FME LCL Container Wagon

 

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An original condition FME at Alexandria goods yard.                      SRA Archives photo.

 

These vehicles were the first mass conversion programs for the introduction of containerised goods transport. Although LCL sized containers did not last that long, it showed that the railways would make the necessary modifications to rollingstock to cater for customer and industry needs.

A fence and corner retaining brackets were fitted to the deck to allow 6 LCL containers to be carried. These wagons were converted from UME flat wagons.

 

Builder:

            19 wagons were converted in the railways own workshops in 1953 and retained their UME numbers.

 

UME

To FME

To other

 

UME

To FME

To other

26343

5/53

?

 

26426

3/53

GME 12/68

26352

5/53

GME 6/70

 

26442

4/53

LGF 1/70

26356

5/53

CME 3/76

 

26460

5/53

Condemned 5/74

26364

5/53

CME 3/76

 

26479

3/53

CME 3/76

26380

2/53

CME 3/76

 

26480

3/53

?

26402

3/53

UME 2/70

 

26481

5/53

UME 2/76

26403

5/53

UME 2/76

 

26498

3/53

GME 1/69

26410

7/53

?

 

26508

7/53

GME 4/70

26412

4/53

?

 

26513

3/53

GME 2/69

26414

7/53

?

 

26516

7/53

CME 3/76

Other numbers include – 26347, 26360, 26368, 26384, 26407, 26416, 26418, 26464, 26483, 26485 and 26520.

 

Length:            13.72m                        Tare: 19t                                  Capacity: 43t                           Gross: 62t                                Equiv Length: 2.2

 

Bogies: 2BR

 

Coding:

-                      They were only ever coded FME, and all were withdrawn by 1979.

 

Colour Scheme:

-                      As introduced, they were painted in the standard Gunmetal grey all over. Lettering was white.

-                      Only one wagon received the PTC Blue livery, FME 26516.

 

Modifications:

Some wagons had the fence sections removed, leaving only the corner retaining brackets. This enabled the containers to be emptied without unloading the container.

 

Related Wagons: UME, GME, CME and LGF.

 

Period of Service: 1953 - 1979

 

Operation:

            These wagons were designed to be used on the fast express interstate goods services and began working on the Sydney to Albury corridor, later being used on the other mainlines also.

 

Further Reading: The October 2000 AMRM (Issue 224) has an excellent article on the wagons.

 

Modelling:

-                      Sydney Hobbies have a kit available of the full fence version. It is available from Casula Hobbies.

-                      Hanovale Models have a kit available, also of the full fence version. Both brands could be converted to the fence-less version.

-                      A model could also be kitbashed using an AR Kits MLE flat wagon as a starting point.

-                      Austrains produced RTR models in HO in 2009.

 

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A FME loaded with 3 x 14ft TNT containers.                                                           SRA photo

 

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Loaded FME’s with some of their fencing removed.                                    Bob Marchant Photo