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U1106 Irymple1974. Photo: Bruce McLean
Way and Works wagon HD103 was formerly a short wheel-base U van. Note the retention of buffers and chain coupling, as well as automatic coupler. Mildura 14-6-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
U1642 Mildura February 1973. Photo: Bruce McLean
T434 Insulated Van - Mildura 10-8-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
Oil Tank 76. Mildura. 27-8-1978. Photo: Bruce McLean
Diesel loco fuel tank 509 at Mildura fuel point. 2-7-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
Oil Tank 70 in service for BP fuel. Mildura 9-10-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
L1426 Sheep Van. Mildura 9-10-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
M 342 Cattle wagon. These wagons were first built in 1861 and there were up to 879 van issued to traffic. Echuca. 22-4-1984. Photo: Bruce McLean
IT210 Scantling Timber Wagon. These vehicles had a number of distinct features for the conveyance of scantling timber from the Nowa Nowa and Orbost region. A bulkhead was provided at one end only to support the stacked timber; heavy springs and 10" x 5" journals were fitted at the bulkhead end, with standard springs and journals at the 'light' end; and the wheel diameter of 3'2" at the bulkhead end differed from the 3'0" wheel diameter at the opposite end. Despite this unusual arrangement, derailments were rare. (Notes courtesy Peter M. Vincent). Photo: Bruce McLean
GY16459 grain wagon. Mildura 18-11-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
GY16410 with a new tarpaulin marked with the new V/Line name. Mildura 23-6-1984. Photo: Bruce McLean
The original GY wagon, renumbered for general traffic to G1. On this occasion in use for gypsum traffic at Nowingi on 1-10-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
GY2 at Mildura 29-1-1982. With the conversion of GY1 to G1 for general traffic, GY2 became the lowest numbered GY wagon in grain traffic. Photo: Bruce McLean
Outside framed GY1003. Note also the handbrake wheel at the right hand end. Mildura 24-7-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
Former GY wagon for grain traffic, now coded G for general traffic use. G16213 Mildura. 30-11-1980. Note the spelling of the word "promptly". Photo: Bruce McLean
By 1981 G (ex GY) wagons were being painted in the original wagon red color. Mildura 14-6-1981. About a thousand wagons were converted to G between 1980 and 1985. Photo: Bruce McLean
Prototype grain hopper wagon GH1 converted from a standard GY open grain wagon. 24-11-1984. Mildura. Photo: Bruce McLean
Former GY grain wagon converted to GH349. About 800 GY wagons were converted to GH from 1979 to 1984. The GH wagons were a temporary measure to increase the number of vehicles to bottom discharge and to decrease the costs associated with tarpaulin purchase and repair. Mildura. 25-10-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
In 1985, twenty surplus GY/G wagons were cut down to a shallow open wagon for the delivery and collection of surplus brake blocks and given the code HZB. HZB286 made its first trip to Mildura on 22-10-1985. Photo: Bruce McLean
Box van B32 was used for local traffic between Ouyen and Mildura. Mildura 25-1-1981. This class of van was extensively used for the transportation of dried fruit from the district since the introduction of the class in the late 1950's. These vans were built on the underframes of scrapped I and U wagons. Photo: Bruce McLean
P9 Explosives Van. The author has been observing train movements on the line since 1962 and this is the only explosives van noted at Mildura. When making enquiries about the consignee of explosives to the district, the Stationmaster informed the author that the wagon was being used for departmental traffic to convey spare tarpaulins for GY grain wagons prior to the forthcoming grain harvest. 14-10-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
KMQ87 Container wagon marked :Explosive Traffic Only" at Mildura. 16-9-1983. In 1974, redundant U and T vans were scrapped and the underframes salvaged for conversion to temporary container wagons to meet service demands. Photo: Bruce McLean
KMQ10 appears to have been recently issued back into service after a workshop upgrade. On the deck is a container used by the Way & Works department for the transport and discharge of sleepers. 1-12-1984. Mildura. Photo: Bruce McLean
1J Bulk Cement Hopper. This wagon was originally built in the late 1940's for pulverized brown coal traffic in association with steam locomotive trials. In 1961/62 it was modified for bulk flour use and in 1971/72 was converted to cement traffic. Mildura 25-5-1985. Photo: Bruce McLean
Way and Works Electrical Plant Truck HD224 originally started life as a passenger carriage. When photographed at Mildura on 17-1-1988, it was one of the last two four-wheel wagons still at Mildura following the withdrawal of four-wheel wagons from general service (with the exception of GH grain wagons). HD224 is preserved at the Pioneer Memorial Park at Meringur. Photo: Bruce McLean
South Australian Railways OB807 open wagon. Mildura. January 1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
Bearing the color of Australian National Railways following the sale of the South Australian railways to the Commonwealth government, OBF634 was noted at Mildura on 30-7-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
OF434 open wagon repainted into Australian National colors to conceal its previous South Australian Railways and Australian National Railways ownership. Mildura 12-11-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
191TW Diesel Loco Fuel tank wagon. Mildura 27-6-1979. Photo: Bruce McLean
564VTQA Diesel Loco Fuel Tank Wagon. Mildura 9-10-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
Three-dome fuel wagon for white spirits. Mildura 23-1-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
BP petroleum tanker 150TWF at Mildura on 2-7-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VTBX424 Mobil Bitumen Tanker "Catani". Mildura 13-2-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
344VTQY fuel tank wagon owned by Golden Fleece. Mildura 13-2-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
Shell tanker VTQF92 at Mildura. 6-8-2002. Photo: Bruce McLean
VF1 louvre van built in 1925 by the American Car and Foundry Export Company, photographed at Merbein on 29-12-1976. This was one of two vans imported from the United States of America and used as the prototype for similar vans built by the Victorian Railways. Photo: Bruce McLean
VLBY72 (formerly VF72) with two doors each side, at Mildura on 14-10-1981. This wagon was stenciled "News Express Goods. Melbourne - Traralgon" and had found its way to Mildura attached to the rear of "The Vinelander". Photo: Bruce McLean
VLBY127 with the V/Line emblem. Mildura 24-11-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
BFW2 was an unusual "once only" visitor to Mildura on 5-8-1978. Forty large box vans coded BFW were built at Newport Workshops in 1977 for Geelong to Somerton traffic for the Ford Motor Co.. They were used to transport palletised car parts manufactured at the Ford plant in Geelong to the car assembly plant at Cambellfield. It is not known why the van was included in Mildura goods traffic. Photo: Bruce McLean
Newly built VFNX006 made an appearance at Mildura on 19-9-1979. There were 50 of these wagons built in 1979 for rollpaper traffic between Maryvale and Melbourne. Photo: Bruce McLean
SFX 8 - a flat wagon with bulkheads - at Mildura with reinforced concrete piles for the Country Roads Board. Photo: Bruce McLean
Q42 flat wagon in use for departmental rail carrying traffic. This class of wagons was built in the 1920"s. Redcliffs 1971. Photo: Bruce McLean
In 1960, ten LL bogie sheep vans were modified for 70 m.p.h. passenger speed and altered to LP classification. They were fitted with 'BX' bogies, tail discs and side lamp brackets, requirements for trailing vehicles on a train at the time. Photo: Victorian Railways
VSBY5 (formerly MM5) cattle wagon. Mildura. 11-10-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
VTGX 1 LP Gas tank wagon "Heatane Gas". Mildura. 25-10-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHNA108 (formerly QN class) ballast wagon. Ouyen 28-12-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHWA144 (formerly NN Class) ballast wagon. Mildura 15-3-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VLAA56 (formerly UB) bogie louvre van. These bogie vans were used extensively for dried fruit traffic from Mildura and were also fitted out with tail discs and lamp brackets for trailing behind Diesel Electric Rail Motors on country branch lines. VLAA56 was the last of this class of van in service when photographed at Traralgon on 2-1-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
VLAA56 was sent to Mildura in September 1984 for use as a cleaning store in the carriage shed. Note that it has had its code painted marked with yellow paint denoting that the vehicle has been placed "off register" and not available for traffic. It was not successful as a store as the outward opening doors failed to clear the walkways in the carriage shed and could not be opened. It remained in Mildura until 6-10-1984 when it was waybilled to Tottenham yard. Photo: Bruce McLean
VOWA61 (formerly QR) stencilled "For Sleeper Traffic Only". Three door version. Redcliffs January 1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VOWA388 (formerly QR) stenciled "For Sleeper Traffic Only". Four door version. Redcliffs. January 1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VBBY127 (formerly BLF127 at Mildura on 21-10-1982. Twenty of these vans were dedicated for palletised cement traffic from Fyansford, near Geelong and were marked "Palletised Cement Traffic Only. These vans were regularly forwarded to Mildura Cement Siding. Photo: Bruce McLean
Bulk cement hopper wagon VPCX87 (formerly JX87) at Mildura. 24-8-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
Bulk cement hopper wagon VPCX92 in V/Line Freight colors at Mildura. 10-1-1998. Photo: Bruce McLean
The sale of V/Line Freight to Freight Australia meant that another color change was a certainty. VPAX68 was noted at Mildura in the new Freight Australia colors on 24-9-2000. Photo: Bruce McLean
Flat wagon VQFX1 with three sheep containers. Mildura 15-3-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VBAY28, a medium size box wagon (formerly BMX or BMF class), showing the classic Victorian Railways identification symbol on the side. Mildura 25-1-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VBPY90 in the new VicRail colors of tangerine and silver. Mildura 4-2-1982.Photo: Bruce McLean
VBPY wagons used on passenger trains that had previously been painted into the VicRail corporate colors were recoded to D and given the V/Line emblem. The first of the vans in this new guise appeared in Mildura on 28-9-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
Freshly painted VLCX367 (formerly VLX367). Mildura 31-1-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
On 21-8-1983, the name VicRail was replaced with V/Line. As rolling stock such as VLCX66 passed through the workshops prior to the launch of the new name, they were released into traffic in a plain state and would have the new name added at a later date. Mildura 23-8-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
The first freight wagon to reach Mildura with the new V/Line emblem was louvre van VLCX82. All other aspects of the Victorian Railways/VicRail color scheme and reporting information remained unaltered - only the name was changed. 1-9-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
With the purchase of V/Line Freight by Freight Victoria (later Freight Australia), there were further changes ahead for rolling stock images. VLCX407 shows the manner in which it has been identified by its new owners when at Mildura on 8-9-2000. Photo: Bruce McLean
VLEY961 louvre van at Mildura on 25-1-1981, was used for dedicated Freight Centre traffic. Photo: Bruce McLean
With the ownership of V/Line Freight passing to Freight Australia, VLEX866 was repainted into the new corporate color of green with yellow and white lettering. Mildura. 28-1-2002. Photo: Bruce McLean
VLPY103 (formerly VP103) Mildura 4-7-1981. In 1974, VP103 was partially destroyed in a fire. The roof was rebuilt at Ballarat where they were building VSX vans at the time, with a VSX type roof. This class of van was assigned to passenger trains and express goods trains for baggage, parcels and mail transport. Photo: Bruce McLean
TP4 insulated van at Mildura 17-3-1981. Two T insulated vans were converted to TP class with the fitting of bogies(TP! & TP2) and allocated to the "Fruit Flier" running between Melbourne and Mildura. Three more vans were converted in 1959 (TP3-5). Photo: Bruce McLean
VWAA4 Well Wagon at Mildura. 30-3-1981. Note the container holders fitted to the well section. Photo: Bruce McLean
VOBX1 (formerly ELX1) open wagon at Mildura. 14-7-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VOCX7 (formerly ELX). Mildura. 6-2-1982 Photo: Bruce McLean
VDSY1 safety wagon at Mildura on 22-4-1982. VDSY1 and 2 were assigned to the Corio to Mildura block oil train and were used to separate the fuel wagons from the locomotive or brake van. In 1961 four Flexi-Van bogie wagons were built to trial a new method of containerisation. The wagons were coded FV with two each built for the South Australian Railways and the Victorian Railways. In America, New York Central had successfully integrated this traffic into their network. The wagons were in storage by 1979 with two retrieved for conversion to VDSY for use as safety wagons. Photo: Bruce McLean
VMAY2 motor vehicle transport wagon. A number of wagons in this class were painted in blue to match "The Vinelander" passenger train, however when there was extra traffic offering, wagons used in interstate car traffic were used. Mildura 4-7-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
VMAY20 painted in blue to match "The Vinelander" passenger cars. Six wagons were painted and marked "Motorail" for Mildura line services. 6-2-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
MotoRail wagon VMAY20 was the first rolling stock to be scheduled on the Mildura line with the new V/Line corporate image. 22-8-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
VMPY6 Motorail wagon at Mildura on 22-3-1985. Note some differences in this wagon from the previous view of VMAY20. The code has been changed to VMPY, the underframe is painted orange instead of black, the bogies are ferric red instead of black and handrails, steps and handbrake painted white. Photo: Bruce McLean
GJX18 at Mildura - one of the first group of 100 hoppers for grain traffic. 20-3-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHHY817 (formerly GJF817) repainted without the "VR" emblem in readiness for application of the "V/Line Grain" name. Mildura 22-9-1994. Photo: Bruce McLean
In 1996 V/Line Freight introduced a new color scheme on grain wagons. VHGX146 in the new grey and orange colors and with the words "V/Line Freight" replacing "V/Line Grain", was noted at Ouyen on 5-8-1996. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHGF223 grain hopper with advertising for Carlton and United. Kiamal 6-8-1998. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHGF442 carrying the Australian Barley Board identification. Ouyen. 7.10.1999. Photo: Bruce McLean
Following the sale of V/Line Freight to Freight Victoria, VHGF370 was one of the early grain hoppers to reflect the new color scheme and name. Ouyen 7-10-1999. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHJA3 (formerly J3) open bogie hopper wagon was issued to service in 1925, originally for coal traffic. It was unsuitable for this commodity and was used for ballast traffic for most of its life. In 1984, ten wagons including J3, were given extended hoppers, recoded to VHJA and used for gypsum traffic from Cowangie. VHJA3 has found itself in Mildura on 2-1-1985 after transfer from Ouyen for mechanical repairs. Photo: Bruce McLean
Class-leader VHRX1 at Cowangie in gypsum traffic on 6-9-1992. First built in 1974, thirteen wagons were altered for Rulite traffic between 1988 and 1990, however the wagons were eventually returned to quarry product service including gypsum traffic. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHJX206 for gypsum traffic traffic from Cowangie, standing at Ouyen on 7-1-2002 in the new Freight Australia color scheme. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHQF273 Ballast wagon at Mildura on 23-9-2002. Photo: Bruce McLean
VHJX209 in use as a ballast wagon at Mildura on 23-9-2002. Photo: Bruce McLean
In 1992/1993, bulk cement wagons were modified from the standard type VHCA wagons by having their roves removed. Now coded VHJA, VHJA22 stands at Cowangie with a load of washed gypsum. 4-5-1998. Photo: Bruce McLean
VFFX3 in use as a spacer wagon on the Corio to Mildura Block Oil Train, Mildura 21-9-1985. This wagon was one of four modified in 1961 and 1965 from E open wagons to transport power transmission cable in drums for the Kiewa hydro-electric scheme. VFFX3 was formerly E78, modified in 1961 to SC78, recoded CSX3 in 1966 and recoded to VFFX3 in 1979. Two wagons were used as spacer wagons on block oil trains to Mildura. Photo: Bruce McLean
VQOF92 container flat wagon. This was formerly a VLCX louvre box van surplus to Freight Australia's requirements. Mildura. 16-3-2002. Photo: Bruce McLean
VQLX109 container flat wagon. Note that only the side sill has been painted Freight Australia green. Mildura. 16-3-2002. Photo: Bruce McLean
An unusual visitor to Mildura was Australian National Railways wagon ABFX2502 on 20-1-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
This long wagon found its way to Mildura on 23-1-1981. AOOX2967 was owned by Australian National Railways and its usual home was on the standard gauge trans-continental railway. Photo: Bruce McLean
Against a threatening sky, South Australian Railways ALGX22 louvre van stands bathed in sunshine at Redcliffs on 5-2-1981. Photo: Bruce McLean
Australian National ALHX32 still bearing the grey color scheme of the former South Australian Railways. Note the side is made up of four doors. Mildura 22-11-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
ALGX129 louvre van in the corporate colors and "Snail" emblem for Australian National, successor to Australian National Railways (ANR). Mildura 12-9-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
ALPY9 louvre van still marked with the ANR symbol. The "P" symbol indicates that this van can be scheduled on trains running at passenger train speeds. Mildura. 31-8-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
ALPY4707 with the Australian National Railways insignia at Mildura on 17-11-1983. Compare the design features of this van with ALPY9 shown above. Photo: Bruce McLean
An unusual visitor to Mildura was Australian National Railways van ALAY4781 (still in South Australian Railways colors). This van was marked "Adelaide - Port Pirie Passenger Trains Only". 23-8-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
Australian National steel van ALFY5 at Mildura goods shed. 2-9-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
ALFY4 has been repainted into the Australian National corporate color - its third owner after being originally built by the South Australian Railways, then transferred to Australian National Railways and Australian National. Mildura 29-8-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
ABBA7402 (formerly South Australian Railways M class steel box van) at Pinnaroo. 16-1-1984. Photo: Bruce McLean
Australian National ALEX1935 was formerly owned by the Commonwealth Railways and was another unusual visitor to Mildura when it arrived on 2-12-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
A rare visitor to Mildura on 13-9-1983 was New South Wales Railways NLJX33918 bogie louvre van. Photo: Bruce McLean
Another rare visitor from New South Wales was open wagon NOBX33554 on 11-12-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
Another unusual visitor on the Mildura line was Western Australian Railways container wagon WQCX30 10-9-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
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