HR bogie transport wagons

 

HR's were used to ferry parts between the major workshops: Newport, North Melbourne, South Dynon, Jolimont, Bendigo and Ballarat. Some were used in dedicated traffic between particular workshops or for transport of a particular item such as wheels, bogies, pantographs or other parts. They usually had the body of the wagon modified for this purpose. 

The Victorian Railways was renowned for converting or rebuilding old wagons for new purposes. Many E open wagons were modified for workshops traffic in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

I've recently built 3 HRs for use in workshops traffic on my layout. These were scratch built with the sides, deck and underframe out of styrene sheet, with the bogie cradles and brake details being 3D prints. The wagons that I have chosen to model are HR 8, 73 and 156. The history of each of these wagons is provided below.

HR 8

HR8 was built new at Newport workshops as an E open wagon entering service in 1927 as E34.  In 1959 it was converted to a flat wagon, coded QC1. It was recorded QCF in December 1961 and then QCX in October 1965. In July 1978 it was converted for bogie transport at Bendigo workshops with a series of cradles welded to the deck.  It was recoded to VZFA 40 in 1985. 

 

HR73

This wagon was constructed at Newport workshops entering service on 30/5/1928 as E158. In 1942 for wartime traffic it was converted to an S flat wagon retaining the same number. S 158 was  converted to QC 5 in May 1959. The wagon was recoded to QCF on 4/12/1961 and then to QCX 5 in Oct 1965. QCX 5 was converted for the transport of bogies in August 1978 and recoded to HR73. In 1985 HR73 was recoded to VZFA 46.

 

HR 156

This wagon was constructed at Newport workshops entering service on 20/ 7/1927 as           E23. In 1940 for wartime traffic it was converted to an S flat wagon retaining the same number. In 1948 it was converted back to its original form as an E open wagon. In 1962 it was recoded to EF at Bendigo workshops. In March 1969 it was recoded to EX13 (presumably for operating on the standard gauge line). On the 14/02/1978 its was taken off the register. It was was converted for the transport of bogies and recoded to HR156 at Bendigo workshops in March 1978. The conversion involved removal of the body and the  welding of frames of channel to the floor to hold the bogies. 

I still need to produce wheels with axle covers as a load, so for the time being these wagons will remain clean.   

On the layout these HR wagons will be used to replicate traffic from Jolimont, North Melbourne and Newport workshops to the Ballarat North Workshops. The HR wagons will arrive at Ballarat on Xxxx goods and will be transferred by the yard pilot to the workshops during the day.