Class M coal box wagons |
In 1911 the prototype wagon M3780 was built at Midland Workshops. It was an unusual wagon with single plank sides and no floor. The sides were attached to the solebars by metal brackets. It was quickly followed by a batch of 99 wagons numbered M8138 - 8236 in 1912. The original diagram shows a length of 16' over headstocks and a 9'-0" wheelbase i.e. a GC type underframe. However this diagram was amended to read 15' over headstocks and an 8'-6" wheelbase i.e. a GB type wooden underframe. It is known that the entire 1912 batch was, in fact, built on GB type wooden underframes. The status of M3780 is uncertain and it is possible that the original diagram was incorrectly dimensioned. |
This first group of wagons were disposed of as follows: | |
1929 | 8219, 8228, 8232 to MA |
1942 | 8141, 8172 written off |
1946 | 8159 written off |
1948 | 8185, 8205 written off |
1952 | 8171, 8176 written off |
1953 | 3780, 8140, 8143, 8206-8208, 8212, 8221, 8229 written off |
1954 | 8139, 8146, 8149, 8153, 8158, 8166, 8175, 8182, 8183, 8186, 8187, 8192, 8196, 8210, 8233, 8236 written off |
1955 | 8214 written back |
1956 | 8160, 8173, 8188, 8189, 8203 written off |
1957 | 8197 written off |
1958 | 8222 written off |
1960 | 8222 written off |
1961 | 8198 written off |
1962 | 8145, 8150, 8157, 8177, 8204, 8213, 8234 written off |
1963 | 8152. 8154, 8200, 8215, 8217, 8218, 8227 written off |
1964 | 8161 to JETTY 254 |
1965 | 8138, 8146 written off |
1966 | 8148 written off |
1967 | 8147, 8169, 8180 written off |
1968 | 8162, 8170, 8191 written off |
1970 | 8165, 8199, 8201 written off |
1971 | 8151, 8174, 8211 written off |
1972 | 8228 written off |
1974 | 8140, 8142, 8144, 8155, 8156, 8163, 8164, 8167, 8179, 8181, 8184, 8190, 8193, 8194, 195, 8202, 8209, 8216, 8220, 8223, 8224, 8226, 8230, 8231, 8235 written off
8202, 8226 written back |
1977 | 8226 written off |
1978 | 8202 written off |
1983 | 8225 written off |
In 1913 50 more wagons numbered 7847-7896 were converted from a group of J class tank wagons. Little is known about these tankers except that they were of all wood construction. Between 1920 and 1923 all of this group were rebuilt as either CX class sheep wagons or BD class cattle wagons. Both of these types had 16' GC type wooden underframes and so it seems likely that this particular group of M wagons were 16' long over headstocks. The conversions were as follows: | |
1920 | 7848, 7852, 7855, 7862, 7869, 7876, 7878, 7879, 7880, 7881, 7885, 7886, 7893, 7895 to CX |
1921 | 7847, 7851, 7856, 7863, 7883, 7887, 7889, 7892, 7896 to CX
7849, 7850, 7853, 7854, 7857, 7858, 7859, 7860, 7861, 7864, 7866, 7868, 7870, 7871, 7873, 7784, 7875, 7877, 7882, 7884, 7890, 7894 to BD |
1922 | 7865, 7867, 7872, 7888,7891 to CX |
Between 1913 and 1919 a further 147 wagons with standard 15' N.Z.R. underframes were converted from wagons in classes G, J and N although two of these wagons (508 and 5180) may have had 1902 type 15' underframes. Most of these conversions did not have vacuum brakes when they were first converted as shown in the drawing of M1914. Later vacuum brakes were fitted to most if not all of these wagons as shown in the drawing of M2840. It is believed that the two I class replacement wagons 617 and 722 built at this time were standard M class wagons with 15' GB type underframes. The wagons believed to have been built on the N.Z.R. composite 15'-0" underframe were as follows: |
1913 | 468, 1294, 1297, 1525, 2025, 2031, 2401, 2755, 2759, 2763, 2780, 2791, 2805, 2807, 2810, 2811, 2825, 2840, 2841, 3710, 3713, 3720, 3902, 3970, 3993, 4015, 4026, 4033, 4045, 4078, 4080, 4112 ex J |
1915 | 2434 ex J |
1916 | 1275 ex J |
1917 | 1102, 1511, 1522, 2325, 2524, 2713, 3068, 3162, 3904, 4014, 4040, 4047, 4071 ex J |
1918 | 4122, 4134 ex J |
1919 | 946, 951, 1029, 1087, 1088, 1452, 1475, 1914, 1944, 1946, 1949, 1983, 2033, 2063, 2358, 2391, 2461, 2480, 2711, 2724, 2751, 2756, 2757, 2765, 2794, 2795, 2800, 2812, 2832, 3038, 3045, 3711, 3714, 3722, 3745, 3787, 3802, 3805, 3814, 3934, 3952, 3959, 3985, 4012, 4042, 4054, 4107, 4114, , 4141 ex J
1541-1554, 1556-1562, 1565-1581, 1583-1585, 1587-1590, 2061 ex N 2492, 3803 ex G |
There were in addition two other wagons converted during this period which probably had 15'-0" all steel 1901 type underframes. These were 508 (in 1915) and 5180 (in 1919). Number 5180 was the first M class wagon to be withdrawn (in 1935) whilst 508 lasted until 1954. The disposal of the wagons believed to have had N.Z.R. type underframes was as follows: |
1929 | 4112 to MA (probably replaced) |
1942 | 1275 written off |
1947 | 1568 written off
2800 to JETTY 135 |
1948 | 1546 written off |
1949 | 1580, 3904 written off |
1952
1953 |
1946 written off
468, 1542, 1545, 2325, 3720, 3722, 3959 written off 1575, 3952 to JETTY 890, 889 respectively |
1954 | 548, 549, 1567, 1571, 2033, 2061, 2391, 2756, 3745, 3802 written off
1545 written back |
1957 | 1294, 1475, 1544, 1554, 2805, 2807, 3993, 4015, 4042 written off |
1962 | 3162, 3713, 4014, 4026 written off |
1963 | 951, 1561, 1581, 3045, 4078 written off
3970, 4107 to NS |
1964 | 1541, 1562, 2757, 2795 written off |
1965 | 2791 written off |
1966 | 1565, 2063, 2794 written off |
1967 | 2765 written off |
1968 | 1560, 2812, written off |
1970 | 1570, 1574, 1585, 1587, 1589, 4080 written off |
1972 | 1029, 1087, 1556, 1584, 1914, 2524, 2825, 2841, 3803, 3805, 4071, 4122 written off |
1974 | 1088, 1102, 1452, 1511, 1545, 1547, 1550, 1551, 1552, 1558, 1566, 1569, 1572, 1577, 1583, 1588, 1590, 1983, 2031, 2434, 2461, 2480, 2492, 2759, 2763, 2810, 2832, 3710, 3787, 3934, 3985, 4033, 4040, 4045, 4054, 4134 written off
2759 written back |
1976 | 946, 2759 written off |
1977 | 2840 written off |
1978 | 1559 written off
2840 written back |
1982 | 2780 written off |
1983 | 1579 written off |
This left only 2840 which was eventually preserved after being written off in 1991. The real problem with all of these rebuilds is that the W.A.G.R. was very loose in its terminology and a rebuild could in fact be a completely new wagon, standard in every respect. From 1925 onwards a further variant began to appear with 22 wagons nominally converted from GB class wagons: |
1925 | 6486, 6489, 6524, 6526, 6545, 6615, 6647, 6676, 6741 |
1929 | 6381, 6417, 6436, 6491, 6500, 6513, 6548, 6560, 6605, 6626, 6664, 6680, 6761 |
These wagons had four steel coal boxes each of which measured 3'-9" internally. These wagons had no sides and no end planking. Clearly it is impossible to fit these coal boxes on a 15' GB type underframe and therefore these wagons must have been new wagons with 16' GC type frames. In 1929 these wagons were reclassified MA and the official MA diagram correctly shows a 16' GC type underframe.
Some of these MA wagons were eventually reclassified M later in their lives. These were 6680 (1956), 6513, 76526, 6545, 6615, 6741 and 8228 (1957). 6513 and 6545 were written off in 1970 with 8228 following in 1972 and the rest in 1974. It is not known what this reconversion involved nor is the length of the wagon certain (they were probably 16'-0" long). In 1948 thirty wagons, all of which were on G type underframes were converted to class MC. This conversion involved the removal of the sides and the fitting of a new single large cement container in the centre of the underframe. |
1297, 1522, 1525, 1543, 1553, 1557, 1573, 1576, 1578, 1944, 1947, 2025, 2358, 2401, 2711, 2713, 2724, 2751, 2755, 2811, 3038, 3068, 3711, 3714, 3814, 3902, 4012, 4047, 4114, 4141 |
Today there are three survivors, M8171 at ARHS Bassendean, M8179 at Collie and M2840 at Boyanup.
LIVERY All of the wagons mentioned above were painted in the W.A.G.R. Indian red livery with lettering in white. The position and style of lettering varied over the years as can be seen in the drawings. The white circle painted at the left-hand end indicated that the wagon had a vacuum cylinder. This was omitted after the second world war. A few wagons lasted long enough to get the Westrail yellow livery with black lettering. Before the first world war the tare weight painted on the side of the wagon did not include the weight of the coal boxes. After 1918 the extra weight of three wooden coal boxes (12 cart 3qtr each) was included in the tare weight of the wagon. Similarly the Load weight was calculated differently so that before world war one the load was limited by the capacity of the underframe at 10 tons whereas later the capacity of the coal boxes (6 tons) was used as the load capacity. The MA type wagons always showed the capacity of the coal boxes (10 tons) as their load. |