Locomotive Sand Wagons
All types of locomotives and
self-propelled vehicles require sand at aid in keeping traction in adverse
conditions. The sand used, is very fine river sand. It has been filtered and
dried in a kiln to ensure it is clean and very dry, as wet sand will block sand
pipes.
In steam days, the sand was mined in many locations
and delivered to each locomotive depot. Each depot having it’s own ‘sand drying’ and storage plant.
In Government diesel days, sand was road trucked
into DELEC, where a large sand drying plant was built. Once processed, the sand
traveled to the various depot locations in a fleet of 5 ex-PCT/NPTF
cement wagons.
4 Wheelers
Sand has been carried in several
wagon types. Commonly, ‘S’ Trucks covered with a tarp were used as well as the RSH Sand Hoppers.
Bogie Wagons
The NSWR made use of former NPTF pneumatic
discharge cement wagon. These wagons became redundant with the introduction of
the PRX/PRY Cement wagons.
These 5 wagons are allocated to major diesel
depot throughout the state and up until recently were returned to DELEC as
required to be refilled.
Utilsation of wagons at 12/2/2006 –
L562 – In
storage in DELEC – Allocated to DELEC Loco Depot
L566 – In
storage in Pt Kembla wagon repair sidings – Allocated
to Pt Kembla Loco Depot
L569 – In
use at Kooragang Island - Allocated to Pt Waratah
Loco depot
L570 – In
use at DELEC fuel point – formerly allocated to Lithgow Loco Depot
L578 – In
use at Werris Creek Loco Depot – Allocated to that
depot
Around the end of 2007, these ‘Sand Bubbles’
became captive to their respective depots. They are refilled by road truck and
do not move from their fuel point locations.
Modelling: In 2018, Auscision
Models produced HO RTR models of these wagons.
L562 in storage at
DELEC.
L566 in storage at Pt
Kembla wagon repair sidings.
L570 in use at DELEC.
Note different arrangement of dome piping.