Builders photo of Ashbury built van C67 (later Z5070 and Z88). (RHWA collection)

This group of vans were the most numerous type of brake van on the W.A.G.R. for the first part of the twentieth century. They were 30'-0" long with 4'-10" wheelbase bogies and had a clerestory roof with a platform at one end. These were almost identical in design to the New Zealand Railways 1889 designed B.P. 543 vans apart from the use of vacuum brakes.

There were definitely detailed differences between the batches and it is known that at least one of the later vans (C86) had plug type rather than sliding doors. I do not know if these were ever altered but there are in service photos showing this type of door (see below).

Builders photo of Birmingham RCW Co built C86 (later Z5089 and Z106) (RHWA collection)

There were piecemeal alterations to these vans over the years The photo below from the RHWA collection of Z62 shows a van as running later in its life.

Z62 in 1954 (RHWA collection)

In later years many of these vans were re-bodied. Some of the rebuilding details are less than clear and it is quite possible that I have missed vans re-bodied in the type 15a fashion. I am particularly suspicious of the later survivors.  The last two vans built are also a bit of a mystery. Z28 at least ended up with a rebuilt body but given its late build date it may always have been like this. Nevertheless Z28 & 29 are listed with this group of vans in the 1959 load tables.

Z5027 was the Port Hedland van for many years.

Details as far as I know them are as follows:

Z96 ran latterly as an accident van but was not reclassified VC or renumbered. L. Englund (RHWA collection)

The WAGR outline diagram is shown below.

Z5086 still had its plug type doors at Tampbellup in 1915 (State Library of WA photo 117560PD).