Class D (15'-0") vans

15-0" D van 4173. This is fairly clearly a complete replacement for the GSR van which had formerly carried this number. (RHWA collection)

The 15'-0" long D van used a shortened version of the body style of the earlier 17'-0" van and the new GB class wagon chassis. They seem to have been built for a period of three years from 1905-1907 when they were superseded by the new 16'-0" long van.

It is fairly easy to establish which vans were built new to this design. What is less certain is whether any older D vans were replaced by new vans of this type during this time.

It is known that some of the very old 14'-0" D vans were "rebuilt" (84, 250, 251, 253, 255, 264 and 267) and it is believed that these were replacement vehicles to the 16'-0" design. This may also have been the case with many of the 14'-0" ex GSR vans with 4180 and 4184 known to have been rebuilt in 1912 and 1914 respectively but probably as 16' vans. D4159 and 4174 probably also fall into this category. However, some of these early vans could have been renewed as 15'-0" vans (4173, 4175 were and 4189 and 4381 appear to have been).

The following vans were definitely built new to this design in a period of just three years:

1905 53, 85, 265, 4255, 6786, 6787, 6788 built
1907 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 87, 143, 147, 149, 160, 161 built

The WAGR outline diagram is shown below.

This is DE61 at Woodman's point after the depot closed but still largely intact.

Withdrawal of the class started in 1935 with the first ones to go probably being accident victims. By the fifties this class were becoming life expired and so after the downgrading of some vans to DW class workmen's vans a re-bodying programme was started. It is believed that the vans were all replaced by new 16'-0" D class vans. This program did not last long, presumably because of the vast numbers of new DC and FD class vans coming into service. Further withdrawals started in 1954. Some of the last survivors were the vans reclassified as class DE for handling explosives.

One of the last survivors was this van which was used on Albany jetty. By this time it had acquired a corrugated iron roof and some rather long grab handles on the doors but was otherwise largely in original condition. This may have been D4159.

1935 34, 43 written off
1940 7, 64 written off
1947 65 written off
1951 11 written off
1953 39, 44, 46, 49, 66, 68, 85, 143 to DW

13, 25, 27, 28, 31, 33, 40, 55, 59, 149, 160, 4255, 6788 rebuilt as 16'-0" D vans

1954 16, 61 to DE

35, 87 to DW

8, 10, 24, 42, 48, 53, 63, 69, 70, 147, 161, 265, 6786 written off

1955 29, 30, 57, 60, 67 written off
1956 6, 36, 41, 50, 54, 58, 6787 written off
1957 45 to DE

14 to DW

15, 38 written off

1959 32 written off
1960 26, 47, 56 written off
Return to class D     Return to alphabetical list