J 11374

J 11374

BBR member Richard Simpson was keen to purchase a wagon for the railway and restore it for use.

Ideally a water carrying tank wagon was the type of vehicle that Richard wanted as he could see it being useful for extra supplies for the railways Ng steam locos. A visit with then president and rollingstock manger Lindsay Watson to the Midland Workshops Salvage yard found just what Richard for looking for. Ex WAGR J 11374, a 1600 gallon steel water tank, was standing in a long line of wagons awaiting to be scrapped.

This type of tank wagon came into existence with the final demise of steam services in WA and were mostly used to supply chromated water for diesel engines.

J 11374 was the best looking of the 2 tanks available, so it was purchased and then transported to Whiteman Park. On arrival at the depot it was not long before the tank was jacked up and the wheels and hornstays/axlebox guides were removed. The hornstays were repositioned to allow for use on 2ft gauge and then new regauged wheelsets were fitted and the drawgear lowered to suit BBR's existing equipment.

J 11374 has made a useful addition to the BBRs wagon fleet seeing use in demonstration freight trains as well as often being used as a water gin with the NG15 locomotives on BBR's busy Friends of Thomas days. The extra water carrying capacity provided by having the tank piped through to the locomotive tender provides sufficient water to enable the NG's to operate all day without a need to stop and take on water.

It is often also used as a water supply for the Whiteman Park Fire Fighting units being found positioned at Kangaroo flats during summer along with the JOA tank to provide extra backup water supplies in the event of a fire in that area of the park.

Webmaster N. Blinco