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.

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