Special Stock - 'Victoria'

This is a most interesting vehicle. Not for its age but for its location in the Rolling Stock Registers. The data for this bogie vehicle appears in the fixed wheel _A__ carriage group.

It is for this reason the author has presumed that the original bogie vehicles placed into service between 1874 and 1886 were placed into the fixed wheel groups. At some time up to 1886, the class letters of _AA_ were used to denote First Class bogie carriages but the 'A' number was retained. Only with the new 1886 Registers were the 'AA' class given a new number group.

The 'Victoria' car was issued to service on 1/3/1887 either as car 19A, or more likely as 19 AA. It was fitted with Westinghouse Brake. A note indicates that it is "..new departmental Victoria.."

In 1894, the car was relettered to the 'Victoria' car and lost the 19AA number. It appears to have been fitted with 'Knowles' roof ventilators at the same time.

It was used as a carriage on the 'Better Farming Train' from the 1920's until about the mid 1930's or later. Workshops records show two to three months in the workshops then release to traffic. This would appear to be the conversion back from the 'Better Farming Train' use.

In 1943 the car was modified to a workmans' sleeper, _WW_ 11. As WW 11 it was scrapped and sold in 1954.

In 1955 it was noted on the site of a Scout Hall in Trugannini Rd, Caulfield. It was still there in the early 1970's. But then it apparently 'disappeared'.

A 1990's sighting placed it behind a youth hall on Mimosa Rd, Caulfield, painted white with a protective roof.

File c160v21 compiled by Peter J. Vincent, updated 16/7/2007