Narrow gauge at Newport. Part 3.

Friday Facts and Fotos Friday 8th September 2023

FFF 59

Narrow gauge at Newport. Part 3.

One unusual wagon built at Newport that is ‘one of a kind’ but was extremely useful is 129Q. One hundred and thirty-six Q wagons were built at Newport for the broad gauge network with many of them being modified to transport specific loads. Some were even modified for carrying Pintsch gas with a small pump motor cabin at one end and a tank for carrying gas at the other. When the VR ordered two Beyer garratts for the narrow gauge in 1926, Newport built a special Q class wagon numbered 129Q, to transport the two engine units of the locomotive. The boiler was loaded onto a separate flat wagon. 129Q is just a skeleton frame with heavier axle bearings and boxes from broad gauge steam locomotives, it has hinged buffers that drop down out of the way during loading/unloading, and ‘strap’ rail along the deck and extra tie-down points. From 1926 on, all four narrow gauge lines had roll-on roll-off loading ramps built, and it was a simple shunting move plus tie down time and the locomotive or rolling stock was ready to go. It was still quite a job to separate the engine units of a Garratt from the boiler, but at least the two engine units would fit on the wagon together and were able to be rolled on and off. I read many years ago that prior to 129Q being built, it took a team of one fitter plus a couple of helpers two days to jack up an NA locomotive to get it ready to travel. The front and rear pony wheels had to be removed and loaded into a separate wagon. Special pivot plates had to be bolted on underneath, and then the locomotive was carefully lowered onto a pair of broad gauge bogies. The front and rear couplings also had to be removed and a special hook coupling plate bolted on plus a heavy plate with buffer bolted on each corner so it could be attached to the screw link coupling on a broad gauge wagon. 129Q is a special part of the history of the Newport railway workshops and fortunately, it still exists and is on public display at the Puffing Billy Museum at Menzies Creek. Photos credits:• 6A on transfer bogies 1926. and 2A on 129Q at Newport 1929. Terry Middleton. • 2NC on 129Q in Spencer St pass yard 22 Feb 1957, and G41 engine units on 129Q at Newport in 1941. Late S. C. Whalley• 14A after overhaul at Bendigo in storage in East Block at Newport 18 Oct 1966, 14A out of storage, still on 129Q but in the Melbourne goods yard 15 Dec 1965 on the way to Belgrave, and 7A on route to Belgrave passing through Box Hill 5 May 1962. Len Whalley.