MA wagons

MA class coalbox wagons

This class originally started in 1925 as a variant of the M class. This began with 22 wagons nominally converted from GB class wagons. These wagons had four steel coal boxes each of which measured 3'-9" internally. These wagons had no sides and no end planking. Clearly it is impossible to fit these coal boxes on a 15' GB type underframe and therefore these wagons must have been new wagons with 16' GC type frames.

M7825 just after being built but before reclassification to MA in 1929 along with the older M1914 (WAGR official ARHS collection)

1925	6486/9, 6524/6, 6545, 6615, 6647, 6676, 6741
1929	6381, 6417, 6436, 6491, 6500, 6513, 6548, 6560, 6605, 6626, 6664, 6680, 6761

In 1929 these wagons were reclassified MA and the official MA diagram correctly shows a 16' GC type underframe. The MA group was further increased by the reconstruction of four M class wagons (8219, 8228, 8232 and 4112) in 1929 and the replacement of some I and IM class wagons (589, 769, 771, 627, 657, 783, 789, ex IM, 667 ex I , 7825 ex GC). These are all likely to have been replacement wagons on 16' GC type underframes. The MA's were disposed of as follows:

1946	8232 written off
1947	589 6381, 6676 written off
1948	6436, 6500, 8219 written off
1949	771 written off
1956	6680 to M
1957	769 783 6513, 6526, 6545, 6615, 6741, 8228 to M 627, 657, 667, 789, 4112, 6486/9, 6491, 6548, 6560, 6605, 6626, 6647, 6664, 6761, 7825 written off
1967	6524 written off
1977	6417 written off

When the remaining MA class wagons were reclassified as class M (769, 783, 6680, 6513, 6526, 6545, 6615, 6741 and 8228) it is not known whether these wagons were modified to take wooden coal boxes or just simply reclassified. Presumably these wagons retained 16' frames. Photographic confirmation is required. All of the MA class wagons were scrapped.