Wagons used in the Coal Industry

As mining techniques improved over time, the amount of coal mined grew. The railways had to keep up with this in order to move the coal efficiently to port or power station.

Coal has been transported in many types of vehicles. Mostly, open wagons were used at first. The coal was hand or mechanically shoveled out of the wagon. Advances were made to speed up unloading times, by modifying vehicles with bottom discharge doors.

The first purpose built 10 ton coal wagons were built from timber, and then timber bodies with a steel underframe, then all steel hoppers were built. The next types of coal hoppers were built from Aluminium. The biggest 120 ton hoppers today are built from Stainless Steel.

4 Wheel Wagons

Nearly all types of open wagons were used to carry coal – see Open Wagons

From these basic open wagons, some were developed specifically for bulk loads like coal. These include –

U – Steel Open wagon with bottom discharge doors

UT – AS above, but with strengthened gunwale

Purpose built coal wagons –

LCH – 1863 design - Timber Body and underframe – non-airbraked

LCH – 1890 – Timber body, composite underframe with airbrakes

CCH

CCH – 1902 design, but with ‘hungry boards’ to increase capacity

FCH – Coal/Coke Steel Hopper with demountable gunwale fencing.

Bogie wagons

Open wagons – The only type of bogie open wagon that was purpose built to carry coal was the:

H – 1883 – Timber body/underframe – Side Dump wagon

Purpose Built –

BCH/NHDA – 1951 Various Builders– 43 ton Steel (Plain Bearing bogies)

FCH/NHDF – 1951 Commonwealth Eng - 55 ton Steel

HCH/NHDF – 1960 Clyde Eng - 76 ton Steel

CH/NHAF – 1966 (type 1) Tulloch Ltd – 76 ton Aluminium

CH/NHAF – 1967 (type 2) A.E Goodwin – 76 ton Aluminium

CH/NHEF – 1969 (type 3) Tulloch Ltd – 76 ton Aluminium

PCH/NHPF – 1968 TULLOCH Ltd ‘AusTen 50’ Steel Alloy Prototype – 90 ton

CHS/NHCF – 1976 (type 1) Commonwealth Eng – 97 ton Stainless Steel

CHS/NHVF – 1976 (type 2) Vickers Scott’s (QLD)– 95 ton ‘Medtens’ Steel

CHS /NHGF– 1976 (type 3) A.Goninan – 100 ton ‘Austen’ Steel

CTS/NHTF – 1977 Transfield – 75 ton Aluminium

NHHF – 1982 – Mittagong Eng – 75 ton Aluminium

NHFF – 1983 EPT – 100 ton Stainless Steel

NHFH – NHFF with upgraded bogies

NHJF – NHFF’s allocated to western and southern area coalfields.

NHKF – 1987 Goninan – 100 ton Coal Hopper

NHMH – 1991 ‘Tomago Aluminium’ - prototype 100 ton hoppers with ‘Alcan’ emblems.

NHPH – 1999 Goninan – 120 ton 8-pack hoppers.

NHQH – 2001 Goninan – 120 ton 4-pack version of the NHPH

NHRH – 1994 Goninan – 120 ton 7-pack ‘ Batwing’ coal hopper.

NHSH – NHFF’s allocated to western and southern area coalfields.

NHWH – 2005 Qiqihar RRW – Carbon Steel 120 ton 4-pack coal hopper

NHYH – 2007 Bradkin 120t ‘Bat Girl’ coal hopper

RHCH – ABB – 32 x 120 ton 4-pack hopper

RHDF - ex BHP BXLA 92 ton hopper

RHFH – Goninan – 32 x 120 ton 2-pack hopper

RHHH – 2002 Qiqihar RRW – 50 x 120 ton 2-pack hopper

Private Operator –

BXLA – BHP Steel Coal Hopper

QHAF – ex QR VAO Coal Hopper (Pneumatic doors)

QHAH – 2004 QR National 120-ton Stainless Steel

QHBF – ex QR VAO (Manual doors)

PHCH – ABB – 91 x 120 ton 7-pack built for Nova Coal

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