Details Victorian Railways Z type carriage

1 details

1.1 sitting cars az, bz & bzs, vbk & vfk
1.2 acz 1st class & conductor cars
1.3 bzn & btn conversions
1.4 composite sleeping car

details
sitting cars az, bz & bzs, vbk & vfk

when entering carriage platform, passengers first walk through vestibule area swing doors adjacent carriages through diaphragms. on opposite side there 3 doors; facing centre of carriage, left washroom, centre saloon area , right toilet. men s washroom includes power outlet supplying 230vac. main saloon compartment divided 2 sections, partition between. end adjacent men s toilets smoking passengers , called no.1 end, while end adjacent ladies toilet non-smoking passengers , called no.2 end. seat pairs 3ft8in on armrests , rotate , recline footrests provided; , reading lights provided @ least on first class standard gauge cars. centre aisle around 1 ft 7 1/2in wide, , illuminated fluorescent lights. public address system fitted announcements.

first class carriages fitted 1 pair of seats per window, give 20 seats in no.1/smoking end , 28 in no.2/non-smoking end; spacing little on 4 ft.

second class carriages similar, 6 rows of 4 seats in no.1/smoking end behind 3 windows, , ten rows of 4 seats in no.2/non-smoking end behind 5 windows. total capacity 64.

the first 2 cars of each class fitted timber veneer panels internally. cars az3 , bz3 modified allow quick conversion standard gauge if needed, , match of stock on sydney run fitted laminex interiors in lieu. later cars repeated alteration.

from mid 1960s cars on broad gauge had layouts modified; first class carriage seats respaced drastically give 56 seats - 24 in no.1/smoking end , 32 in no.2/non-smoking end, spacing reduced 3ft10in. changes second class cars far more minor, change 64 68 seats required 1 additional row of seats in line smoking/non-smoking partition, modified suit. when these modifications completed, tare weight of cars increased 48t 14c 1q 0l. change occurred later on standard gauge carriages, not gaining seats until mid 90 s when returned broad gauge.

from 1980s cars gradually converted , upgraded suit requirements of new deal, , fleet renumbered part of project match new reservations , rolling stock management systems. cars 1-8az took on numbers 251-258; cars vbk1-5 became 262, 260, 261, 259 , 263 respectively; cars 1-7bz renumbered 264-270, , cars 1-6vfk changed 271-276. cars modified , reclassified during upgrade process, 1-8az, example, becoming acz. vbk263 spent year operating on broad gauge system az263 before conductor compartment fitted.

when 6 standard gauge vfk cars converted broad gauge in 1990s, given code bzs indicate ex-standard gauge, 64 seats matching capacity of typical bs steel carriage. cars 271 , 275 first transfer across, in 1990, , other 4 shifted in 1992 in preparation replacement of melbourne/sydney express xpt consist. between 1995-1997 these 6 cars refitted internally, larger door @ 1 end , seats respaced, provide sitting 76 passengers , parking space 1 wheelchair. new format called bzn, , cars allocated n sets.

of 7 bz carriages, 3 sold west coast railway in 1995 use on warrnambool route - 267, 269 , 270. remaining 4 - 264, 265, 266 , 268 - retained v/line passenger. in 1996 bz265 converted bzn format, matching changes applied 6 ex-standard gauge carriages; bz266 followed in 1998. in 1999 other 2 modified different format, known btn. had been applied bcz263 in previous year, , used carriage shell new interior identical of bn cars, 88 seats in 2+3 format , no special functions. when west coast railway s stock sold off in 2004, v/line re-acquired bz267, , in 2007 converted bzn format. bz269 , bz270 passed heritage societies, steamrail victoria , 707 operations (with acz255) respectively. bz270 has been repainted in 707 s livery of red silver, otherwise largely unchanged since 4 seats added. bz269 stripped steamrail, renumbered bz6 , named hobsons bay, , operates function car bar serving drinks, otherwise large open space no seating provided.

acz 1st class & conductor cars

following introduction of new deal 1981, z fleet carriages modified , upgraded suit new timetable requirements. fleet mixed s type carriage group, , cars formed three, 4 or 5 carriage sets long-distance running. each set used acz car @ southern/eastern end @ spencer street station, in lieu of earlier practice of vans both ends or shifting independent guard s van opposite end of train @ end of each run. allowed faster turnarounds @ termini. initially, 8 acz cars converted 1az through 8az, completed end of 1985. 2 further cars transferred standard gauge fleet in 1986, provide ten acz-brs sets mix bz , bs economy sitting cars. typical regional consist @ time have been bs-bz-brs-acz, plus or minus bs car depending on requirements. final 3 standard gauge vbk cars converted broad gauge acz in 1990-1991, though had been renumbered match new deal system 1987.

the modified acz cars had toilets , 4 seats removed east end, , space utilised new guard s compartment match provided in new acn cars. reduced sitting capacity 56 52 passengers, expectation luggage stored in attached luggage van of d series. periscopes fitted allow guards check signals, guards phased out small compartment handed on conductors office area, , periscopes removed.

introduction of sprinter fleet 1993 rendered of regional loco-hauled carriage sets obsolete, vehicles withdrawn , stored, typically @ ballarat or bendigo workshops; , 3 (252, 255, 257) sold west coast railway when company gained operational accreditation. acz260 supposed included in sale damaged few days before handover; has since been stored @ newport workshops, west coast railway stickers on v/line logo removed.

as patronage increased approaching new millennium gradually called service, , converted provide additional economy seating capacity. in 1995-1996, cars 251, 253, 254, 258, 261 , 263 returned service, reclassed bcz economy passengers. many of these rotated , attached west end of existing sets, rather reforming previous consists, provide temporary facility wheelchair storage following passage of disability discrimination act in 1992. acz cars 259 , 262 retained in service loose 1st class carriages, attaching special consists required; , acz256 stored @ bendigo pending restoration , conversion bcz when funding program ran out, stored indefinitely. completed , re-entered service in 2000, following damage of sprinter vehicles , jump in patronage.

in 2003 cars 251, 253 , 254 converted new btn format, 88 seats arranged in 2+3, matching capacity of bn sitting carriages; , 256, 258 , 261 converted bzn, modification of bcz arrangement 76 economy seats in lieu of 52 1st class seats. 6 cars paired, attached 3 n type carriage sets. left acz259, acz262 , bcz263 v/line passenger. when west coast railway folded in 2004, v/line re-purchased cars acz252 , acz257. in 2006-2007, acz257, acz259 , acz262 reclassed bcz (to go bcz263), though no internal changes applied @ time, , acz252 converted bzn252. bcz262 converted bzn format in 2008, , bcz259 btn259 followed in 2013, leaving bcz257; vehicle used form set z57 when additional capacity required on geelong line, , in more recent times has been utilised secondary luggage storage area, attached 1 of regular n sets, rostered run swan hill reduced capacity manageable, , increased comfort appreciated.

bzn & btn conversions

the z sets gradually dissolved mid-90 s, , cars reallocated n carriage sets. 1995-1998 8 cars converted bzn, seats removed , wider doorway fitted make cars wheelchair-accessible; , in 1998-1999 further 3 cars converted more dense seating arrangement, 88 seats provided in same layout bn carriages. further 3 cars of each type created in 2003, followed 252 , 267 bzn in 2007, 262 in 2008 , 259 in 2013.

composite sleeping car

the composite sitting/sleeping car, vam1, built 10 evenly-spaced windows per side, plus closer window , door @ no.2 end. access car via doors @ no.2 end, or via coupled carriages , diaphragms linking them vam1. ten windows each represented single compartment. first , second compartments @ no.1 end fitted bench seats 4 people each, while other 8 compartments fitted three-person seats divisible retractable armrests. seats fold down form bed, , above second bed, giving capacity 20 sleeping passengers or 24 first-class , 8 second-class passengers. speaking first 4 compartments @ no.1 end used sitting passengers, , remaining 6 used exclusively sleeping passengers. partially because of this, public address system wired 4 compartments @ no.1 end, , not other six. each compartment had own cupboard, shower, toilet, card table , wardrobe. interior sheathed laminex panels.

at no.2 end small curtained-off area reserved carriage conductor, seat work at. weight of car 51 tons 13 cwt. water capacity 280 gallons of cold water, plus 75 gallons of hot water showers. car fitted marker lights, backup lamp brackets , tail discs @ both ends, allowing trail train. notably, though car trail trains in new south wales, end-of-train marker victorian railways disc rather new south wales railways triangle.

the car under care of seymour railway heritage centre , restored service in 2016.