Class BE Cattle trucks

WAGR official view of the first wagon when new. (RHWA Collection)

 

The four-wheeled cattle truck in the post-war reconstruction programme was class BE. A total of 300 were constructed on the standard 18'-0" long 10'-0" wheelbase chassis by Tomlinsons in 1952 (20401-20669) and 1953 (20670-20700). They were the last four-wheeled cattle trucks constructed for the W.A.G.R. Their construction allowed the withdrawal from service of most of the old B and BD class cattle trucks.

They formed the basis for a number of conversions over the years but eventually succumbed with the demise of livestock traffic on the W.A.G.R. They were not all repainted yellow before the end as shown by the photo of 20527.

Conversion from class BE were as follows:
1965 20505 to HCA
1966 20621 to NF
1967 20425, 20426, 20433, 20462, 20498, 20563, 20594, 20598, 20657, 20662, 20683, 20687 to HCA

20405, 20442, 20446, 20453, 20468, 20478, 20481, 20483, 20503, 20512, 20517, 20531, 20539, 20548, 20554, 20557, 20561, 20567, 20572, 20585, 20586, 20602, 20608, 20623, 20634, 20639, 20652, 20676 to HCL

20406, 20473, 20475, 20495, 20523, 20553, 20560, 20601, 20696 to NO

1975 20416, 20419, 20439, 20441, 20470, 20472, 20487, 20490, 20511, 20587, 20620, 20664, 20684, 20689 to cattle containers 5486-5500

All of the other members of the class were written off. It is assumed that the early casualties were due to accident damage.
1965 20665
1966 20407
1975 20409, 20412, 20415, 20420, 20422, 20424, 20429, 20436, 20443, 20454, 20456, 20458, 20461, 20466, 20467, 20471, 20476, 20477, 20486, 20492, 20494, 20508, 20570, 20576, 20579, 20520, 20530, 20533, 20535, 20536, 20542, 20556, 20562, 20571, 20590, 20595, 20599, 20600, 20603, 20605, 20607, 20624, 20635, 20646, 20649, 20654, 20658, 20659, 20660, 20668, 20671, 20678, 20679, 20685, 20690
1976 20435, 20455, 20440, 20464, 20552, 20628
1977 20421, 20450, 20528, 20569, 20593, 20629, 20677, 20681, 20691
1978 20408, 20410, 20423, 20430, 20438, 20501, 20513, 20532, 20541, 20568, 22574, 20580, 20613, 20626, 20642
1979 20403, 20449, 20465, 20488, 20515, 20544, 20549, 20558, 20581, 20589, 20612, 20618, 20637, 20638, 20645, 20672, 20680
1981 20521, 20573, 20596
1983 20404, 20411, 20428, 20444, 20448, 20451, 20452, 20457, 20489, 20493, 20499, 20502, 20504, 20526, 20534, 20540, 20543, 20547, 20550, 20551, 20564, 20575, 20577, 20578, 20588, 20597, 20614, 20615, 20616, 20619, 20622, 20630, 20640, 20647, 20648, 20669, 20673, 20674, 20698
1985 20401, 20413, 20417, 20427, 20431, 20432, 20434, 20437, 20459, 20460, 20463, 20469, 20474, 20479, 20480, 20482, 20485, 20491, 20497, 20500, 20509, 20522, 20524, 20538, 20555, 20559, 20565, 20570, 20576, 20584, 20604, 20606, 20625, 20631, 20641, 20643, 20644, 20650, 20653, 20663, 20667, 20670, 20682, 20688, 20692, 20693, 20694, 20695, 20697, 20699
1986 20402, 20414, 20418, 20457, 20484, 20507, 20518, 20525, 20529, 20537, 20545, 20546, 20566, 20583, 20591, 20592, 20609, 20611, 20617, 20632, 20636, 20651, 20655, 20661, 20675, 20686, 20700
1987 20496, 20506, 20514, 20527, 20582, 20627, 20656
1991 20579, 20610

The WAGR outline diagram is shown below.

Other Cattle trucks

The W.A.G.R.'s other cattle trucks were classes B, BD, BS, and the bogie vehicles in Classes T , TA and TAD.

Return to class B     Return to alphabetical list