Wagons used for Intermodal Services

Intermodal is described as a transport system that uses multiple modes of transportation to move goods without unloading the contents at each change of mode.

In NSW this started off with the introduction of ‘LCL’ – Less than Car Load Containers. These containers were used when a customer did not ship enough goods to make full use of a wagon or van.

The LCL Container was bought to the seller’s warehouse by road truck, loaded with goods then taken to the railway yard. It was then loaded onto specially converted flat wagons or into open wagons. At the end of it’s rail trip, the container was lifted out of the vehicle and either unloaded in the railway yard or loaded onto the back of another road truck and taken to it’s final destination.

As you can see, the container was moved by 2 forms of transport(Road and Rail). The same scenario is still used today, except larger containers have been developed and the majority of them make their way to the ports for export by sea.

LCL Container Wagons

At first, open wagons were used to move LCL containers. S wagons could be loaded with 2 LCL’s and K wagons with 3 LCL’s. Both 4 wheel and bogie wagon were modified to carry LCL’s.

CS – S wagon underframe converted to carry 2 LCL Containers.

CKF – KF flat wagon modified to carry 3 LCL Containers

FME – UME bogie flat wagon modified to carry 6 LCL Containers

ISO Containers Wagons

ISO (International Standards Organisation) Containers are built to a standard sizing system. These containers are suitable for worldwide use. The LCL container was a standard size too, but larger capacity containers were developed in order to move import/export goods. The railways developed their own designs of ISO Containers for a number of uses, these are covered in the Container section of this website.

The first wagons converted for ISO traffic were 4 wheel wagons, then MLE bogie flat wagons were modified. As this form of container movement became the standard, purpose built bogie container wagons were built.

More recently the term ‘ISO’ is no longer used. Today, container wagons are referred to by the number of TEU’s (Twenty-foot Equivilent Units) that they can carry.

1 TEU Container Wagons

CKF – KF 4 Wheel flat wagon modified to carry 1 x 20ft ISO Container

2 TEU Container Wagons

BC/NQBX – 1964 Chullora Workshops - Carries ISO Containers

BCX/CBX/NQBX – 1966 COMENG – Carries ISO Containers

EBC/NQEF – 1968 A.E Goodwin – Electrically Powered ISO Containers

ECM/NQEF – 1971 COMENG - Carries Electrically Powered ISO Containers

ECX/NQCX – 1971 – Carry Electrically Powered ISO Containers

GME/NQUF – MLE flat wagon modified to carry ISO Containers

ICX/NQIX – 1968-80 Various builders

OSF/NQSF – BSV underframes converted to carry ISO Containers

NQHX – Strengthened NQIX for concentrate container traffic

SCE/NQIA –

NQIY – NQIX fitted with high-speed 2CM/YCM bogies

NQIW – 1988 Lansdowne Eng – 2TEU Container Wagon

NQJX - 1999 ex- BDX/NOBX Open wagons converted to container wagons

NQRX – Converted JLX Louvre Vans to container wagons

NQYY/NQTY – ex-NODY’s converted to container wagons

NQZA – ex- GLX/LLV/HLX Louvre vans converted to container wagons

3 TEU Container Wagons

NQAY – NSW’s first skeletal deck container wagon

NQBY – ex OCY/NQOY

CFX/NQFX – 1975 EPT – 3 x 20ft Container flat with bulkheads for other loadings

NQFF – Rebuilt NQFX

NQGY – ex OCY/NQOY

NQKY – ex CDY/NOCY

OCX/NQOX – 1969-75 Various builders – 3 x 20ft ISO Containers

OCY/NQOY –

NQPY – modified NQFF

NQSY – ex OCY/NQOY

CQBY – 2000/4 QRRS – 3TEU Container Wagon

CQGY – 2001-02 CFCLA – 3TEU Container wagon

RQHY – 2005 QRRS – 3TEU Container Wagon

RQRY – 2007 Bradken 3TEU Container Wagon NEW

4 TEU Container Wagons

JCW/NQJW – 1973-81 COMENG/Mittagong Eng – 80ft Container wagon

NQWW – ‘Wide Deck’ version of the JCW/NQJW.

‘Flexivan’ Wagons

The ‘Flexivan’ concept was an extension of the LCL container idea, but full road truck trailers were to be transported by rail without being unloaded. More details can be found in the Container section of this site, but basically, the trailer body slid off the trailer chassis, onto a railway wagon and secured for transport. The reverse was performed at the destination. The concept didn’t last long even though all standard gauge states had compatible vehicles. The idea didn’t rise again till AN developed it’s ‘Roadrailer’ systen in 1993.

TVF/NQVF – 1963 A.E Goodwin Flexivan wagon

TVX/NQVX – 1965 Clyde Engineering Flexivan wagon

TVX – 1969 Clyde Engineering Flexivan wagon

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