Class DC Covered vans |
WAGR Official photo of DC21903 (RHWA Collection) |
The DC class vans entered service in 1953-4. They were part of the massive re-stocking of the W.A.G.R. after the Second World War. They used the standard post-war 18-0" underframe with a 10'-0" wheelbase. They were built in the UK by Metro-Cammell and entered service as follows: |
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1953 | 21901-21960, 22015-8, 22047/8, 22057/8, 22061-4/7/8, 22071/2/5-9, 22080-2/5-9, 22090-2/7/8, 22103/4/7/8, 22113/4/9, 22120/9, 22130-2/7/8, 22145/6/9, 22150-6/9, 22170/7-9, 22180-4/9, 22190-4/7-9, 22200/3/4, 22113/4, 22221-22260, 22263-22274, 22277-22320,22323-22340, 22343-22278, 22283-22390, 22393-6/9, 22400-2, 22405-22412, 22415-22442, 22445-22464, 22467-22489 |
1954 | 21961-22014, 22019-22046, 22049-22056/9, 22060/5/6/9, 22070/3/4, 22083/4, 22093-6/9, 22100-2/5/6/9, 22110-2/5-8, 22121-8, 22133-6/9, 22140-4/7/8, 22157/8, 22161/2, 22171-6, 22185-8, 22195/6, 22201/2/5-9, 22110-2/5-9, 22220, 22261/2, 22275/6, 22321/2, 22341/2, 22379, 22380-2, 22391/2/7/8, 22403/4, 22413/4, 22443/4, 22465/6, 22490-22610 |
The DC class vans had roof hatches to allow their use on bulk grain transport and many of the class were used on this traffic for most of their lives. However, in their early years these wagons gained a poor reputation for coming off the track and the nickname "Dancing Charlies". This was probably due to a combination of poor track and overloading but it did result in some very early casualties. Numbers 21926, 22273, and 22363 were written off in 1954 followed by 22956 in 1956 then 21997, 22119, 22236, 22434 and 22507 in 1959, 21907 in 1963 and 22102 in 1965. These were all accident victims although 22102 was written back in 1968. |
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Very few of the DCs were converted to any other class. The only examples were 22288 which was converted to an NW class Iron ore container flat in 1969 and the three wagons converted to NV class wheel wagons 22028 (in 1974) and 22215,22342 (in 1975). In their later years parts of the planking on the sides were replaced with plywood and nearly all DCs had plywood doors fitted. The remaining wagons were written off either as a result of accidents or when they were replaced by larger bogie grain hopper wagons. |
1969 | 22319 |
1970 | 22092, 22325, 22433 |
1971 | 22591 |
1972 | 21980, 22096, 22255, 22315, 22324, 22447, 22542 |
1973 | 21942, 22011, 22061, 22303 |
1975 | 22093, 22140, 22216, 22550 |
1976 | 21929, 21938, 21939, 22031, 22045, 22052, 22060, 22074, 22091, 22099, 22102, 22108, 22116, 22175, 22179, 22193, 22220, 22256, 22321, 22333, 22340, 22360, 22367, 22407, 22408, 22431, 22448, 22468, 22480, 22510, 22526, 22539 |
1977 | 21902, 21909, 21912, 21913, 21947, 21978, 21986, 22013, 22027, 22038, 22051, 22054, 22058, 22065, 22076, 22133, 22165, 22169, 22188, 22201, 22211, 22219, 22224, 22226, 22235, 22253, 22254, 22269, 22313, 23222, 22330, 22413, 22418, 22422, 22423, 22425, 22430, 22450, 22453, 22469, 22491, 22535, 22548, 22576 |
1978 | 21984, 22141, 22176, 22182, 22234, 22038, 22331, 22527, 22582 |
1979 | 21914, 21918, 21930, 21943, 21954, 21963, 21992, 21993, 22037, 22088, 22104, 22112, 22156, 22162, 22167, 22204, 22365, 22387, 22395, 22397, 22462, 22472, 22479, 22493, 22506, 22530, 22549, 22558, 22569, 22593 written off
22530 written back |
1980 | 22275 |
1981 | 21924, 21943, 22014, 22036, 22081, 22125, 22131, 22153, 22159, 22178, 22185, 22217, 22243, 22247, 22261, 22298, 22329, 22366, 22437, 22524, 22527, 22540, 22579, 22598 |
1982 | 22500 written back |
1983 | 21946, 21968, 21991, 22000, 22117, 22123, 22130, 22262, 22292, 22318, 22347, 22348, 22350, 22439, 22454, 22466, 22486, 22551, 22555, 22568, 22583 |
1984 | 21921, 21935, 22016, 22170, 22203, 22364, 22371, 22374 |
1985 | 21904, 21905, 21910, 21911, 21928, 21931, 21934, 21940, 21943, 21944, 21949, 21951, 21958, 21961, 21965, 21973, 21976, 21985, 21989, 22003, 22005, 22007, 22012, 22018, 22023, 22024, 22043, 22056, 22059, 22066, 22069, 22072, 22080, 22085, 22087, 22100, 22101, 22105, 22106, 22109, 22113, 22120, 22134, 22144, 22145, 22146, 22151, 22160, 22164, 22171, 22172, 22173, 22181, 22183, 22192, 22195, 22197, 22212, 22214, 22222, 22238, 22242, 22258, 22260, 22265, 22268, 22280, 22287, 22294, 22307, 22345, 22351, 22353, 22355, 22399, 22404, 22416, 22419, 22427, 22428, 22436, 22451, 22458, 22465, 22484, 22487, 22501, 22502, 22516, 22520, 22523, 22534, 22556, 22564, 22570, 22580, 22586 |
1986 | 21901, 21906, 21920, 21932, 21936, 21945, 21952, 21953, 21957, 21967, 21972, 21974, 21975, 21990, 21995, 21996, 22004, 22006, 22009, 22017, 22020, 22021, 22030, 22033, 22034, 22035, 22039, 22040, 22046, 22048, 22050, 22055, 22057, 22062, 22063, 22064, 22071, 22075, 22079, 22082, 22086, 22087, 22089, 22094, 22097, 22107, 22114, 22122, 22129, 22135, 22137, 22138, 22143, 22147, 22148, 22149, 22152, 22157, 22161, 22170, 22196, 22208, 22209, 22226, 22228, 22229, 22239, 22241, 22244, 22245, 22246, 22251, 22259, 22264, 22270, 22274, 22276, 22278, 22282, 22283, 22284, 22285, 22286, 22289, 22291, 22296, 22300, 22306, 22311, 22312, 22316, 22317, 22320, 22327, 22332, 22335, 22337, 22338, 22341, 22343, 22356, 22358, 22361, 22362, 22369, 22373, 22376, 22377, 22380, 22382, 22384, 22386, 22388, 22398, 22401, 22402, 22403, 22406, 22410, 22414, 22417, 22420, 22440, 22442, 22443, 22444, 22445, 22446, 22455, 22463, 22464, 22467, 22470, 22471, 22474, 22475, 22482, 22485, 22488, 22494, 22496, 22497, 22499, 22500, 22503, 22504, 22508, 22511, 22521, 22522, 22528, 22532, 22534, 22536, 22537, 22541, 22543, 22544, 22553, 22554, 22557, 22559, 22560, 22562, 22571, 22573, 22574, 22577, 22581, 22587, 22589, 22594, 22595, 22599, 22600, 22603, 22605, 22606, 22607, 22609 |
1987 | 21908, 21915, 21916, 21917, 21919, 21922, 21923, 21925, 21927, 21933, 21937, 21941, 21950, 21955, 21956, 21959, 21960, 21962, 21964, 21966, 21969, 21970, 21971, 21977, 21979, 21981, 21982, 21983, 21988, 21994, 21998, 21999, 22001, 22002, 22008, 22010, 22015, 22019, 22022, 22025, 22041, 22044, 22047, 22049, 22053, 22067, 22068, 22070, 22073, 22083, 22084, 22095, 22103, 22111, 22118, 22121, 22124, 22127, 22128, 22132, 22136, 22139, 22142, 22150, 22154, 22155, 22166, 22174, 22184, 22186, 22194, 22200, 22202, 22205, 22206, 22218, 22221, 22223, 22225, 22227, 22230, 22231, 22232, 22233, 22237, 22248, 22249, 22250, 22252, 22257, 22263, 22266, 22267, 22271, 22272, 22277, 22279, 22281, 22290, 22293, 22295, 22297, 22299, 22301, 22302, 22304, 22305, 22309, 22310, 22314, 22323, 22326, 22328, 22334, 22336, 22339, 22344, 22346, 22349, 22352, 22354, 22357, 22359, 22368, 22370, 22372, 22375, 22378, 22379, 22383, 22385, 22389, 22391, 22392, 22394, 22396, 22400, 22405, 22409, 22411, 22412, 22415, 22421, 22424, 22426, 22429, 22432, 22435, 22438, 22441, 22446, 22449, 22452, 22457, 22461, 22473, 22477, 22478, 22481, 22483, 22489, 22490, 22492, 22495, 22498, 22509, 22512, 22513, 22515, 22518, 22519, 22525, 22529, 22531, 22533, 22538, 22545, 22546, 22547, 22550, 22552, 22561, 22563, 22566, 22567, 22575, 22578, 22584, 22585, 22588, 22590, 22592, 22601, 22602, 22604, 22608, 22610 |
1988 | 22026, 22110, 21903, 21948, 22029, 22393, 22460, 22565, 22572, 22597 |
1990 | 21987, 22090, 22189, 22240, 22390, 22505 |
The WAGR outline diagram is shown below. |
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