JCW (NQJW, NQWW, NQTW, NQGW)

80’ Container Flat Wagon

Photo required of a new JCW, deck view preferred.

The JCWs are 24.5m (80’) long container wagons with a low deck height to permit the carrying of 2.86 m high containers as well as the more common 2.49 m high ISO containers. National Rail acquired all of the NQJW wagons (and derivatives) in 1994 and 1995.

Builders:

- Commonwealth Engineering (1973-75) numbered 22001 – 22032. These wagons have a different appearance from wagons of following contracts and were recoded NQTW then NQWW (and more recently RQWW)

- Mittagong Engineering (1975-76) numbered 22033 – 22082

- Mittagong Engineering (1980) numbered 21976 – 22000

- Mittagong Engineering (1980-81) numbered 21951 – 21975

- EPT (1985) numbered 60000 – 60049 (these were never coded JCW)

Length: 24506mm Tare: 27t Capacity: 51t Gross: 78t

Width: 2620 mm except Comeng wagons which are 2760 mm (wider over bogies than elsewhere along the wagon) :

Bogies: 2CN bogies (essentially a 2CM one piece bogie but with 840 mm diameter wheels)

Coding:

- Initially introduced as JCW, recoded NQJW following the introduction of ROA coding

- Wagons 22001 to 22032 were recoded NQTW in 1986 and NQWW in 1987. Following the NRC takeover of these wagons they were recoded RQWW

- Wagons 22033 to 22082 carried the NQGW code for a time.

- Most NQJWs were recoded RQJW in NRC service however some from the last contract carried the code RQNW (as do some of the original VQDWs)

For a more detailed listing of wagon numbers in the various codes, see Phillip Clarke’s ‘Jumbo Summary’

Colour Scheme:

- The first contracts carried the PTC blue colour scheme when new

- The final contract was delivered in the SRA red scheme and some older wagons were repainted in this scheme.

- Following the formation of NRC and the transfer of this class, some wagons received the pale grey NRC colour scheme

Operation:

Initially the JCWs were intended (along with the Victorian and Australian National VQDW and AQDW wagons) for the TNT contract to move GMH components between the plants at Acacia Ridge (Qld), Fishermen’s Bend and Geelong (Vic) and Elizabeth (SA). More recently the wagons have been in general intermodal traffic to all mainland state capitals. They are fitted to carry two 40’ containers or four 20’ containers

Modelling:

The common version is available as a urethane kit from Hanovale

The wide-bodied version (NQWW) is available as a pewter kit from Australian Hobby Casting (Hanovale)

A view of the deck of a last contract RQJW, Parkes Roger Jones

RQJW 60037 P is one of the last series of NQJWs Roger Jones

RQJW 21959 G was part of the fourth contract. There are a few differences between this wagon and the one shown above including the position of the codeboard, the jackpads and the presence of an equipment (chain) box. Roger Jones