NLDF Newsprint Van

Brand new NLDF 23161 in original body condition being inspected at Clyde Wagon Works in 1981. Photo: John Miller

These large vans were introduced to move newsprint paper rolls from Ettamogah to Ultimo. The steel bodied vans have external bracing with large outside hung double sliding doors. The interior was lined with plywood to create a smooth surface to reduce damage to the newsprint rolls. They were loaded with 65 - 1.7m high x 930mm diameter rolls.

Builders:

- 40 vans were built by Mittagong Engineering between 1981-82 and were numbered 23161-23200.

Length: 21.6m Tare: 28t Capacity: 51t Gross: 79t

Bogies: 2CL

Coding:

- They were coded NLDF from introduction.

- Some were fitted with 2CM bogies for faster operation and were recoded NLDY.

- When the class was transferred to NRC in 1994-95, their first letter was changed to ‘R’.

Colour Scheme:

- As introduced, the body was painted SRA red with chrome yellow doors. They had a 2-tone blue L7 on a white background logo attached to the body side. Bogies and underframe were black.

- The vans weathered into a dusty grey, and on some vans, their original livery is still visible under the grime.

- NLDF 23170 was repainted into NRC grey in 1997. It is the only van repainted into another livery.

Further Modifications:

- Additional external bracing was added to the body at some stage.

Operation:

The vans were used in dedicated paper traffic from the Australian Paper Mills plant at Ettamogah (near Albury) to Ultimo for delivery to Sydney’s newspaper printers in the area. They continued in this traffic until it was lost to road transport in the mid 1990’s. After that time, a few were used on Uncle Ben’s pet food traffic from Raglan. From 1997, some were used to convey palletized bagged flour for Manildra Group from Manildra to Clyde. The last vans were stored in late 2003.

Modelling:

A HO scale kit is available from Ian Lindsay Models.

A RTR model is available from Auscision Models

NLDF 23162 on display at Central in 1985. Photo: John Miller

Sydney bound paper train passing The Rock in 1984. Don Jones

Ettamogah bound on Maldon curve. Wayne Eade

Ettamogah bound at Picton. Note the newly applied horizontal bracing.

NLDF 23470 in storage in Albury in 1998. Photo: Norm Bray

NLDF’s at the Manildra Group’s plant at Clyde in late 2003. Josh Beveridge