
- 9 NAM twinette sleeping cars with a capacity of 20 passengers numbered 2335-2343
- 2 DAM deluxe twinette sleeping cars with a capacity of 18 passengers numbered 2333 & 2334, with 2333 being owned by Victorian Railways.
- 3 RMS dining cars numbered 2358-2360
- 3 BCS lounge cars numbered 2355-2357
- 11 LAN roomette sleeping cars with a capacity of 20 passengers numbered 2344-2354
- 3 PHN power/ brake vans numbered 2361-2363
- 3 MHN luggage brake vans numbered 2364-2366
Additional cars to the same design were also ordered for use on the Spirit of Progress, these cars consisted of:
- 3 NAM twinette sleeping cars with a capacity of 20 passengers numbered 2367, 2368 & 2373
- 3 PHN power/ brake vans numbered 2369-2371
Seven were destroyed in the Violet Town rail accident on 7 February 1969 with replacement stock built in 1970/71.[3][4] The replacement cars of the same design were given new numbers.[2]
Gold Coast Motorail Cars
To provide additional sleeping cars for the Brisbane Limited, and Gold Coast Motorail ten twinette sleeping cars with a capacity of 18 sleeping passengers in 9 compartments were ordered by the New South Wales Public Transport Commission. These cars were coded FAM (2382-2391) and were delivered by Commonwealth Engineering in 1975/76. These had deeper skirts than the earlier built carriages.[3]
Five power vans with a guard's compartment were delivered during late 1984 they were coded PHA & numbered 2392-2396.[2] These cars were built by A Goninan & Co and differed slightly in exterior finish as Goninans constructed them using design techniques that they had licensed from the Pullman Company as opposed to the Budd techniques used by Commonwealth Engineering. The PHA vans were meant to be replacements for the PHS vans on the longer distance locomotive hauled trains and were fitted with three GM 8V/71 125 kW diesel alternator units. These were latter replaced by three Cummins engines in PHA 2393 and 2396.[2]
Withdrawal
Some of these cars were withdrawn following the cessation of the North Coast sleepers in February 1990 and the balance when the Sydney/Melbourne Express ceased in November 1993.
Some were placed on RailCorp's heritage register and placed in the custody of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum.[5] with most other auctioned in August 1994.[6] Queensland Rail purchased six and moved them to Townsville with the aim of refurbishing for use on The Inlander but the program was cancelled.[7] Canberra Railway Museum have at least eight.[8]
A couple were retained for use as crew carriages with breakdown cranes and three were converted to track observation cars and have been used across Australia's standard gauge network.[9]
Surviving Carriages
| Number | other code | Owner | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAN 2323 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| LAN 2324 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| LAN 2325 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| LAN 2326 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| LAN 2327 | Tumut | |||
| NAM 2328 | Eveleigh Workshops | Eveleigh | ||
| NAM 2329 | OAM | LVR | North Rothbury | |
| NAM 2330 | Eveleigh Workshops | Eveleigh | ||
| NAM 2331 | OAP | LVR | North Rothbury | |
| NAM 2332 | Railcorp | |||
| DAM 2333 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| DAM 2334 | Rothbury | Rothbury | ||
| NAM 2335 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| NAM 2336 | OAM | LVR | North Rothbury | |
| NAM 2337 | Rothbury | Rothbury | ||
| NAM 2338 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| NAM 2340 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| NAM 2341 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| NAM 2342 | Eveleigh Workshops | Eveleigh | ||
| LAN 2347 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| LAN 2348 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| LAN 2349 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| LAN 2351 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| LAN 2352 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| LAN 2353 | Rothburyv | North Rothbury | ||
| LAN 2354 | Vic, Steamrail | |||
| BCS 2356 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| BCS 2357 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| RMS 2358 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| RMS 2359 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| RMS 2360 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| PHN 2361 | Rothbury | Rothbury | ||
| PHN 2362 | Pacific National | |||
| PHN 2363 | Railcorp | |||
| MHN 2364 | Railcorp | |||
| MHN 2365 | RTM | Broadmeadow | ||
| MHN 2366 | AHO | ARHSACT | Canberra | |
| NAM 2367 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| PHN 2369 | GSR | |||
| LAN 2372 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| NAM 2373 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| NAM 2374 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| NAM 2375 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| LAN 2376 | DSR&M | Dorrigo | ||
| LAN 2377 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| LAN 2378 | OAN | LVR | North Rothbury | |
| BCS 2379 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| NAM 2380 | Rothbury | Rothbury | ||
| PHN 2381 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| AK 2382 | FAM | Sydney Trains/ARTC | ||
| AK 2383 | FAM | Sydney Trains/ARTC | ||
| AK 2384 | FAM | Sydney Trains/ARTC | ||
| FAM 2385 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| FAM 2386 | Qld, Swanbank | |||
| FAM 2387 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| FAM 2388 | Rothbury | North Rothbury | ||
| FAM 2389 | Pacific National | |||
| FAM 2391 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| PHA 2392 | RTM | Broadmeadow | ||
| PHA 2393 | ARHSACT | Canberra | ||
| PHA 2394 | RTM | Thirlmere | ||
| PHA 2395 | Redfern Carriage works | |||
| PHA 2396 | RTM | Thirlmere |
References
- ^ Dunn, John (2008). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering Vol.2 1955 - 1966. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 114–120. ISBN 9781877058738.
- ^ a b c d Cooke, David (2003). Coaching Stock of the New South Wales Railways. Eveleigh Press. ISBN 1-876568-01-1.
- ^ a b "Melbourne/Sydney Express Cars" Railway Digest November 1986 page 353
- ^ "20 Years Ago" Railway Digest December 1990 page 454
- ^ RailCorp S170 Heritage and Conservation Register RailCorp 17 September 2012
- ^ "Rolling Stock - Carriage Auction Results" Railway Digest October 1994 page 38
- ^ "Ex-NSW Cars Still Await Reuse in Townsville" Railway Digest April 1997 page 16
- ^ ARHS ACT Wongm's Rail Gallery
- ^ "The AK Track Evaluation and Inspection Cars" Railway Technical Society of Australasia June 2004 page 2