Class N Timber trucks (classes L and M before 1900) later Shunters' floats

A fine collection of N class wagons at Mornington in 1903 can be seen in this blow up of a photo from the State Library of WA collection (1458B/12)

This class is another of the early groups which incorporates wagons built to several different diagrams. It is complicated by the fact that the distinction between classes L and M (Timber trucks and Timber floats respectively) was not clear cut . Wagons with one, two or no bolsters were mixed up in these classes. This was not really sorted out until the wagons were re-organized into classes I (single swivel bolster) and N (twin fixed bolsters). Even then the wagons with no bolsters at all present a problem. This leaves at least 8 types which I cannot, at the moment, fully separate. Where I have them I have included the WAGR outline diagrams.

What follows is my best guess at present. The types covered by this page are:

1. Twenty or so early wagons supplied by Metropolitan RCWCo. 5 ton capacity 18'-0" long.

The only photos that I have seen of this group show that at least some of these wagons lost the one plank sides but retained the low ends as shown in the image at right blown up from State Library of WA 5323B/1042.

These wagons were probably numbers L13-16, L60-63, L111-122 but L13-16 may have been shorter. The diagram book suggests that 3 of these lasted to the 1920s but if so they must have been renumbered at some point as all of the numbers above had been re-used by 1908.

2. Originally the more numerous version on the standard NZR chassis were the 1541-1590 batch of 6 ton capacity seen in the postcard image below of 1542 at Fremantle at right.

Most of these were converted to coal box wagons in 1919.

3. A blow up from a larger image is shown at right which shows one of a batch of 25 wagons 2037-2062 (21 left by 1904) probably converted from class H.

Unfortunately the number of the wagon is unreadable. However, it is possible to identify the wagon as one of this group on the standard NZR type chassis.

4. Six Bunbury railway wagons. Numbers unknown. Metropolitan RCWCo order 597A 3.5 ton capacity
5. One 1902 built wagon numbered N5945. This was the only N built with vacuum brakes and was presumably on the 1901/2 all steel chassis rather than the NZR type. 6 ton capacity.
6. From 1912 wagons (at least nominally) converted from old GSR 12'-0" chassis class I
7. From 1934 wagons (at least nominally) converted from old GSR 14'-0" chassis
8. From 1953 wagons (at least nominally) converted from old 11'-0" NZR class I
9. From 1941 wagons reinstated where original numbers and chassis details unknown. These include Jetty wagons reinstated during the second world war.
In 1899 a group of old M class wagons (20, 22, 24, 27, 28, 29) were listed as timber floats rather than timber trucks. It seems likely that these were flats with no bolsters at all. In 1900 they became class I rather than N and so drop out of the picture. State library of WA photo 006647PD shows what seems to be one of these flats and bolster wagon in the foreground. The diagram book suggests that 16 of the original twenty wagons went in 1902/3 with another being written off in 1904/5. It is not clear when the final 3 went . The old numbers were re-used as below which gives a last possible date in service. Note that it was 8 years before the number 1563 was re-used. Before the wagon record cards start in 1909 we know the following:
1900

L15, L16 renumbered N4912, N4893 respectively.

The photo at right shows N4912 formerly L15 in about 1905 at Fremantle. It is blown up from State Library of WA 006647PD. This does not look to be one of the 18' long wagons or match any of the diagrams.

All other wagons were reclassified but retained their original numbers except for 1563 which had already gone by that date.

1902 5945 built new
1905 62 number used for new GB
1907

13, 14, 60, 61, 63, numbers used for new D class

111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, numbers used for new B class

118, 119, 120, 121, 122, numbers used for new C class

1908 1563, 4893, 4912 numbers used for new GC's

Then there is the photo below. It shows a twin bolster wagon which looks shorter than the 18 footers and has no sides or even an obvious floor. The photo is very early as the wagon has the original bell buffers rather than the chopper type and the loco is Robb's 2-6-0 A3. It may be one of the L13-16 group or perhaps belonged to Robb or even a timber line.

Between 1912 and 1914 fifteen single bolster ex GSR I class wagonswere reclassified N. It seems likely that these wagons had their single bolsters removed for use as shunters' floats.
1912 4340, 4347, 4348, 4349, 4350, 4352, 4353, 4354 converted from GSR class I
1913 4341, 4343, 4345, 4351, 4356, 4357 converted from GSR class I
1914 4346 converted from GSR class I
The next major change was that 46 wagons were converted into class M coal box wagons. With the QA class having been constructed in 1913/4 they were likely surplus to requirements as timber wagons.
1919 1541, 1542, 1543, 1544, 1545, 1546, 1547, 1548, 1549, 1550, 1551, 1552, 1553, 1554, 1556, 1557, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1561, 1562, 1565, 1566, 1567, 1568, 1569, 1570, 1571, 1572, 1573, 1574, 1575, 1576, 1577, 1578, 1579, 1580, 1581, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1587, 1588, 1589, 1590 , 2061 converted to class M.
1929 4343, 4353, 4356 to JETTY 4, 6 and 8 respectively.
1934 4151, 4155, 4164 converted from GSR D class
1935 1582 written off
1936 4351, 4354, 4357 written off

From 1943 N class wagons were officially listed as "Shunter's floats" although it seems likely that many of these wagons were being used in this way well before this. Presumably by this time the vast majority of the timber traffic was being handled by Q and QA class wagons. It is not clear what the origins of most of the wagons reinstated from Jetty Stock were (and hence their size) as new numbers were allocated which bore no relationship to their original numbers.

1941 753 ex Jetty stock
1944 590, 4310, 4334, 4356 ex Jetty stock

4310 is recorded as being former JETTY 4 ex N4343

1946 2044 written off
1947 2041, 2050 written off
1948 2048, 4164 written off

4340 to JETTY 516

1949 4346 written off
1950 4352 written off
1952 1973 converted from class H

2565 converted from class G

4201, 4285 converted from class G

1953 289, 399, 492, 767 converted from class I

753, 2043 missing at stocktake.

1954 897, 967, 990, 1238, 1513, 2251, 2306, 2318, 3051, 3052, 3104 converted from class H
1955 305, 312, 927, 938, 989, 991, 1940, 1970, 2254, 2268, 2354, 2781, 3102, 3926, 3977 ex H

4558 ex H

4559 ex I

2047 to H

In 1956 the wagons in class N that were being used as Shunter's floats were all reclassified NS. The remaining few wagons were now listed as "Main Line Tailers" (sic). Presumably they were used as spacers for overhanging loads.

N 897 photographed near the end of its life. By this stage it had acquired full vacuum brakes (possibly quite late on as the V hanger reflects the 1950s style). Some N's (e.g 2306) also had disc wheels in later life. Photo G R Watson

There are two WAGR outline diagrams for this class from the 1950s shown below. The first one (drawing 14/1541) covers the existing wagons, most of which became shunter's floats.  I question the credibility of this one as I don't believe that any Ns had the one plank high sides by this stage. The second diagram (14B/1541) at least nominally covers the wagons converted from class H in 1954-5 and I think that this is more representative of how the class looked in later years.

1956

289, 399, 492, 767 to NS

1555, 1586 to NS

2038, 2039, 2042, 2045, 2046, 2049, 2051, 2052, 2053, 2054, 2055, 2057, 2059, 2060, 2062, 2268, 2565, 2781 to NS

4151, 4155, 4201, 4285, to NS

590, 4334 to NS

4341, 4345, 4347, 4348, 4349, 4350 to NS

5945 to NS

2056 written off

1973 to NS and then back again.

1957 2425 ex H

2040 ex NS

1967 1564, 1970, 2037, 3926, 4310 written off
1968 1342 ex DW

305, 2040, 2425, 3977,4558 written off

1969 1488, 1492, 2632 ex NS

1940 written off

2632 to NS

1970 2251, 3052 written off

1138 ex NS

1971 312, 4559 written off
1972 897, 938, 967, 989, 991, 1238, 1342, 1488, 1492, 1513, 2254, 2306, 2318 written off
1973 990, 1138, 2354, 3051, 3104, 4356 written off
1974 927 written off
1975 2058 written off
1976 1973 written off
1977 3102 written off

This final WAGR official image shows N2058 towards the end of its life but still looking remarkably smart acting as runner for a QU (RHWA collection).

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