HD way & works storage/transport

Number in Class 248
Number group 5 - 253
Construction period
In service
Where built Various
Diagram
PJV class history list
The HD class represented the most diverse and interesting class of vehicle the VR ever rostered. Almost always they were converted from old wagons ready for scrap, there were 4 wheel and bogie HD's. They were used by various railway departments (chiefly the way & works, signal construction and electrical branches) to transport material to a job site, the material was then stored in the HD. Yet other HD's were purpose built for a specialised task. Most of the HD history information comes from Peter J. Vincent's website.

ABOVE: HD 7, according to the register this wagon was on register as HD 7Dec 1923 and scrapped Aug 1925. photo courtesy SLV


ABOVE: HD 26 converted from unknown Tommy Bent I mid 1950's
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: HD 27 at Sunshine, Sep. 23 1983
Built as I 7513 Nov. 1905, to HD 27 Nov. 1955
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: HD 28, built as I 492 Nov. 1905, to HD 28 Dec. 1955
photo at temp. works siding on Fyansford line, June 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 29, built as I 6856 1902, to HD 29 Dec. 1955
photo at Glenhuntly Dec. 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 30 built as I 7514 Nov. 1905, to HD 30 1955
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan


ABOVE
: HD 31 built as I 7524 Nov. 1905, to HD 31 1955
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

These HD's were converted from "Tommy Bent" I and IA wagons HD 33 was converted from IA 1156 in 1956

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ABOVE: HD 35, built as I 7383 Jan 1905, to HD 35 Sept. 1958. photo at Benalla Feb. 1978 Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler


ABOVE: HD 36 built as I 7531 Dec. 1905, to HD 36 Nov. 1956
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: HD 37 ( ex B ???) Nov 16 1982
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE & BELOW HD 38 built as I 804 Aug. 1905, to HD 38 Feb. 1957
Photos courtesy Rob O'Regan


ABOVE: HD 40 built as U 229 Feb. 1897, to HD 40 May 1957.
photo at Hamilton, Jan 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 42 built as U 1555 Feb. 1957, to HD 42 Aug. 1978
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: HD 47 at Newport workshops 1976
photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

ABOVE: HD 51 at Seymour 1978
Built as U 221 Jan. 1897, to HD 51 July 1957

ABOVE: HD 53 at Nth Melb workshops 1978
Built as U 121 Sept. 1895, to HD 53 July 1957

 

ABOVE: HD 53
photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

ABOVE: HD 54 built as U 68 March 1893, to HD 54 July 1957. At some stage the wooden louvres were covered over.

ABOVE: HD 56 was converted from U 250 in 1957

 

It appears that HD 58 had something of an identity problem. In the ABOVE photo we see it with the number 248
BELOW: (photo at Shepparton April 1979) Obviously the same wagon but now it is numbered 85
HD was converted from U 248 in 1957.

HD 58 was built new as U 248 in March 1897. Converted to HD 58 Aug. 1957.
Photo at Flinders Street yard, Aug 1980. Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

Both photos courtesy Rob O'Regan

 

ABOVE: HD 64 was converted from U 1707 in 1977

 

ABOVE: HD 67 built as U 420 Dec.1899, to HD 67 Sept 1976,
photo at Bendigo 1981
photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

ABOVE: HD 72 at North Geelong Nov. 1978
photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 74, built as U 1547 Jan. 1957, to HD 74 Aug. 1977. This wagon was built without buffers, it would have recieved them when it went into HD dervice.
photo at Benalla Feb. 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE & BELOW: HD 77 at Ararat 1979.
Converted from U 55, Oct. 1957

ABOVE: HD 82 was converted from U 90 in 1958. Photo circa 1976 courtesy Peter J Vincent. Sometimes the original wood louvres deteriorated to such an extent that sheetmetal panels were placed over them.

ABOVE: HD 85 (converted from U 85 March 1959)

ABOVE & BELOW: HD 90 at Woodend 1978
Built as U 267, to HD 90 April 1958.

 

ABOVE: HD 93 at Nth Melb workshops 1979.
ex U 1268 converted to HD 93, Dec. 1975
After this HD 93 was converted to KMQ 248 March 1981.

ABOVE: HD 97 built as U 316 June 1899, to HD 97 April 1977
photo at Korong Vale March 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 99 at Jolimont 1982
Built as GZ 1249 in 1937, to IZ 1249 circa 1956, to RY 1249 in 1965, to HD 99 in 1980, in 1983 it became HR 180 photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

ABOVE: HD 103, Converted from U 294 Aug 1975
photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: HD 106 built as U 321 July 1899, to HD 106 Dec. 1974 photo at Bendigo Nov. 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE & BELOW: HD 110 converted from U 213 in 1958
HD 110 was a unique "one off" at some stage the wooden louvered sides were replaced with T van/Z van type planking
photos at Maffra Dec. 1978
photos courtesy Peter J Vincent

 


ABOVE
: HD 111 at Newlyn, Aug 2009. This Ballarat safety wagon, started life as U 272 (built new Apr 1897). It was converted to HD 111 in June 1958. The register shows it as scrapped Sept 1973 but obviously it never made it to the scrappers torch!


ABOVE & BELOW: HD 113 at Newport workshops 1976
photos courtesy Peter J Vincent.

 

ABOVE: HD 143 started life as U 6 which was built at Newport in 1889, it was converted to HD 143 Aug 1957,
HD 143 at Tottenham, July 1979
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

BELOW: HD 143 at Sea Lake, Jan. 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD146 (above) was converted from F 27 in 1958

ABOVE: HD 147 at Riddells Creek, July 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler


BELOW: HD 147 at Sunbury 1974
photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

 

A group of 7 F horseboxes were converted to HD's between 1957 and 1959. HD148 (Above and Below) was converted from F 26 in 1959.

ABOVE & BELOW: photo at Heyfield Dec. 1978 Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 156 started life as I 8769 (built 1911). Converted to a HD Dec. 1959. Photographed at Sunshine Sep. 23 1983 Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: HD 172 was converted from a later type I 10954 in 1960

ABOVE: HD 173 at Bendigo 1974
photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

 

ABOVE: A very well weathered HD 176 at Newport Workshops, April 23 1984 Built as I 12649 in 1913, converted to HD 176 April 1960 Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: HD 192 was converted from I 8692 in 1961

ABOVE: HD 193 at Nth Melbourne workshops 1976
photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

ABOVE: HD 196 in 1978
Built as I 13206 in 1914, to HD 196 in 1961


ABOVE: HD 205 at Oakleigh, March 1978.

 

ABOVE: HD225 was part of the body of ABL 4 put onto the underframe of I 9169 in 1967. Look closely just to the right of the coupler, you can see what's left of the I wagon's vertical end supports.


A small group of HD's ( 232 to 250) were used to transport locomotive sand to country loco depots.

ABOVE: HD 232 was converted from IC 7443 in 1972

 

ABOVE & BELOW: HD 233 was converted from IC 1960 May 1973, at Seymour, 1978

ABOVE: HD 233
Seymour Fec. 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 234 was converted from IC 7266 in 1973
Photo date 1978, photo courtesy Kent Smiley

ABOVE: HD 235 at Geelong loco depot. Feb 2 1978
Built as I 7272 Sept 1904, to IC 7272 1954, to HD 235 Sept. 1973
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD 236 was converted from RY 408 in 1980
(note, this was the 2nd HD 236)
Photo courtesy Kent Smiley

ABOVE & BELOW: HD 237 started life as TT 21, built 1890.
In 1957 it went into departmental service as HH 12, Loco Van Traralgon.
In 1974 it was recoded and numbered HD 237.
above photo late 1970's courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: HD238 was converted from T 217 in 1974.
End, side braces and ice bunker drains were removed and a corrugated roof added.

ABOVE & BELOW: HD 240 was converted from IC 7402 in 1974
photo BELOW courtesy Kent Smiley


ABOVE: HD 243 at Newport workshops 1976
photo courtesy Peter J Vincent

ABOVE: HD 244 was converted from Tippler IC 7041 in 1975

ABOVE: HD 248 was converted from VF 12 in 1977.

ABOVE: HD 250 was converted from RY 1978 in 1978

 

ABOVE: HD 251 Sth Dynon, Sept, 1984
Converted from RY 1338 Aug. 1978
photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

 

ABOVE: HD 252 at Geelong loco, Feb 1990
Photo courtesy Peter J. Vincent

ABOVE: HD 252 converted from RY 1220 Aug. 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler