NCPF/RCPF and NCGX/RCGX Coil Steel Wagons

NCPF 31831, Goulburn, 1989, photo Roger Jones

With the downturn in concentrate traffic due to mine closures and the necessity, for environmental reasons, to fully enclose mineral concentrate loads, many NOEF wagons became surplus to requirements. The NCPF wagons, and the very similar NCGX type, were built from the underframes of surplus CG/NOEF concentrate wagons. These very short wagons have cradles for the carriage of three jumbo coils. There is very little difference between the NCG and NCP types and it is possible that they were in service for different businesses. There is evidence that some, at least, of the NCGX/F were earmarked for Lysaghts traffic

Date Introduced: 1989

The RCPF’s are still in service however the RCGX/F code seems to have disappeared and is no longer listed by ARTC. It’s unknown whether the wagons have been withdrawn or recoded

Running Numbers: (may have included others as well)

NCPF/RCPF: 31802, 31805, 31820, 31823, 31831, 31832, 31838, 31842, 31852, 31857, 31865, 31882, 31883.

NCGX/RCGX: 31803, 31804, 31810, 31825, 31833, 31845, 31848, 31849, 31853, 31858, 31862, 31863, 31869, 31873, 31879.

Length: 11 m Tare: 15 t Capacity: 61 t (65 t) Gross: 76 t (80 t on some lines)

Bogies: The wagons retained the bogies of the NOEF wagons, primarily 2CG and 2CL type.

Coding: The wagons were introduced as NCPF and have been recoded as RCPF following the formation of NRC.

Many of the NCGX were recoded NCGF or became RCGF some time after they were acquired by NR. It is not known whether the X to F recoding was associated with a change of bogies or a change to the traffic the wagons were in.

Colour Scheme:

- The NCPF appear to have been introduced in all over white but are now heavily rust stained.

Operation:

The NCPF’s are used in coil steel traffic only between Port Kembla and Newcastle.

Modelling:

No model available, would need to be scratch built.

RCPF 31865, Sept 2005, photo Roger Jones

Three photos by Roger Jones, taken at Cringila in Dec 2004, RCPF 31832 (top) and 31820