M cattle wagons
M 393 at Camperdown. May 1 1978.
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler
| Although the M code was in continuous use for cattle vans since 1861 the "modern" M van described here first appeared in 1897 For such a large class there were very few variations. The main one was that the later M's (780 - 879) had different ends and GYstyle handbrakes. 3 M's had raised roofs supposedly for the transport of elephants in circus train. All variations are shown in "more photos"
CLICK HERE for a 1948 VR article on the transport of stock |
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M 3 at Seymour, 1978.
M 74 at Wodonga. March 1981
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan
M 86 at Brooklyn. March 1978
ABOVE: M 140 at Tottenham. June 1982 (photo courtesy Rob O'Regan)
BELOW: M 140 at Dandenong. May 6 1978.
M 319 at Brooklyn. March 1978.
M 441, built Oct 1909, autocoupled Sept. 1932, off register circa 1978. photo date 1978
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ABOVE: A great builders photo of a modern M wagon. M 468 was built Oct. 1909. Apart from auto couplers and buffer removal the wagons went through their entire lives virtually unchanged. Note the dual waybill clips. The vertical straps on the door later were made from channel section steel.
Official VR photo, Frank Kelly collection |
M 639 has carried its last cattle and awaits the scrapper at Newport. Feb 1978.
M 679 at Brooklyn. Aug. 6 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler
At least 3 M's had raised roofs as shown above, for circus elephant traffic.
M 679 stored at Marong. March 28 1978.
BELOW: 2 views of M 773 at Brooklyn, Aug 6 1978
Photos courtesy Geoff Winkler
A circa 1934 view of M 690. Built Dec. 1921, autocoupled 1932
Official VR photo, Frank Kelly collection
ABOVE: M 822 at Dandenong. May 6 1978.
M 780 - 879 had different ends from lower numbered M's as shown above and below
BELOW: M 827 at Newport. Feb 1978.
M's had their class and number info applied to a black patch, this wagon has the number directly applied to the wagon red and may have been a "one off"
M 876 at Camperdown. May 1 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler
BELOW: End view of M 822
| The majority of M's had the handbrake arrangement shown above, very late M's had the handbrake arrangement shown below (sometimes called a GY handbrake)
Also of note are the vertical braces. In the above photo the brace curves into the side sill, the later M's (780 - 879) and M's that were built prior to 1897 (up to M 418) that later got steel frames had braces that were straight and an additional gusset was required to attach them to the side sill. |
ABOVE: M 441 door detail
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