HO Scale 4 Wheel LL Steel Frame Mixed Colliery Coal Wagons 1959-78 #16 (10 kits)

Hunter Valley Private Owner 4 Wheel LL Steel Frame
2x Muswellbrook Colliery / 2x BHP John Darling / 2x Pelton / 2x J&A Brown Collieries / 2x Millfield

FEATURES:
Ready to Run
Highly Detailed Bodies & Underframes
Injection Moulded Bodywork
Many Metal Parts
RP100 Blackened Metal Wheels
Factory Painted & Decorated
Genuine Kadee Couplers

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
The final design of the non-air hopper was a 121/2 ton capacity, all wooden hopper, prepared in 1927 with two types
of brake gear. These wagons were coded "LL" for 'extra large'.and entered service in 1930. Conversion to steel frame wagons
commenced in 1937 as wagons were rotated through the workshop for maintenance.
J & A Brown was formed in 1932 with a merger of several miners. Later merges occurred in 1959 and Coal & Allied was formed
in 1960. In 1964 there were 492 'LL' wagons in the fleet. This expanded dramatically with C & A merging with Hebburn collieries.
From 1972 the smaller wagons in the fleet were being scrapped. A deal was made to exchange 223 R.M. Miller 'LL' wagons
for smaller & older C & A wagons on a 2 for 1 basis. A further 67 wagons were purchased from Muswellbrook Coal in 1975.
The rake for a single SMR 10 Class was 32 assorted 4 wheel wagons and there were in excess of 1400 in service
when South Maitland Railways ceased commercial operations in 1987.