Concrete Sleeper Wagons

 

NDXF 2820 converted from an AE Goodwin BDX underframe at Goulburn in 1996.                                  Norm Bray

 

In the mid 1980’s, the SRA began to install concrete sleepers. The first location where concrete sleepers were installed was Exeter Bank, on the Main Southern Line. A sleeper manufacturing plant was built by Rocla at Braemar, on the southern end of the Picton-Mittagong Loop Line.

The wagons have rails fitted along both sides to allow a self-propelled Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) to pick up and deliver the sleepers to a Track Laying Machine (TLM). Depending on sleeper size, they are either loaded with 3 or 4 layers of sleepers. Timber ‘Gluts’ are laid along the tops of the sleeper to prevent damage enroute. The sleepers are not strapped or restrained once loaded.

 

A video of TLM, RMG and concrete sleeper wagons that keep the TLM supplied with sleepers can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sYc5W0jw2k

 

Converted by: Goulburn and Bathurst Railway Workshops.

 

Length: 15m                            Tare:    22t                   Capacity: 51t               Gross:  73t                   Equiv Length: 2.3

 

Bogies: any roller bearing combination of XCF, XCL and XCG

 

Coding: I’m still deciphering running numbers for each class but some groups are: 2481-2485, 2616-2689, 2711-2730, 2801-2830.

 

Converted from

Code

Date Converted

Running Numbers

As @ 2003

UME/NFUF

NDGF

1990

2473-2477

MLE - NFLF

NDGF

1990

2470-2472

BDX - NOBX

NDXF

1992

2801-2830

TLX/HLX

NDHF

1994

 

GLX

NDHF

1993

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colour Scheme:

-                      As introduced, corner posts and side rails painted Traffic yellow

-                      Metal work repainted RAC Teal blue from 1992 onwards

-                      Repainted RIC orange from 2003 onwards with hazard ‘tiger stripes’ along the side rails.

 

Modifications:

-                      Initially designed with timber beams to support the sleepers between H beam corner posts.

-                      The timber was later replaced with steel I beams with a 25mm timber strip on top to stop damage to the sleepers.

-                      Around 2007, some wagons were converted to container wagons and recoded NDYF. The sleepers are carried on 2 x 20ft steel frames which have maritime twistlock corner pockets fitted.

 

Period of Service: 1990 to Current day.

 

Operation:

Wagons are loaded at the sleeper plant, assembled into trains with the required number of sleepers and moved into a worksite to be unloaded by a mechanized TLM. From 2007 onwards, some resleepering jobs required the sleepers to be unloaded and ‘handlaid’ by rail-mounted excavators.

 

Typical Consist: RTX (TLM) – NDYF (RMG) - NDGF/NDXF/NDHF – NLJF ‘Jewelry’ Van

 

Modelling:

-                      IDR Models produced a HO kit of the NDHF version and is currently unavailable.

-                      Southern Rail Models produced a HO RTR NDHF and is currently available.

-                      It would be possible to model the NDGF using AR Kits MLE underframe as a base.

-                      The NDXF could be modelled using the NQJX wagon available from Casula Hobbies as a base.

 

Ex MLE underframe, NDGF 2446J at Chullora MTS in 2007.                                                                                 Josh Beveridge

 

Ex BDX underframe, NDXF 2818 at Chullora MTS in 2006.                                                           Josh Beveridge

 

Ex TLX underframe, NDHF 2432Y at Chullora in 2007.                                                                              Josh Beveridge

 

Ex GLX underframe, NDHF 2487 at Chullora Welders in 2005.                                                                  Josh Beveridge

 

Ex BDX underframe, NDYF 2682 at Leightonfield in 2007, showing the ISO container-base sleeper carrying frames.            Josh Beveridge

 

Ex BDX u/f as NDYF 2445 RMG wagon for the TLM at Clyde Perway Sidings in 2007.                                      Josh Beveridge