The M.R.W.A. bogie brake vans are one of the most confusing groups of M.R.W.A. stock. At least seven different diagrams are involved. In 1894 four vans numbered 1FA-4FA were built by the Lancaster Wagon Co. for the M.R.W.A. A fifth van was built before 1902 followed by two more before 1913. The seven vans were then renumbered FA274-280. These vans were all thirty feet long with an end platform. Eventually there were nine vans of this type when the whole sequence were then renumbered FA61-69 in numerical order (I think). It is possible that the last two were built without end platforms. FA65 at least in its later years lost its Clerestorey. In 1932/3 FA66 was written off and from 1948 FA67 was used for a period as a workmen's van.

Another pair (FA305/6) were built in 1913 and were turned out as shown in the RHWA collection photo above. These two certainly didn't have end platforms as built. They were then lengthened by 11'-9" and 12'-0" respectively c1915. Both were fitted with electric light in 1922/3. In 1932 these two were renumbered FA56/7.  This pair would appear to have been the MRWA's principal passenger train brakevans until 1930. In 1959 FA56 was re-bodied followed by FA57 in 1960. In 1964 they became Z40811/2. Z40811 was written off in 1971 whilst Z40812 lasted until 1982.

A new van (FA411) was built in 1927. This was 30'-0" long van had two sets of doors and no end platform so in one sense it was a shortened version of FA305/6. In 1932 it became FA70. It was given a new underframe in 1963 and the following year became Z40822. It was written off in 1967. In 1930 a new 49'-2" long brake van comparable to the W.A.G.R. ZJ class was built numbered FA51. A second van (FA52) was built in 1932. These two vans became ZJ40801/2 in 1964 when the W.A.G.R. took over and they were both written off in 1975. I believe that one of these vans is shown in this Weston Langford photo and they are definitely in this blow up from the State Library of WA 136017PD below.

The first four vans (FA61-4) were re-bodied at some point with wider bodies, which had no end platform. FA61 is shown below in May 1951 in this John Buckland photo (RHWA collection). The diagram suggests that they were rebuilt before 1946. In 1964 FA61-4 became Z40813-6.  Z40815 was the first to go in 1972 followed by 40814 in 1973 and the final pair (40813/6) in 1977.

In 1951 a new FA66 (originally to have been FA71) was built. FA67 was converted to this new standard in 1953 followed by FA65 in 1954. These three vans had angle iron strengthening to the underframe rather than the truss rods retained by the rebuilt FA61-4 and did not have the full length footboards of the earlier vans. The three vans became Z40817-9 in 1964. There is a photo of Z40817 in the Weston Langford collection. Z40819 was the first to go in 1972. Z40817 followed in 1977 whilst Z40818 survived to be the last ex M.R.W.A. van in traffic. It finally went with most of the W.A.G.R. Z vans in 1985. At some point in WAGR service the diagonal planking was replaced with plywood.

As I said at the start of this page the MRWA brakevans are a confusing group because of the multiple renumberings and rebuildings. I have summarised what I know at the moment in the table below. I know that my information is incomplete and may contain errors.  Some of the rebuildings may effectively have been complete replacement vehicles deserving a line of their own, there were certainly vans that got both new frames and new bodies at different times.
Original No	Built	2nd MRWA No.	3rd MRWA No.	Rebuilt	WAGR No.	W/O
1FA	1894	FA274	FA61 (1915/6)	before 1946?	Z40813	1977
2FA	1894	FA275	FA62 (1915/6)	before 1946?	Z40814	1973
3FA	1894	FA276	FA63 (1915/6)	before 1946?	Z40815	1972
4FA	1894	FA277	FA64 (1915/6)	before 1946?	Z40816	1977
5FA	Before 1902	FA278	FA65 (1915/6)	1954	Z40817	1977
6FA	?	FA279	FA66 (1915/6)	-	-	1932/3
7FA	?	FA280	FA67 (1915/6)	1953	Z40819	1972
?	Before 1910?	FA68 (1915/6)	-	1960	Z40820	1967
?	1910?	FA69 (1915/6)	-	1959	Z40821	1977
FA305	1913	FA56 (1932)	-	1915? 1959	Z40811	1971
FA306	1913	FA57 (1932)	-	1915? 1960	Z40812	1982
FA411	1927	FA70 (1932)	-	1963	Z40822	1967
FA51	1930	-	-	-	ZJ40801	1975
FA52	1932	-	-	-	ZJ40802	1975
FA66	1951	-	-	-	Z40818	1985