Wagons used for Intermodal Services
Intermodal is described as a
transport system that uses multiple modes of transportation to move goods
without unloading the contents at each change of mode.
In NSW this started off with
the introduction of ‘LCL’ – Less than Car Load Containers. These containers
were used when a customer did not ship enough goods to make full use of a wagon
or van.
The LCL Container was bought
to the seller’s warehouse by road truck, loaded with goods then taken to the
railway yard. It was then loaded onto specially converted flat wagons or into
open wagons. At the end of its rail trip, the container was lifted out of the
vehicle and either unloaded in the railway yard or loaded onto the back of
another road truck and taken to its final destination.
As you can see, the
container was moved by 2 forms of transport(Road and Rail). The same scenario
is still used today, except larger containers have been developed and the
majority of them make their way to the ports for export by sea.
At first, open wagons were
used to move LCL containers. S wagons could be loaded with 2 LCL’s and K wagons
with 3 LCL’s. Both 4 wheel and bogie wagon were modified to carry LCL’s.
CS – S
wagon underframe converted to carry 2 LCL Containers.
CKF –
KF flat wagon modified to carry 3 LCL Containers
FME –
ISO (International Standards
Organisation) Containers are built to a standard sizing system. These
containers are suitable for worldwide use. The LCL container was a standard
size too, but larger capacity containers were developed in order to move
import/export goods. The railways developed their own designs of ISO Containers
for a number of uses, these are covered in the Container section of this
website.
The first wagons converted for ISO
traffic were 4 wheel wagons, then MLE bogie flat wagons were modified. As this
form of container movement became the standard, purpose built bogie container
wagons were built.
More recently the term ‘ISO’ is no
longer used. Today, container wagons are referred to by the number of TEU’s
(Twenty-foot Equilivent Units) that they can carry.
1 TEU Container Wagons
CKF – KF 4 Wheel flat wagon
modified to carry 1 x 20ft ISO Container
2 TEU Container Wagons
BC/NQBX – 1964 Chullora Workshops - Carries ISO
Containers
BCX/CBX/NQBX – 1966 COMENG –
Carries ISO Containers
EBC/NQEF – 1968 A.E Goodwin – Electrically Powered
ISO Containers
ECM/NQEF – 1971 COMENG - Carries Electrically Powered ISO Containers
ECX/NQCX – 1971 – Carry
Electrically Powered ISO Containers
GME/NQUF – MLE flat wagon
modified to carry ISO Containers
ICX/NQIX – 1968-80 Various
builders
OSF/NQSF – BSV underframes
converted to carry ISO Containers
NQHX – Strengthened NQIX for concentrate container
traffic
SCE/NQIA – ex ICX fitted with
415V cabling
NQIY – NQIX fitted with high-speed 2CM/YCM bogies
NQIW – 1988 Lansdowne Eng –
2TEU Container Wagon
NQJX - 1999 ex- BDX/NOBX Open
wagons converted to container wagon
NQRX – Converted JLX Louvre
Vans to container wagon
NQYY/NQTY – ex-NODY’s
converted to container wagon
NQZA – ex- GLX/LLV/HLX Louvre
vans converted to container wagon
RQRY – 2007 Bradken 48ft Container Wagon
PRRY – 2005 FCL 48ft
Container Wagon
PRXY – 2005 FCL 5-pack 48ft Container Wagon
RQQY – 1995 NRC 5-Pack 48ft
Container Wagon
REQY – 1994 NRC 415V 5-pack
48ft Container Wagon
RRQY – 2005 Chinese built
5-pack 48ft Container Wagon
3 TEU Container Wagons
NQAY – NSW’s first skeletal
deck container wagon
NQBY – ex OCY/NQOY
CFX/NQFX – 1975 EPT – 3 x
20ft Container flat with bulkheads for other loadings
NQFF – Rebuilt NQFX
NQGY – ex OCY/NQOY
NQKY – ex CDY/NOCY
OCX/NQOX – 1969-75 Various
builders – 3 x 20ft ISO Containers
OCY/NQOY –
NQPY – modified NQFF
NQSY – ex OCY/NQOY
CQBY – 2000/4 QRRS – 3TEU
Container Wagon
CQGY – 2001-02 CFCLA – 3TEU
Container wagon
RQHY – 2005 QRRS – 3TEU
Container Wagon
4 TEU Container Wagons
JCW/NQJW – 1973-81
COMENG/Mittagong Eng – 80ft Container wagon
NQWW – ‘Wide Deck’ version of the JCW/NQJW.
The ‘Flexivan’ concept was an
extension of the LCL container idea, but full road truck trailers were to be
transported by rail without being unloaded. More details can be found in the
Container section of this site, but basically, the trailer body slid off the
trailer chassis, onto a railway wagon and secured for transport. The reverse
was performed at the destination. The concept didn’t last long even though all standard
gauge states had compatible vehicles. The idea didn’t rise again till AN
developed it’s ‘Roadrailer’ system in 1993.
TVF/NQVF – 1963 A.E Goodwin Flexivan wagon
TVX/NQVX – 1965 Clyde Engineering Flexivan wagon
TVX – 1969 Clyde Engineering Flexivan wagon