Save 112 Year Old Cockle Train Carriage 325

Restored & stored under cover for 20 years 325 has been donated to SteamRanger

The challenge now is to raise the funds to move it to Mt Barker

Carriage 325’s story

Passenger carriage 325 was built at Islington Work Shops & entered service with the South Australian Railways 27/8/1912 as a 1st & 2nd class suburban
passenger carriage Centre end loader style. Its role was to transport people to work each day on the suburban network around Adelaide.

The carriage received many upgrades in its life, improved seating fitted in 1938, vestibule hand brake fitted in 1939, and buffers removed in 1944. In 1947 the carriage was upgraded for country use with the vestibule being closed in and toilet fitted. It was most likely at this time the carriages suburban maroon paint work was changed to the cream and green colour scheme. The carriage saw service for another 21 years travelling over the many country routes around South Australia until it was Condemned in 1968. For many of her sister carriages this would be the end of the line but 325 was to take on a new role as a Kitchen car for Permanent way crews. This required the removal of all seats and the wash room & toilet, converting it back to a Centre End loader carriage with the Vestibule once again being used.

One end was fitted with a wood stove, kitchen and sleeping compartment for the cook. The other end had tables fitted for the gangers to eat their meals at.
The Centre kitchen door was mad into a half opening door so meal could be served to the gang crews as they filed past.

For many carriages the original varnished paneling on the walls were painted over with the walls and blinds painted a pale cream. 325 must have been in exceptional condition as the walls remained in their polished finish, the centre door frames are still varnished and one centre door still carries the Suburban marron paint with the Smoking decal still visible on the door. The out side of the carriage was painted white to match other permanent way rolling stock.

How this carriage managed to miss out on the full paint scheme is a story we will never know. Maybe they were just in a rush to get her back into service.
17/4/1970 saw her enter service once more as PWK8.

As a kitchen carriage she must have covered much of the State in support of the gangers working on the lines. Around 1978 with the closing of the SAR she
was transferred to Australian National Railways and had the AN logo painted on her side. She was to see another 10 years service until finally being sold in
1988 along with four other coaches to a Farmer in the Riverland.

Fortune must have smiled on her as 325 was purchased by Mr. Wilson. He had the pick of the 5 carriages and chose 325 as it was in the best
condition. He was allowed to take missing parts of the other carriages to complete his purchase. The carriage was moved to his proper where he set about a full restoration. In 2009 a roof was erected over the carriage to help protect it from the weather. For many years Mr. Wilson cared for the carriage until his son took over the property.

The carriage has now been offered to SteamRanger for safe keeping and to begin its next chapter as Mr. Wilson and his family are keen to see the carriage
preserved.

Our end goal would be to have this carriage entering our fleet as Car No. 74 for use on Cockle Train services in the future. This project would entail replacing the derelict body from Car No. 65 with 325's body, making a new Cockle Train carriage with full seating, centenary carriage-style end desks with step-down facilities as well. Before we get to that project, we need to fund the following items mentioned below. To donate via PayPal, please click/tap the DONATE NOW text below.

LIFTING & TRANSPORT

We have $13,800 left to fund!

REMOVE & REINSTATE SHED

We have $3,500 left to fund!

PAINT

We have $500 left to fund!

DONATE NOW!