SEC pole traffic

 

The Victorian Railways utilised a number of flat and open wagons to transfer wooden power poles from the main State Electricity Commission depot at Brooklyn to SEC depots around the state. Wagons used were Q flat wagons and modified E open wagons. Some of the E wagons had the doors removed, bolsters fitted on the floor and wood bulkheads secured to the ends. Open wagons used for this purpose were usually stencilled for Pole traffic only. 

Recenly I produced pole loads for Q wagons, but also intend in the future to produce some of the E wagons without doors as well. The poles are produced from bamboo skewers cut to the appropriate length (approximately 140mm) and then painted a dark brown colour. Silver paint is used to represent the steel cap on one end of the pole.  Pole loads appear to be stackec 3 to 4 poles high on Q flat wagons and 4 to 5 poles high in the modified E open wagons.

On the layout wagons in SEC Pole Traffic will occasionally appear in goods trains through Ballarat, transferring poles to major SEC depots scattered around the state.  When poles were longer than Q wagons, suitable flat wagons (usually K flat wagons) were used as spacers. I plan to produce one of these for my layout in the future.  I'm not sure when the SEC pole traffic ceased, but two E wagons  numbered E170 and E193 survived long enough to be receive the four letter code of VOAA still stencilled for pole traffic only. 

2 Q flat wagons and E open wagon loaded with SEC power poles in Ballarat yard.