NZR's Early Car-vans 2

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NZR's EARLY CAR-VANS

Part 2 The 44ft and 46ft 7in

Class 'A' low Roofed Bogie Cars

Author John Agnew

The full article can be found in New Zealand Railfan, Issue 58, March 2009, pages 23 - 27. John has given permission for the whole article to be available to readers, it will eventually be accessible at this link

This article-summary aims to list the key facts, reference specific items of rolling stock mentioned, and describe the drawings and photographs that are presented in the full article.

The Developments

  • Car_A300(W) was the New Zealand's first Bogie Carriage, a conversion of Car_C140 with American bogies. The work was done at Petone Workshops in 1877.
  • mid 1878, Addington Workshops was working on converting British 6-wheel cars to bogie cars to improve the ride.
  • mid 1878, Clemenson's patent Radiating Axles were fitted to some cars at Addington and Hillside
  • 30 Clemenson's 6-wheeled carriages imported in 1879 were the last British carriage imports
  • 13 Gilbert Bush & Co clerestory-roofed carriages and one Baggage Car imported from USA in 1879 (3 cars and the van ordered for Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway, 10 cars allocated to Hurunui - Bluff Railway)
  • From 1882, Addington Workshops started building 43ft and 44ft versions
  • From 1882, C class cars were being converted to bogie cars using (Blueprint) BP_919.
  • During the 1884 -1885 period 14 longer (46'-7") cars were constructed to drawing PWD_9133
  • The only two C class rebuilds that were 44ft long and converted to car-vans (one in 1895 the other in 1897) were allocated 1 to each island.
    • Car_A311 had been allocated to Wellington and was converted to a car-van at Petone Workshops in 1895 to a variation of BP_919
    • Car_A241 had been allocated to Dunedin and converted to a car-van in 1897 at Hillside
  • Eleven of the twelve S.I. 46'-7" carriages constructed to drawing PWD_9133 (not car_A147), were converted at either Addington or Hillside during 1897-99, becoming 3 compartment composite car-vans.
  • The variation of window arrangements are due to earlier conversions of window spaces to accommodate additional wall bracing to strengthen the walls.


the 44ft and 46ft-7in Low roofed bogie cars and car-vans of class 'A'
Car No District Length Origins Built BP to car-van Last use
car_A39 Dun 46'-7" car_C39 + ½car_C35 12/09/1885 Add 9133 9/11/1897 car_E1173
car_A44 Dun 46'-7" car_C44 + ½car_C78 24/07/1885 Add 9133 15/12/1897 Car_E195
car_A56 Dun 46'-7" car_C56 + ½car_C88 7/11/1885 Hsd 9133 2/02/1899 w/o 27/02/1937
car_A59 Inv 46'-7" car_C59 + ½car_C40 31/03/1885 Add 9133 18/11/1899 car_E1539
car_A86 ? 46'-7" car_C86 + ½car_C88 7/11/1885 Add? 9133 22/02/1899 w/o 31/03/1935
car_A101 HBay 46'-7" car_C101 + ½car_C35 8/10/1885 Hsd 9133 24/02/1899 w/o 19/08/1933
car_A106 Inv 46'-7" car_C106 + ½car_C40 31/03/1885 Add 9133 18/11/1899 w/o 1914 after accident, new car_A104 1914
car_A120 Dun 46'-7" car_C120 + ½car_C230 7/11/1885 Hsd 9133 22/02/1899 w/o 27/01/1937
car_A122 HBay 46'-0" car_C122 + ½car_C149 23/05/1885 Add 9133 23/07/1897 w/o 11/11/1933
car_A145 HBay 46'-7" car_C145 + ½car_C78 24/07/1885 Hsd 9133 21/09/1897 w/o 21/07/1934 at Addington
car_A150 HBay 46'-7" car_C150 + ½car_C230 7/11/1885 Hsd 9133 22/02/1899 w/o 28/02/1931
car_A241 Dun 44'-0" car_C241 6/06/1887 Hsd 216 31/07/1897 w/o 7/11/1936
car_A311 Wel 44'-0" car_C5(W) (later car_A12(W)) 1885 Pet 919/201 16/09/1895 w/o 4/03/1939
car_A147 Chch 46'-7" car_C147 + ½car_C149 23/05/1885 Add 9133/8444 - w/o 29/02/1936, at Addington
car_A334 Wel 46'-7" car_C42(Na),car_A26,car_A334 04/1884 Pet 9133/8444 - w/o 1/02/1930
car_A335 Wel 46'-7" car_C32/39,car_A27,car_A335 05/1884 Pet 9133/8444 - w/o 1904 new car_A335 04/1904

Images accompanying this Article

  1. Drawing NZR_919A showing arrangement of car_A311 as converted at Petone Workshops P.E. 16/09/1895
  2. Photograph by I. T. Johnstone of car_A311 at Lambton Station, 1933.
  3. Drawing based on PWD_9133 and dated 21/01/1882 showing a 46ft 7in car conversion
  4. Photograph from the Joe McNamara Collection showing ether car_A44 or car_A120 at Waimahaka, behind Loco_F159 probably on line opening day 18/06/1899
  5. Photograph from NZR Publicity, of one of the 11 46'-7" car-vans allocated to the Dunedin/Invercargill section showing no platform gates. taken at Dunedin 1905.
  6. Photograph taken by the Otago Witness at Invercargill March 1905 showing a 46'-7" car-van, possibly car_A145, outside the Invercargill South Signal Box
  7. Photograph from the J. A. T. Terry Collection of a derailed train at Mussel Bay on the Port Chalmers Branch on 26/04/1909, showing what is thought to be car-van_A120
  8. Photo from the Southland Museum collection swing a 46'-7" car-van at possibly Nightcaps, clearly showing the platform gates with 2nd stage of finalising their height.
  9. Photograph from the J. A. T. Terry Collection taken in 1911 showing a train approaching the old Sawyers Bay tunnel with 6 cars and a 46'-7" car-van immediately behind Loco_Q341
  10. Photograph from the John Agnew Collection showing the Kurow School Train which included Car_A44 and Car_A56 both former 46'-7" car-vans, but now two-compartment 2nd class cars.
  11. Photograph from the S. A. Rockliff collection showing Car_A59, formerly car-van_A59 at Invercargill in February 1037. It became car_Ea1539 in November 1940. Also shown ia a long rake of passenger cars including car_A258 a Gilbert Bush car.
  12. Photograph by John Herbert taken on 19/09/1959 at Sawyers Bay Quarry and showing Car_A44 awaiting demolition. After being written off in September 1936, it became car_Ea195 and scrapped in 1960
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