The wagon fleet is primarily comprised of a large fleet of container/flat wagons for general use, and smaller fleets of specialised vehicles such as coal hoppers, cement wagons and mineral concentrate wagons. In addition to revenue earning vehicles, a dedicated fleet of service stock primarily of flat wagons and ballast wagons are also available for use in maintenance activities.
This page gives a brief overview of the wagons that were available for use in the maintenance of the Tasmanian rail system. Many of these vehicles see only rare use and spend most of their time stored at locations around Tasmania. As well as the vehicles listed on this page, there are a number of vehicles stored around East Tamar yard prior to eventual scrapping or used for component storage around the workshops complex. These vehicles will be added to this list in the future as their status becomes clearer given the changing environment of the Tasmanian rail scene.
Tasmanian Rail News magazine publishes regular articles on the current wagon fleet, including statistics showing the status of existent vehicles (including stored wagons), changes since the last article and information on the major changes to the vehicles over the previous few years.
Articles have been published in the following issues: April 1993 (Issue 181), October 1996 (Issue 195), August 1999 (Issue 206), September 2002 (Issue 218) and July 2005 (Issue 228)
Previous classifications (Tasmania): OE
Previous classifications (Mainland): SAR O series open wagons (OB, AOGA/F)
Usage: Bogie and component transfer/recovery
History: To Tasmania for general use from 1982. Surviving wagons cut down for rock traffic in 1998.
Approximate number remaining: Most, if not all of the remaining wagons of this class were scrapped in late 2008.
Usage: Vehicle transport
History: Sold to ATN with the Emu Bay Railway in 1998, and later converted to Air-brake operation
Number remaining: 1
Previous classifications (Tasmania): QN
Previous classifications (Mainland): HBN (South Australian Railways)
Usage: Ballast
History: To Tasmania for superphosphate/ballast use in 1984
Approximate number remaining: 4
Previous classifications (Mainland): SFQX (South Australian Railways) / AQEX class
Usage: Sleeper/rail transport
History: To Tasmania for service use from 1986
Approximate number remaining: 3
Usage: Departmental parts/scrap transport
History: These three wagons were converted in the late 1980s by placing ex TGR vacuum braked CC wagon bodies on air-braked ex Commonwealth Railway underframe’s. Their use was limited to departmental storage/transfers only, in initially to/from outlying depot such as Hobart & Burnie, and later around the workshop area only
Number remaining: Most, if not all of the remaining wagons of this class were scrapped in late 2008.
Previous classifications (Tasmania): QB (TGR wagons), OO (EBR wagons)
Usage: Ballast
History: All wagons built to a similar design by TGR Launceston workshops between 1969 and 1976, four for the TGR and two for the EBR. The then AN owned wagons were converted to air-brake in 1987, the two ex EBR wagons were similarly converted in 2005
Approximate number remaining: 6
Previous classifications (Tasmania): QJ, QJA
Previous classifications (Mainland): NB (Commonwealth Railways)
Usage: Ballast
History: Thirty wagons to Tasmania and placed in service from 1976 to 1981
Approximate number remaining: 11
Previous classifications (Tasmania): FP
Previous classifications (Mainland): NRA, NRE (Commonwealth Railways)
Usage: Rail/Sleeper transport
History: The three wagons that comprised this class were transferred to Tasmanian in the early 1980s. The first two vehicles were fitted with cranes for rail recovery, whilst the third – which had previously been used as a pine log wagon – was used to carry rail or sleepers. This vehicle survived in service until at least 2004, at that stage being used to carry new rubbish skips being delivered, or a generator set powering refrigerated containers
Number remaining: Most, if not all of the remaining wagons of this class were scrapped in late 2008.
Previous classifications (Tasmania): SB
Previous classifications (Mainland): NBP (Commonwealth Railways)
Usage: Ballast plough
History: Transferred to Tasmania in 1978 and 1981
Number remaining: 2
Previous classifications (Tasmania): SAA
Previous classifications (Mainland): NRF (Commonwealth Railways)
Usage: Rail transport
History: Transferred to Tasmania and entered service from 1984 to 1986
Number remaining: Most, if not all of the remaining wagons of this class were scrapped in late 2008.
Usage: Crew protection whilst propelling in Bell Bay - George Town section
History: Converted from GV guards van body and tank wagon underframe in late 1980s as test vehicle. Overhauled in 2007 and fitted with safety appliances for its new role
Number remaining: 1
Thanks to Stuart Dix, Michael Dix, Phil Lange and Tasmanian Rail News magazine
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Page last updated: 6 January 2008
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