Class QA Rail and timber wagons and QM class flat wagons

WAGR Official photo of QA10069 in its early days. RHWA collection.

Westralia Ironworks turned built the first one hundred members of class QA in 1913 (9350-9440) and 1914 (9441-9). In 1929 9350 and 9384 were temporarily reclassified as class QD and fitted for the conveyance of oil tanks. A final batch of six (10064-10069) were built at Midland Workshops some years later in 1931. The WAGR outline diagram for the QA is shown below. This has a problem in that the stanchions are drawn too short.

QA9421

QM9360

In 1934 QA 9370 was modified by the addition of strengthening beams outside the solebars in order to provide a wagon capable of carrying a power shovel. In 1942 it became a QM along with most of the rest of the QA class but returned to class QA in 1947. At some point it was reclassified QAS and was finally written off in 1979. The only wagon not converted to class QM in 1942 was QA9403. The WAGR outline diagram for the QM is shown below.

Re-conversion of QM class wagons to class QA was slow and some twenty wagons were written off as class QM. From 1962 QM9360, 9402, 9410 and 9434 were used for piggy back traffic. Class QM ceased to exist in 1983. The 1950s WAGR outline diagram for the QMs as flat wagons is shown below.

In 1955 four QA class wagons were fitted with special bolsters for pipes and reclassified QAP. They returned to class QA two years later.

1945 QM 9350, 9365, 9369, 9378, 9384, 9400,9409, 9424, 9432, 9434, 9444 to QA
1946 QM 9351, 9354, 9358, 9361-9363, 9365-9367, 9372, 9374-9377, 9379, 9382, 9385, 9386, 9389, 9390, 9392, 9393, 9395-9399, 9401, 9405-9408, 9413, 9416, 9418, 9419, 9421, 9422, 9425, 9426, 9429, 9431, 9433, 9435, 9436, 9439, 9445-9447, 10064 to QA
1947 QM 9448 to QA
1948 QM 9359, 9388, 9391, 9411, 9412, 9415, 9417, 9423, 9427, 9440, 9443, 10065 to QA
1949 QM 9352, 9356, 9420, 9437, 9449, 10006, 10009 to QA
1950 QM 9353, 9438 to QA
1951 QM 10066 to QA
1952 QA 9434 to QM
1955 QA 9351, 9359, 9361, 9386 to QAP
1956 QA 9352, QM 10067 written off
1957 QAP 9351, 9359, 9361, 9386 to QA
1965 QA 9432 written off

The final conversion of QA class wagons happened in 1969 when ten had their bolsters removed and were fitted to carry four nickel ore containers each. They were reclassified QAN.

1969 QA 9354, 9365, 9398, 9406, 9424, 9426, 9427, 9435 9446, 9448 to QAN

QA9359 written off

1972 QA 9353, 9379, 9386, 9405, 10069 written off
1977 QA 9358, 9372, 9384, 9393, 9437, 9444, 10066 written off
1978 QA 9366, 9399, 9418, 9433, 9440 written off
1979 QA 9376, 9388, 9389, 9391, 9396, 9411, 9412, 9417, 9419, 9423, 9429, 9436, 9443, 10068 written off

QM 9355, 9357, 9364, 9371, 9373, 9381, 9383, 9394, 9404, 9428, 9430, 9441 written off

1980 QA 9367, 9403, 9422, QM 9410 written off
1981 QA 9395, QM 9380 written off
1982 QA 9377, 9421 written off
1983 QM 9360, 9387, 9402, 9434, 9442 written off
1985 QA 9350, 9413 written off
1986 QA 9361, 9415, 10064 written off
1987 QA 9362 written off
1988 QA 9369, 9382, 9390, 9416, 9425, 9445, 9447 written off
1990 QA 9363, 9368, 9378, 9385, 9401, 9407, 9409, 9414, 9431, 9449 written off
1991 QA 9351, 9356, 9375, 9392, 9408, 9420, 9438, 9439, 10065 written off
QA 9374, 9397, 9400 unaccounted for when record card ends in 1991 with 3 still in stock. Believed written off shortly thereafter.

WAGR Official photo of QA9428. RHWA collection.

There were also two MRWA Nclass wagons which were added to this class in 1964 (40731, 40732) despite not being similar. They were written off in 1969 and 1976 respectively.

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