COMBINATION WAGON BRAKE VANS of the QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS

COMBINATION WAGON BRAKE VANS of the QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS

Running railways at a profit or even just to cover their operating costs has never been easy.  The Queensland Government Railways were no exception.  This led to the examination of ways in which train payloads could be maximised for a given number of vehicles.  In 1886 a goods van was developed that could be used as a passenger carriage at busy times.  These dual purpose wagons continued to be built until late 1910 and were in use until 1939.  Many were converted to other uses although some that had been fitted with a guard’s compartment lasted until the 1970s.  To save the weight of a guard’s van on freight trains, beginning in 1908 a variety of wagons with guard’s accommodation were converted from existing stock or built new.  Several designs, including the first, were not practical and were soon reconverted or rebuilt for other traffic.  Those combining a covered goods van or livestock accommodation with a guard’s compartment were highly successful and some lasted until 1987.  This book details all the wagon variants illustrated with diagrams and photographs.