BCE car/guards van

 3BCE brings up the rear of a special passenger to Allendale.


BCE's were a combined car with guards, parcels and passenger compartments. They were original built as BDSE mail sorting vans in 1909-10 and were converted in 1935 to composite sitting and guards van. The BCE's had 5 passenger compartments, a central cupola and entry door for guard, and a large parcels area with sliding doors.

The BCE was built from a Steam Era Models BE kit with Evergreen plain and scribed styrene sheet used to build the guards and parcels section of the car. A U van roof was used to construct the cupola roof. I've modelled 3BCE, one of the vans that were fitted with steel doors with windows with rubber surrounds (from photos 2,4 and 5 BCE retained their original doors until withdrawal).

BCE's were utilised on a range of services during 1983. Roster N12 which was in operation at the start of the year had BCE's in services to Kyneton and Bendigo (a set of BCE-AS-BEL-BEL-BEL-BEL) and sets used on services to Bairnsdale, Sale and Geelong (2 sets of BCE-AZ-Buffet-BS-BEL). At Easter on Black Thursday (31/03/1983) all 5 BCE's were noted in service.

3BCE-1AS-50BES-75BW (1230 Ballarat and 1705 Kyneton)
2BCE-5AZ-Taggerty-1BS-59BES (1700 Geelong)
4BCE-4AS-22BE-55BES (1745 Kyneton)
VLPY107-1BCE-2AZ-Moorabool-2BS-58BE (1825 Bairnsdale)
VBPY115-5BCE-5AS-Murray-1BG-34BE (1940 Bairnsdale)

When roster N15 was introduced at the end of April 1983, N sets began to replaced the Kyneton sets of BCE-AS-BEa/c-BEL. The displaced BCE's were reallocated to other short distance commuter runs (on services to Bacchus Marsh, Seymour, Sunbury and Werribee).

This didn't stop the BCE from occasionally being used on long distance country runs. On the 11th May 1983, industrial action resulted in spare set SP1 which included 5BCE being used on the Vinelander to Mildura (without sleeping cars or motorail). The consist being 34BE-1BG-Murray-4AS-5BCE. The set ventured to Mildura again on 13th May, this time with sleepers cars and motorail wagons. On the 13th June, 4BCE ran to Albury in a double set hauled by X43-S304. Consist was 2BE-2BS-Moorabool-4BCE-1BG-5BZ-2BRS-3BZ-CD3.

In September 1983 4BCE was operating in one of the Geelong sets (consist being 4BCE-2AZ-Moorabool-1BS-4BEa/c) being noted on an 1830 up service hauled by B63 on the 14th and 0630 up service hauled by B83 on the 17th.  1BCE had found its way into one of the Werribee sets. For each day of the Melbourne show, extra services were operated from regional centres to Melbourne. On 19th September, an extra service from Geelong was formed by 0747 arrival from Werribee, T413 hauling 70BPL-2BW-35AW-1BCE. This ran empty cars to Geelong, departing Spencer Street at 0810, to form a 0925 extra from Geelong back to the city. 

On October 15th 1BCE ventured to Swan Hill, the consist being 1BCE-1AZ-10BRS(V/Line)-4BZ-50BES.  BCE's were still assigned to sets used on services to Bairnsdale, Sale and Geelong, although with in filtering of refurbished cars the composition of the sets had changed.

The entry to service of the first ACZ in March 1984, saw BCE's replaced on the Bairnsdale sets. The final N set was delivered in April 1984 and a new roster N19 came into operation. BCE's were then rostered in 3 sets:

Set 33 BCE-BW-BW (Sunbury and Kyneton)
Set 36 BCE-AE-BEL (Seymour)
Set 39 BCE-BPL-BPL-BW (Bacchus Marsh)

1 and 5 BCE were withdrawn in May and by October, only 2 BCE's were left in service. 4BCE was in the Sunbury set (4BCE-60BES-2BE-57BES) and 2BCE in a set used on Bacchus Marsh and Geelong services (2BCE-5AW-79BW-1BW-29BE).



Reminiscent of the 1715 Sunbury pass of the early 80's, Y170 hauls a BW-BW-BCE past Ballarat North Railway Workshops on a tour train to Allendale.

The 1715 Sunbury pass was usually hauled by Y class (often 2 if one could be spared from Spencer Street passenger pilot duties). I have fond memories of waiting on the old Up platform at St Albans for 1715 Sunbury service, the distinctive whine of the GE traction motors as the Y class accelerated across the Main Road level crossing with its wooden gates, around the curve and out from "under the wires", the taillight disappearing into the dark from trailing BCE.


Y118-Y119 rest in the centre road at Sunbury after hauling 1715 service from Spencer Street. Note the BCE behind the loco's.

2BCE lasted in service into 1985, being the van on the second last set of wooden cars to be withdrawn.  My older sister travel in one of its very last outings, 2BCE being used on a Scout special to Woodend on Good Friday (5th April 1985) for the Armstrong 500 hike. Consist of the special was D317-2BCE-29BE-30AE-30BE-29BCPL-66BWL-68BWL-35BW-14BE hauled by S305 and S300.

Timetable amendments in May 1985 saw the Sunbury set replaced by a H set of rebuilt Harris cars (BCH-BH-BTH) and the last BCE was withdrawn from regular service. All 5 BCE's have been preserved, 1 and 5 with Steamrail Victoria, 2, 3 and 4 with Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.

Steamrail's 1BCE at rear of A2 986 test run to Seymour 4th August 2017.