Class VA Bogie Fruit vans and class WO meat vans

Two V class vans (3346, 3405) were fitted with four louvred ventilators and reclassified WO for meat traffic in 1901/2. They were uprated from 12 to 16 ton capacity in 1912

After a gap of twelve years or so a further V class van (2242) was fitted with louvres but this time intended for fruit traffic. It was reclassified VA and was followed by a further 49 vans up to 1919.

The WAGR outline diagram covering VA and WO is shown below.

Either a VA or WO at Perth Goods in the 1920s. A blow up from a photo taken by Roy England

The vans involved are listed below.

1901/2 WO3346, 3405 from V
1913 VA2242 from V
1914 VA1845, 1847, 2205, 2227, 2230, 2848, 2852, 3258, 3262,3278, 3289, 3291, 3315, 3330, 3336, 3356, 3376, 3404, 3410, 3411, 3412, 3418, 3426 from V
The vans above were fitted with vacuum brake and where necessary uprated to 16 tons when rebuilt. Those in the table below were presumably at this standard before they were rebuilt.

1914 VA1874, 3291, 3336, 3412 from V
1916 VA2228, 2229, 3259, 3292, 3335, 3349, 3423 from V
1917 VA1862, 2211, 2236, 2869, 3272 from V
1918 VA1851, 2200, 2209, 2239, 2858, 3283, 3288, 3365, 3378 from V
1919 VA1889, 3347, 3413, 3438 from V

The VA class vans came in for considerable criticism in the 1922 Royal Commission Report and subsequent new build vans were built 3'-0" longer with a wider and higher body. There were, however, some further rebuilds from class V and photographic evidence suggests that these vans may have got the higher body but still had the 30'-0" underframe inherited from the class V. VA2224 certainly did as the photo above makes clear. VA3394 is less likely to have had a new body as this van became an accident van only five years after being rebuilt. It is unclear what happened to the two WO class wagons when they were reclassified VA. They may also have got the larger body.

1924 VA1869 from V
1927

VA2224, 3394 from V

VA3269 from VW

1932 VA3394 to VC
1935 WO3346 to VA
1936 WO3405 to VA

In 1939 VA3405 (formerly a WO) was reclassified VB after being fitted with a crate floor and this suggests that this van did indeed get the larger type body. VA3259 (one of the 1916 rebuilds) was also converted to VB in 1953 and this strongly suggests that this van may also have had a larger style body. However the larger body may have just been the result of replacement of life expired bodywork in which case almost any of the class could have got it eventually. Details of the demise of these vans are given below.

1939 3405 to VB
1948 2200 to JETTY 486
1950 2205, 2858 written off
1953 3259 to VB

3315, 3426 written off

1954 1845, 3262, 3335, 3413, 3423 written off
1956 3410 written off
1957 2209, 2229, 2230, 2242, 2848, 3289, 3291, 3292 written off
1958 2869, 3336, 3349, 3356, 3418 written off
1959 2211 written off
1960 1889 written off

3259 from VB

1961 3438 written off
1962 2236, 3283 written off
1963 2239 to JETTY 204

2228 written off

3258 to VC

1874, 2224, 3347 to VW

1965 1869 written off
1967 3376 written off
1968 2227, 3412 written off
1970 3269, 3288, 3346, 3378 written off
1972 1851, 1862, 2852, 3272, 3278, 3365, 3330, 3404, 3411 written off
1973 3259 written off

1847 sold

The longer 33' VA vans vans are dealt with separately.

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