Class Z Platform ended Clerestory Roofed Bogie Brake vans Z22-25 |
Builder's photo of one of these vans in original condition (RHWA collection) |
This small group of vans was a development of the type 1 design with a platform at either end. Like the type 1 vans they were 30'-0" long with 4'-10" wheelbase bogies and had a clerestory roof. Originally they were intended as accident vans, had no automatic brake and so got numbers in the wagon series. They were all built by Stableford and Co. By 1900 they were treated as C class passenger brake vans and were only reclassified rather than renumbered. They must have been equipped with full vacuum brakes at some time but the 1903 diagram does not credit them with brake cylinders. Views in service are rare but an enlargement of a postcard showing Z2069 at Albany at some point between 1928 and 1942 is included above whilst Z2070 is shown below at Quarram Siding in about 1929 in a blow up from State Library of WA 4336B/64. |
First No. | New | Reclassified Z | Final No. | Renumbered | Fate | Date |
C2068 | August 1898 | September 1900 | Z22 | April 1940 | To JETTY 146 | May 1957 |
C2069 | August 1898 | October 1900 | Z23 | March 1942 | VC5154 May 1976 then ZD23 November 1976 | |
C2070 | August 1898 | October 1900 | Z24 | September 1941 | Sold to Comm. Railways as their class NYA. | May 1942 |
C2071 | August 1898 | October 1900 | Z25 | July 1939 | Written off | December 1960 |
At some point Z23 acquired a new body in the style of the type 13 vans. I don't know when this happened but my guess would be in the early thirties. Vans re-bodied later than this had windows in the sliding doors. Later in life Z23 became an accident van again as VC5154 and finally ZD23. |
The WAGR outline diagram is shown below. |