Queensland Railways steel carriage stock
Two types of steel bodied air-conditioned carriage stock are used on long distance Queensland Rail services.
M series
In January 1950, Queensland Railways awarded a contract for 99 steel bodied carriages to Commonwealth Engineering, Rocklea. These were purchased to operate the Lander series of trains, The Inlander, The Midlander, The Sunlander and The Westlander entering service between 1953 and 1955.[1]
The original order of 99 cars was for:[1]
- 8 x MPC class power generation vans
- 8 x MMV class mail vans
- 14 x MBC class luggage vans
- 6 x MDC class dining cars
- 10 x MAL class first class sitting cars (36 seats)
- 14 x MBL class second class sitting cars (52 seats)
- 3 x MCL class composite sitting cars (18 first class, 24 second class seats)
- 15 x MAS class first class sleeping cars (14 berths)
- 15 x MBS class second class sitting cars (24 berths)
- 6 x MCS class composite sleeping cars (8 first class, 9 second class berths)
In 2007 as well as 2010, Queensland Rail projected that the 80 remaining M series carriages would have to be removed from service by December 2013.[2] With the replacement of The Sunlander by the Spirit of Queensland, the M series carriages were retired from all Traveltrain services in December 2014.[3]
Five (MBC1449, MBS1483, MAS1501, MBL1506 & MBLM1526) were purchased by the DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum.[4][5] MBS1473 has been preserved at Cecil Plains railway museum at the former railway station.
L series
Between October 1981 and October 1985, Comeng built a further 30 carriages. These were built out of stainless steel.[6]
The original order was for 5 x LBL class second class sitting cars (48 seats).
Subsequent orders added an additional:
- 5 x LAL class first class sitting cars (36 seats)
- 5 x LBL class second class sitting cars (48 seats)
- 10 x LAR class roomette sleeping cars (14 berths)
- 5 x LDC dining cars
In 2007 as well as 2010, Queensland Rail projected that the 30 remaining 'L' series carriages could operate for a further 15 years, pending refurbishment.[2] In July 2014, tenders were called to reconfigure 11 L series carriages.[7] With The Inlander, The Sunlander and The Westlander expected to be withdrawn, this will allow the Spirit of the Outback to be converted to L series stock.[8]
References
- 1 2 Dunn, John (2006). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering 1921-1955. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 182–198. ISBN 1877058424.
- 1 2 Queensland Audit Office. "Traveltrain renewal: Sunlander 14. Report 8: 2014-15" (PDF). Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ Queensland Rail (8 September 2014). "TNew levels of comfort aboard The Spirit of the Outback". Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ "End of an era" Railway Digest May 2014 pages 34/35
- ↑ "Motive Power News" Motive Power issue 100 July 2015 page 23
- ↑ Dunn, John (2013). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering 1985-2012. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 141–147. ISBN 9781922013521.
- ↑ L-Series interior carriage conversion Queensland Government Procurement
- ↑ "Tenders called for Queensland Rail L series car conversions" Railway Digest September 2014 page 16
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