The WA class cold storage vans were the first new bogie cold storage wagons to be built for the W.A.G.R. since the W class of 1897. The were similar in design to the smaller EB class four-wheelers and entered service from 1958. A total of twenty-four were built as follows:

1958	WA23451-23458 built
1960	WA23459-23467 built
1961	WA23468 built
1963	WA23469-23474 built

WAGR official photo of WA23456 (RHWA collection)

In 1963 two WA class wagons (23452, 23470) were modified to use mechanical refrigeration and reclassified WAR. The body was shortened in this process and the equipment mounted on a platform at one end. Four more new wagons of this type (23401-4) were built in 1965. Another modification programme resulted in class WAM when 23461, 23464 were modified in 1971 followed by 23460, 23462, 23463, 23465 in 1972.

The first of the WA class to be written off was 23458 in 1979, however in 1980 this became a QG class flat wagon numbered 23405. In 1982 23473 became a VT class filter van but the rest of the WA class wagons were converted to class QG as follows:

1982	23451, 23455, 23457, 23467, 23468
1983	23453, 23454, 23469, 23471, 23472, 23474
1984	23456, 23459, 23466

Other Cold Storage vans The W.A.G.R.'s other cold storage trucks were classes E, EA , and EB, and the bogie vehicles in classes W, WAM, WAR, WBR, WO, WVD, VDB and VDR.