WAGR WCA/WCE class

The WAGR WCA class railcars and WCE class trailers were built by Comeng, Granville for the Western Australian Government Railways in 1971 to operate the new Prospector service between East Perth and Kalgoorlie. At the time of their construction the WCA class units were the longest and fastest diesel railcars in the world.

WAGR WCA/WCE class
The Prospector crossing the Swan River at Guildford in April 1986
ManufacturerComeng
Built atGranville
Entered service1971
Number built8
Number scrapped6
Fleet numbersWCA901-WCA905
WCE921-WCE923
Operator(s)WAGR (1971-1975)
Westrail (1975-2000)
WAGR Commission (2000-2003)
Transwa (2003-2005)
Specifications
Car length27.43 m (90 ft 0 in)
Maximum speed150 km/h (93 mph)
Prime mover(s)MAN D3 650 HM6U x2 (as built)
Cummins KTA19R x2 (from early 1990s)
Power output360bhp
TransmissionVoith T113R
AuxiliariesLeyland 401
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

History

In 1968 Comeng, Granville were awarded a contract to build built five WCA power cars and three WCE non-powered trailers. The WCAs had a crew compartment at both ends, the WCEs at one end.[1][2][3] They were ordered to operate the new The Prospector service, on the Eastern Goldfields Railway between East Perth and Kalgoorlie that was in the process of being converted to standard gauge.[4]

Built to take advantage of the generous loading gauge of the new line, they were the largest carriages ever built in Australia. As they were too large to be hauled on the New South Wales Government Railways network east of Parkes or travel by road over the Blue Mountains, they were transported from Sydney by road to Parkes on a circuitous route via Goulburn and Temora, from where they continued their journey by rail.[1][2]

All of the WCA class vehicles were powered by MAN engines coupled to Voith transmissions. In the early 1990s, these engines were replaced by Cummins KTA19R engines. At 27.43 metres and with a top speed of 150 km/h, the WCAs were the longest and fastest diesel railcars in the world. The trains made up of the WCA/WCE class units were the first in Australia to have at-seat catering and up until their withdrawal, operated the highest average speed train service in Australia.[1][2][3]

On 24 September 1995 they began to operate AvonLink services between East Perth and Northam.[5]

They travelled over 20 million kilometres and carried 2.6 million passengers over 33 years before being replaced by the Transwa WDA/WDB/WDC class railcars with the last retired in July 2005.[6] These held the record for the highest speed attained by an Australian train until bettered by a New South Wales XPT in September 1981.[4][7] Two have been saved for preservation with the other six scrapped.[8]

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References
  1. Gray, Bill; May, Andrew (2006). A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Perth: Bill Gray. pp. 304–311. ISBN 0-646-45902-3.
  2. Dunn, John (2010). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering Volume 3 1966-1977. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 77–91. ISBN 9781877058905.
  3. "Future prospects for the Prospector" Railway Digest October 1997 pages 18-19
  4. "An inter-city interlude: The original Prospector and AvonLink cars" Railway Digest May 2005 pages 17-20
  5. AvonLink and MerredinLink Transwa
  6. Prospector - East Perth to Kalgoorlie Transwa
  7. Cooke, David (1984). Railmotors and XPTs. Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division. ISBN 0 909650 23 3.
  8. "Remembering the Merredin and Avon Link Train Services" Australian Railway History issue 928 February 2015 page 27
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