KCC - Cement Container Transport


For the construction of the Kiewa Hydro-electric project in the 1960's, cement was transported from Geelong to Cudgewa by rail, then by road to the various project sites.

For speedy rail to road transfer at Cudgewa, special plywood cement containers were designed and a block of wagons modified to transport them.

The wagons were classed KCC and had floor fittings for two containers. Each container carried about 7 tons. The KCC wagons were converted for traffic between 1962 and early 1965. The number group was 1 - 170.

The wagon classes converted for KCC use were: _HR_, _I__, _IA_, _KM_, _KW_ and _L__.

KCC wagons ex I, IA and KW had container fittings on the floor and doors removed with ends and sides intact. It is presumed that conversions from other classes only had floor fittings placed onto a flat underframe.

The Cudgewa line was mainly 1 in 40 grades. Runaways were frequent with some notable accidents. Some KCC wagons were scrapped 1963/1964 due to derailments. One train managed in excess of 40mph around 20mph curves before derailing.

With the close of the cement haulage, the KCC wagons were placed into storage and modified for other traffic use as required. Main conversions were to the _IC_, _IK_ and _IT_ classes between 1966 and 1969.

By mid 1975 only six KCC wagons remained. These were in storage at Newport Workshops.

In late 1974, two cement containers were found and photographed at old Tallangatta Butter Factory. They had gone by 1999.

Vehicle history list