The WV class vans were the standard covered goods wagon built for the new standard gauge lines of the W.A.G.R in the 1960s. There were built in three series each with detail differences - most notably in the third group which had a completely different roof. The complete number series was WVX 30702- 30851, 30861- 30995. WSB 30701 was a slightly modified version of this design used as a service van from the outset. The numbers 30852-30860 were never used. Midland Workshops built 77 in 1967-68 numbered 30702-30778 and another 73 in 1969, with numbers 30779-30851. Only twenty-seven of the original batch entered traffic on standard gauge bogies in 1967. Ten were issued to traffic in 1967 as class VWV on narrow gauge bogies and the remainder of the first batch (40 wagons) were all issued as VWVs in 1968. By the end of 1968 all but five of the VWVs had been converted to WVX and the remained were completed in 1969.

1967	WV 30713, 30714, 30715, 30723, 30734, 30736, 30738 - 30742, 30744, 30746, 30747, 30753, 30756, 30759, 30760, 30767, 30768, 30770 - 30774, 30776, 30777 issued to Traffic All reclassified WVX in November-December 1967. VWV 30704, 30706, 30708, 30719, 30720, 30721, 30727, 30729, 30751, 30778 issued to traffic
1968	VWV 30702, 30703, 30705, 30707, 30709 - 30712, 30716 - 30718, 30722 - 30726, 30728, 30730 - 30732, 30735, 30737, 30743, 30745, 30748 - 30750, 30752, 30754, 30755, 30757, 30758, 30761 - 30766, 30769, 30775 issued to Traffic. VWV 30702, 30703, 30705-30712, 30716-30732, 30735, 30737, 30743, 30745, 30748, 30749, 30751, 30752, 30754, 30755, 30757, 30761, 30763, 30764, 30766, 30769, 30775, 30778 to WVX
1969	VWV 30704, 30750, 30758, 30762, 30765 to WVX WVX 30779 - 30851 built Midland workshops

A VWV class van (Photo G R Watson)

The final batch of 135 WVX built in 1970-1 by Mechanical Handling were a little different from the earlier vans especially in terms of the roof profile which gave them a slightly less American look.

1970	WVX 30861 - 30972 built by Mechanical Handling
1971	WVX 30973 - 30995 built by Mechanical Handling

Conversion of WVX class vans started only 9 months after the class was complete. When two vans were converted to a semi-louvred configuration and reclassified WVP. In 1974 fifteen WVX class vans were reclassified WVL after fitting with load dividing bars. A final van was reclassified WVL in 1978.

1971	WVX 30875 to WVP
1972	WVX 30808 to WVP
1973	WVX 30723 written off
1974	WVX 30709, 30775, 30782, 30784, 30788, 30798, 30800, 30817, 30826, 30848, 30904, 30905, 30959, 30961, 30974 to WVL
1978	WVX 30898 to WVL

WBAX 30799 (RHWA collection)

In 1979 reclassification of the remaining WVX to WBAX began. It was 1982 by the time they had caught up with the last one.

1979	WVX 30702, 30705, 30706, 30708, 30710, 30712, 30714, 30715, 30716, 30718, 30721, 30722, 30731, 30732, 30736, 30737, 30740, 30741, 30742, 30743, 30746, 30747, 30748, 30752, 30755, 30758, 30766, 30768, 30769, 30772, 30773, 30774, 30779, 30786, 30790, 30792, 30795, 30797, 30799, 30801, 30802, 30804, 30805, 30806, 30807, 30813, 30815, 30818, 30820, 30823, 30824, 30827, 30828, 30832, 30833, 30836, 30837, 30838, 30839, 30844, 30846, 30847, 30850, 30862, 30865, 30867, 30868, 30872, 30873, 30874, 30876, 30879, 30882, 30883, 30887, 30888, 30890, 30900, 30906, 30908, 30910, 30911, 30912, 30913, 30914, 30917, 30918, 30921, 30922, 30925, 30927, 30928, 30929, 30930, 30933, 30934, 30936, 30938, 30941, 30946, 30949, 30955, 30960, 30965, 30967, 30968, 30970, 30973, 30975, 30976, 30980, 30981, 30983, 30984, 30985, 30986, 30987, 30988, 30989, 30990, 30991 to WBAX
1980	WVX 30703, 30704, 30707, 30711, 30713, 30717, 30719, 30724, 30725, 30726, 30727, 30728, 30729, 30730, 30733, 30734, 30735, 30738, 30739, 30744, 30745, 30749, 30750, 30751, 30753, 30754, 30756, 30759, 30760, 30761, 30762, 30763, 30764, 30765, 30767, 30770, 30771, 30776, 30777, 30778, 30780, 30781, 30783, 30785, 30787, 30789, 30791, 30793, 30794, 30796, 30798, 30803, 30810, 30811, 30812, 30814, 30816, 30819, 30821, 30825, 30829, 30830, 30831, 30834, 30835, 30840, 30841, 30842, 30843, 30845, 30849, 30851, 30861, 30863, 30864, 30866, 30869, 30871, 30877, 30878, 30880, 30881, 30884, 30885, 30886, 30889, 30891, 30892, 30893, 30894, 30895, 30897, 30899, 30901, 30902, 30903, 30909, 30915, 30916, 30920, 30923, 30924, 30926, 30931, 30932, 30935, 30937, 30939, 30940, 30942, 30944, 30945, 30947, 30948, 30950, 30951, 30952, 30953, 30954, 30956, 30957, 30958, 30962, 30963, 30964, 30966, 30969, 30971, 30972, 30977, 30978, 30979, 30982, 30992, 30993, 30994, 30995 to WBAX
1981	WVX 30720, 30809, 30822, 30870, 30896, 30907, 30919, 30943 to WBAX
1982	WVX 30757 to WBAX

WBAZ 30787(RHWA collection)

In the mid 1980s two new derivatives of the WBAX appeared. These were the WBAZ and WBNX. Only small numbers of wagons were involved. Meanwhile the WVL and VWP classes were incorporated back into the WBAX class.

1983	WBAX 30897 written off
1985	WBAX 30744, 30766, 30767, 30772, 30792, 30818, 30835 to WBAZ WBAX 30866, 30870, 30911, 30919, 30920, 30925, 30976 to WBNX
1986	WBAX 30727, 30740, 30742, 30776 to WBAZ WBAX 30783, 30796, 30809, 30810, 30827 to WBAZ - date uncertain
1987	WVP 30875, 30808 to WBAX WVL 30709, 30784, 30798, 30800, 30817, 30826, 30848, 30898, 30904, 30905, 30959, 30961, 30974 to WBAX WVL 30775 to WBAX - Date uncertain but before 1989. WBAX 30986 to WBNX

Two more drastic conversions appeared in 1988-9. These were both container flats (WQDF and WQEF). In 1992 reclassification to WBWX began with some going to RBAX the following year. Record keeping deteriorated in the 1990's to the extent that I don't know the identity of the vans written off in 1996.

1988	WVL 30788 to WBAX WBAX 30705, 30711, 30719, 30728, 30736, 30741, 30774, 30777 to WQDF
1989	WVL 30782 to WBAX WBAX 30713, 30714, 30720, 30726, 30733, 30746, 30757 to WQDF WBAX 30704, 30743 to WQEF WBAX 30938 to WBNX
1990	WBAX 30787, 30833, 30977 written off
1991	WBAX 30910 written off
1992	WBAX 30807, 30861, 30867, 30869, 30872, 30880, 30885, 30893, 30894, 30899, 30902, 30903, 30905, 30907, 30915, 30916, 30917, 30927, 30923, 30936, 30945, 30947, 30951, 30953, 30954, 30955, 30957, 30958, 30960, 30963, 30966, 30974, 30980, 30990, 30994, 30995 to WBWX WBNX 30938 to WBWX
1994	WBAX 30748, 30951, 30968, 30972 written off WBAX 30874, 30877, 30881, 30883, 30912, 30918, 30924, 30928, 30931, 30933, 30940, 30943, 30946, 30950, 30956, 30959, 30962, 30970, 30971, 30983, 30987, 30991, 30993 to RBAX WBWX 30899 to RBAX WBWX 30955 written off.
1995	WBAX 30884, 30896, 30900, 30904, 30906, 30908, 30922, 30929, 30934, 30935, 30949, 30952, 30969, 30989, to RBAX WBNX 30866, 30911, 30920, 30925, 30986 to RBPX.
1996	74 WBAX written off...... 31 WBWX written off (out of 36?)
By 2010 the following were still, by now classified as ABAY vans: 30871, 30876, 30878, 30887, 30892, 30898, 30902, 30909, 30911, 30918, 30921, 30925, 30932, 30974, 30975, 30976 and AZDY flats 30704, 30705, 30711, 30713, 30714, 30719, 30720, 30726, 30728, 30733, 30736, 30741, 30743, 30746, 30757, 30774, 30777

https://www.flickr.com/photos/malleeroute/8616252452/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/malleeroute/8615146783/in/set-72157628823246139/

WVX Series 1 Diagram

WVX Series 2 Diagram

WVX Series 3 Diagram