XA, XAC and XL Class hoppers |
In 1902 the first high capacity hopper wagons appeared on the W.A.G.R. They were built in the U.S.A. by Dutilh-Smith, McMillan &Co. The fifty wagons (5894-5943) entered service in 1902 apart from the last (5943) which was issued to traffic the following year. They had a unique type of 5'-0" wheelbase bar-frame bogie and a handrail high up along the side. In 1909 numbers 5902, 5912/9, 5921/7, 5935/7 and 5940 were transferred to the isolated Hopetoun-Ravensthorpe Railway. They were joined by 5897, 5915, 5922/3/5/9 the following year. All of these wagons returned to the main system in 1921 and had their bodies replaced. |
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Another fifty wagons (but this time with 5'-6" wheelbase RB type bogies) were built in 1929 (11129-11162) and 1930 (11163-11178) at Midland Workshops. There were detailed differences between this batch and the original American built wagons. The outermost angle iron at either end of the wagon was extended and the handrail along the side deleted from these later wagons.
The withdrawal of the XA class hoppers started after the Second World War but only affected the older American built wagons at first: |
XA11173 at Bassendean. Note the welded patches where corrosion has taken place along the lower sides. |
1947 | 5904 to JETTY 561 |
1953 | 5915, 5936/9, 5941 written off |
1954 | 5894/5/7, 5911/3, 5929, 5935, 5940 written off |
1955 | 5898, 5906-8, 5914, 5922/6-8, 5933/4/7/8, 5942 written off |
1956 | 5899, 5919, 5920/1, 5943 written off |
1957 | 5901/5, 5918, 5923, 5932 written off |
1964 | 5903 written off |
1965 | 5928, 5930 written off |
1966 | 5896 written off |
1967 | 5910 written off |
1972 | 5902 written off |
1973 | 5916 written off |
1976 | 5900, 5912, 5924 converted to XAC |
1978 | 5909 written off |
1983 | 5917, 5931 written off XAC 5900, 5912, 5924 written off |
Twenty-two of the Midland built wagons were reclassified XL and used as ballast hoppers. The demise of the Midland built wagons was as follows: |
1965 | 11148 written off |
1967 | 11156 written off |
1969 | 11130 to XL |
1970 | 11131/4/8, 11142/4/7, 11150/1/3-5/7, 11161-4/6/7, 11170/2/7 to XL |
1972 | 11173/5 written off |
1974 | 11131/8, 11142/4/7, 11150/1/3-5/7, 11161-4/6/7, 11177 from XL |
1975 | 11131/7-9, 11140/2/3, 11151/4/9, 11163/6/7, 11177 to XAC |
1976 | 11132/3, 11145/6, 11155/8, 11160/5, 11174 to XAC |
1977 | 11153 to XAC |
1978 | XL11134/4, 11170/2 written off |
1979 | XAC11153 written off |
1980 | 11147 to XAC |
1981 | 11157 written off, 11150 to XAC |
1983 | 11129, 11135/6, 11141/4/9, 11152, 11161/2/4/8, 11171/6/8 written off |
XAC11131-3/7-9, 11140/2/3/5-7, 11150/1/4, 11155/8/9, 11160/3/5-7/9, 11174/7 written off |
Hidden away at Midland workshops some surprising things could be found which never saw the light of day on the main system. One of these was a wagon built out of TWO XAs welded together. |
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