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. |