The Section Car Pages
Fairmont ST2's - WA
After a trip to Perth, the understanding of Fairmont cars in the West has changed a little.
It appears that there were a number of additional cars sent West, hence this page was created.
Narrow Gauge Cars
This is one of the oldest plates I have seen.
The motor was built on 11 April 1949 and shipped ex Fairmont on the 28th April, so the car would be early to mid 1950. The plate belongs to one of the cars preserved in Western Australia (Merriden), sadly it is minus its motor. This car also carries a patent plate on the left hand side of the engine tunnel.
It appears that this is a locally assembled car, though of course it may have been sent out from Fairmont as a CKD. The Factory card does not allocate a Fairmont car number.
I was also advised that the WAGR took on a Fairmont for its remote Marble Bar Line. I am not sure if this was the car whose plate is shown above, or another car. The correspondance I have suggests that there were possibly two (Z42) ST2's owned by the WAGR.
This car was owned by Millars, and made its way to the Boyanup Museum, in the South West of Western Australia. It is one of at least three cars that made its way to WA - Builders number 105, engine number 84648.
Unlike many other Fairmonts, this car has its original engine.
The engine was built 23 May 1949 and shipped out 6th of June. Allowing for shipping, these cars would have been assembled sometime in 1950. This is suggestive of these cars being demonstrators for Tutts. Serial Number 104 is in Queensland.
The front fenders are footwells!
Thanks to Ian Carne for the information and photo.
Standard Gauge Cars
On a recent trip to WA, I came across this standard gauge ST2 in a scrappies yard in Midland - shocked me to find it, but there it was. Shocked me more that the price was over $1600 - for a bucket!
It is in a poor state, although it still has its builders plate.
The dealer believed it to be one of a number (estimated to be up to eight) bought in as a trial by the WAGR when the Standard Gauge up the Avon and on to Kalgoorlie was opened, in the late 1960s. As has been commented elsewhere, the WAGR were getting to the end of section cars, and so it appears that this car may not have been in service too long. The dealer suggested that the cars were bought in from NSW - so it could have been either "new", or a spare from NSWGR - of course the other option is that the car came from aroudn Kalgoorlie, and is ex Commonwealth Railways - the tow bar is similar to that seen on other CR cars.
Whilst the wheels are "new", the tow bar at the front appears to have had a bit of wear. The car sat in the bush at a place called Sawyers Valley, just east of Perth for many years. The location of its motor is unknown.
The photo above shows one ofthe ST-2's being used in association with tracklaying activities as part of Contract C22 on the Cockburn East Up Track on 25 August 1966. A very rare photo of a trolley in use in WA, and a rarer one of a Fairmont!
Turns out this car is thought to be one of four purchased by the contractors to the Project in or around 1965.
CD‐44. Contract No. C22. Contract documents for construction of formation Spencer
Road to Robb Jetty and tracklaying West Midland to Robb Jetty. Plus conditions of
tendering (separate). This section was built by Clementsons.
A pack of data on the Eastern Goldfields Railway Standardisation project is located here.