W.A.G.R. Standard Gauge Wagons

Introduction In the early 1980s when I was collecting wagon information I didn't pay much attention to the standard gauge fleet. It was mostly new and the Narrow Gauge stock was disappearing fast and had my priority for both time and film. Unlike the narrow gauge stock I didn't take photos of them or go through the record cards. I did not realise that amongst their number were ex Commonwealth Railways wagons dating back to the construction of the TAR. When I came to build my website I had almost no information on the Standard gauge wagons and no access to any of the records. Unbelievably, in 2014 the old W.A.G.R. record cards were rescued from oblivion and with access to scans of these pages it has been possible to finally attempt to do the W.A.G.R. standard gauge wagon stock some justice. In a sense the standard gauge stock has a more complex history than the narrow gauge wagons because of the reclassifications brought about by the partial adoption of the ROA system of classification from 1979. This makes it difficult to use the same layout as the narrow gauge pages as the change of ROA standards only applied to the wagons on interstate traffic and local codes were still used. From 1979 WAGR started to reclassify wagons used on interstate traffic under the ROA system. ROA lettering principles. 1st letter = State W =WA 2nd letter = B=van, E=conflat for refrigerated containers, F=non container flat, H=hopper, K=steel wagon, L=louvred van, M= motor car wagon, O=open, P= hopper (pneumatic discharge), Q=container flat, S=livestock wagon, T=tanker, V=brake van, W=well wagon, Z=departmental. 3rd letter = Sequence letter 4th letter = A = 70 km/h or less (originally bogies with plain bearings.) F = not for bogie exchange; maximum speed 80 km/h. H = High axle load vehicles - generally speed limited. L = limited bogie exchange operations, maximum speed 80 km/h. P = suitable for running at passenger train speeds and attaching to passenger trains. S = speeds up to 145 km/h. T = speeds up to 160 km/h. W = low profile bogies with roller bearings, unrestricted bogie exchange. X = suitable for unrestricted bogie exchange operations; maximum speed 80 km/h. Y = speeds up to 115 km/h. Z = speeds up to 130 km/h. Hence for example WF to WFDY, WFX to WQCX, WVX to WBAX.

Anyway, here is the standard gauge equivalent of the narrow gauge Alphabet soup. As before Green links no photos of that class.

Inspection Car	WAL
Brake vans	WBA, WBC, WBD, WBE, WBF WBDY WBEF Filter van conversion WBES Stores Van conversion
Flat wagons	WF, WFA, WFB, WFL, WFM, WFN, WFP, WFS, WFW, WFX WFAP, WFBY, WFCS, WFCX, WFDF, WFDY, WFEX, WFSY WQA, WQC, WQD, WQH, WQK, WQN, WQO, WQX WQBX, WQCW, WQCX, WQCY, WQDF, WQEF, WQTY RFDF, RQHX WFQF (post WAGR code?)
Open Goods wagons	WG, WGG, WGL, WGLA, WGN, WGS, WGX, WOO WOAS (ex WOAX), WOAX, WODX, WOSF, WOSX RKVX, RKZX, ROAX
Ballast Hoppers	WSH, WSJ, WSK, WSM WHA, WHS
Tankers	WJD, WJE, WJF, WJG, WJH, WJJ, WJK, WJL, WJM, WJN, WJP, WJPA, WJPB, WJQ, WJR, WJT, WJU WST WTAF, WTBF, WTEF
Cement Tankers and wagons	WK, WNC
Salt Hoppers	WL - (former XNA) wagons
Motor Car Carriers	WMA,WMB, WMX WMGF, WMGY, WMFX WFAP RMWY, RMGY
Nickel Ore Wagons	WN, WNA, WNB WGL, WGLA
Iron Ore wagons	WO, WOA, WOB, WOD, WOE WOC Coal traffic WOG Gypsum traffic WOAS (ex WOA), WOS Superphosphate traffic WFW
Service Wagons	WSA Breakdown Flat WSB Breakdown van WSC Breakdown Crew Van WSD Re-railing equipment van. WSE Flat Top WSF Flat wagons later used again for Rail Winch Wagon WSG General purpose service wagons WSH Ballast Hoppers WSJ 4 Wheel Ballast Hopper WSK Ballast Hopper WSL Bogie carrying wagon WSM Ballast Hopper WSN WSO Rail Guide Wagon WSP Ballast Plough WSP Sand and waste liquid wagon WSQ Rail Carrier wagon WSR Rail distribution Wagons WSS Rail anchor wagon WST Fuel Tanker WSV Bulkhead wagon for rails. WSW Workmen's van WSY Shunters' float WBEF Filter van WBES Stores Van WFSY Sleeper wagons
Covered Goods Van	WV, WVB, WVL, WVP, WVX WBAX, WBAZ, WBNX, WBWX RBAX, RBPX
Bulk Wheat Hoppers	WW, WWA, WWS, WXW, WXG