Class C (Class N before 1900) Sheep trucks

The W.A.G.R.had a total of about 150 class C sheep trucks of five different designs.

The first group consisted of only about eight wagons. These wagons were 17'-0" over headstocks and originally had bell buffers. The first two were built in 1885 with a second batch of five in 1888. All of these older wagons were rebuilt as double-deckers in 1890 and a final wagon was built in 1891. Known running numbers are 105, 106, 177, 189-191, 282. All of the wagons in this group were written off by 1903 although number 177 survived to become Jetty wagon 265.

A cruel enlargement from State Library of WA BA2053/5 shows two of these early sheep wagons at Fremantle.

Another cruel engagement, this time from State Library of WA BA1344/73, shows an end view at Perth Goods yard.

The WAGR outline diagram is shown below.

A second group of four wagons of an altogether different design were inherited by the W.A.G.R. when the G.S.R was taken over in 1896. They have their own separate page.

No sheep trucks were built new on the New Zealand underframe and the first standard design did not arrive until the 1901/2 15'-0" all steel underframe became available. This new design was very similar to contemporary N.Z.R. wagons and they were numbered 5868 - 5892. One wagon (5872) from this batch was at least notionally converted to a class B cattle wagon in 1947. They were written off as below.

1947 5870 written off
1948 5877 to JETTY 484

5891 written off

1949 5887 written off
1950 5875, 5880, 5890 to JETTY 770, 784, 768

5874, 5879, 5883, 5886, 5888, 5889 written off

1951 5878 written off
1952 5871, 5873, 5881 written off
1953 5882 written off
1954 5868, 5869, 5876, 5884, 5885 written off
1955 5892 written off

The WAGR outline diagram is shown below.

The fourth group used the GB type 15'-0" wooden underframe but the body was similar to the third group. These wagons were numbered rather haphazardly as some were given numbers vacated by scrapped wagons. They were built as follows:

1904 105, 106, 177, 190, 191, 195 built
1905 6315-6344 built
1907 118-138, 140, 142, 144, 150 built

The photo at right showing C121 is from State Library of WA BA2271/70.

In 1920 replacement of these wagons started with many being converted to (or replaced by) longer CX class wagons. Very few survived this process and the last wagon (6334) was written off in 1954. Conversions to CX were as follows:

1920 6317, 6320, 6321, 6335 to CX.
1921 6319  to CX
1922 6324, 6329 to CX
1923 123, 133, 6318, 6331, 6332, 6336, 6337 to CX
1924 6333, 6339 to CX
1925 130, 134, 135, 6326 to CX
1926 120 to CX
1927 121, 131 to CX
1928 125, 127, 129, 138 to CX
1929 118, 119, 140, 142, 144, 150, 6315 to CX
1930 122, 124, 128, 6321, 6328 to CX
1931 136 to CX
1932 126, 137 to CX

From 1937 conversions were to the new CXA standard (with probably very little left of the original wagon). 6325 and 6343 were dealt with in 1937 with 6330 following in 1944 and finally 6338 in 1947. Wagon 106 was converted to a class B cattle truck in 1947 and the remaining wagons were written off apart from 6322 which was missing presumed scrapped in 1953.

The wagons were written off as follows:

1947 6341 written off
1948 132, 191 written off
1949 105, 6327 written off
1950 195, 6316, 6323, 6340, 6342 written off

190 to JETTY 779

1952 177 written off
1953 6344 written off

6322 missing at stocktake

1954 6334 written off

The fifth group of wagons used the same chassis but with a new body design. In these wagons the doors were in the middle of the side rather than at the right hand end. A batch of 50 (8237 - 8286) was built in 1912 followed by a final pair (9723, 9724) in 1915.

 

 

 

Photo shows C8238 when brand new in 1912 (WAGR official 193 RHWA collection)

This blow up of State Library of WA BA2271/88, taken at Wuranga, enables comparison of the fourth (left) and fifth (right) groups of C class wagons. Not only is the position of the side doors changed but the ends are different too.

The WAGR outline diagram is shown below.

From 1930 these wagons were also converted to class CX:

1930 8247 to CX
1931 8244, 8253, 8269, 8277, 8286 to CX
1932 8240 to CX
From 1933 rebuilds/replacements were to the new CXA standard:

1933 8237, 8242, 8252, 8256, 8274, 8284, 9724 to CXA
1935 8241, 8250, 8260, 8282 to CXA
1936 8254, 8276 to CXA
1937 8259, 8264, 8272, 8275 to CXA
1938 8251 to CXA
1939 8239, 8262, 8263 to CXA
1940 8238, 8273 to CXA
1942 8249, 9723 to CXA
1943 8278 to CXA
1944 8255 to CXA
1945 8267 to CXA

The remaining wagons were written off with the exception of 8246 which was declared missing in 1953. Of note is that 8258 (nominally written of in 1952) is listed as the sole remaining C class in the 1959 Engine load tables!

1947 8245, 8265, 8285 written off
1949 8268 written off
1950 8243, 8266, 8270, 8279 written off
1952 8258, 8280, 8281, 8283 written off
1953 8246 missing at stocktake
1954 8248, 8257, 8261, 8271 written off

A State Library of WA view (23304PD ) of the the Midland Saleyards giving a very clear view of he top of one of the fifth group of wagons nearest the camera.

Other Sheep trucks

The W.A.G.R.'s other sheep trucks were classes CA, CX, CXA, and CXB, and the bogie vehicles in Classes S, SA, SA (later SX) and SXT

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