BHS Sodium Silicate Wagon

BHS 26441 at Botany, Feb 1978. Howard Armstrong

Sodium Silicate is a mixture of silica (sand) and soda ash. It is liquefied in a furnace to become what is colloquially known as ‘water glass’. The product was used to treat ore tailings at South Mine in Broken Hill. In 1970, the first use of a dedicated wagon was made. HME 29532 was chosen, and was fitted with the 2 tanks owned by ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) to convey Sodium Silicate from their Botany plant to South Mine at Broken Hill.

As part of the conversion, the timber deck was removed from the wagon and the tanks were welded to the underframe.

Date Introduced: 1970.

Wagon	Originally	Later Became	Tanks Fitted	Tanks Removed	Condemned
29532	HME	-	May 1970	July 1973	August 1973
26441	UME	NZHA / NZHF	July 1973	Oct 1984	Oct 1984

Length: 13.72m Tare: 20t Capacity: 54t Gross: 74t Equiv Length: 2.2

Bogies: Originally 2BP, later curved frame 2CF

Coding:

- Originally coded BHS - Broken Hill Silicate.

- Recoded NZHA in April 1983.

- Later recoded NZHF when 2CF bogies were fitted.

Colour Scheme:

- The donor flat wagon was not repainted upon conversion as retained its weathered gunmetal grey livery. The ICI tanks were painted silver with black lettering.

Period of Service:

- BHS 29532 - May 1970 to July 1973.

- BHS 26441 - July 1973 to October 1984.

Operation:

The vehicle was used in dedicated traffic for ICI between Botany and Broken Hill. It traveled loaded to Broken Hill and returned empty to Botany.

Modelling:

- AR Kits MLE flat wagon can be used for the model, but the tanks will have to be scratchbuilt.