The prototype NN1 entered service in 1901. A further forty five wagons were built in 1907. They were numbered 2 - 46 and built to a slightly different design. During 1950/51, one hundred welded NN hopper wagons were built to a new design. These wagons were numbered 46 - 145.
Between 1960 and 1967 the capacity of the hoppers was increased by welding up the hopper side access doors and raising the sides by 30cm. In addition NN 46 to 145 had end supports added for load bearing support. In the 1979 recoding the class was recoded to VHWA.
The VHWA's are Paul's 3D Print purchased at the Waverley exhibition. The prints were cleaned up with a hobby knife and sanding. The only modifications were the brake gear, handrails, wheel for opening the hopper, details on the hopper door and shunters steps. The wagons are fitted with Steam Era Models or IDR bogies. They are painted Revell Matt Brick Red 37 and weathered with powders. The fresh ballast load is removable.
On the layout, the rake of empty VHWA will sit stored in Ballarat yard or in the hidden sidings and will occasionally be used for track maintenance works on the Western mainline.
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| VHWA 43, one of the 1907 hoppers. |
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| VHWA 56, this is one of the 1950/51 built hoppers, its has had the side hopper doors replaced with a solid panel. |
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| NN52, another 1950/51 built hopper. It was one of the last to be retain the NN code not receiving the four letter VHWA code until December 1983. |
During 1983-1984 track works were occurring on 'The Straight' between Box Bank Loop and Bacchus Marsh, with ballast trains running most Sunday's from Ballarat. Usually two Y class were rostered for these specials with the locos running from Ballarat East locomotive depot to Ballarat yard to pick up guards vans and then running BONA to the loading site at Windermere. The locos would attach the guards vans and run around the rake of VHWA ballast hoppers and then depart for Bacchus Marsh. The load usually consisting of 5 to 7 VHWA with a ZL marshalled at each end.
Often the ballast specials would make two return trips a day between Windermere and Bacchus Marsh. While these works were occurring, the Sunday Ballarat and Dimboola passenger services and the two interstate express goods would have been routed via Geelong.
According to wagon history on Peter Vincent website some of the VHWA's visited the workshops during 1983-84 having hand rails added.
In the future I plan to add a couple more VHWA's covering some of the wagons that were fitted with new hoppers of a slightly different design.
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