MCD/L1518 - Dining Car named "The Canecutters Bar".
Production date
1955
Country
Australia
State/Province
Queensland
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Object detail
Description
A railway carriage with two bogies, painted in silver overall with maroon and yellow strips on the side. The carriage is a Queensland Rail Dining Car (modified to a Club Car and named 'The Canecutters Bar') and was used on the Sunlander service (Brisbane to Cairns) from the mid 1950s until 2014. The car has blue carpet, a galley area, lounge chairs and three booths.
Classification
TRANSPORT Railways railway vehicles
Production date
1955
Production place
Measurements
L16916 x W2743 x H3709mm
Weight 32700 (kg)
Weight 32700 (kg)
Media/Materials description
Steel
Signature/Marks
1518
(Logo) Queensland Rail
CLUB CAR
MCD \ 1518 \ 32.70t \ R.B.
(Logo) Queensland Rail
CLUB CAR
MCD \ 1518 \ 32.70t \ R.B.
History and use
MCD/L 1518
Originally built as a Second Class Sitting Car – MBL 1518
Built by Commonwealth Engineering entering service in November 1955
The cost on delivery was £36,227 ($72,454). Fitted with automatic couplers.
Steel bodied passenger carriage fitted with air conditioning and fluorescent lights throughout. These carriages are generally referred to as M Series Cars being derived from the first letter of the carriage class. This car is carried on two four-wheel bogies fitted with Timken roller bearings. The M Series were the first steel air-conditioned carriages in service in Queensland being designed for use on the ‘Lander trains then being introduced. The ‘Lander trains were as follows –
Sunlander – Brisbane to Cairns; Inlander – Townsville to Mount Isa; Midlander – Rockhampton to Winton; Westlander – Brisbane to Cunnamulla
MBL 1518 was rebuilt as a Club Car by Ipswich Railway Workshops entering service on 30 March 1978 and reclassed as MCC.
As a Club Car MCC 1518 had all the Second Class seats removed which were replaced by 36 lounge chairs together with eleven small tables placed along either side of the passenger saloon. The toilet at one end was retained with the luggage rack being converted into a storage cupboard. A small kitchen fitted with a freezer, micro-wave oven, drink fridge and sink replaced the toilet and luggage rack at the other end as well as replacing some of the second class seating. This kitchenette was fitted with a servery facing the length of the carriage. The car was carpeted in the passenger saloon while the centre aisle was retained except at the kitchenette end where it was offset to one side. The end doors enabled access through the train while the vestibule doors at either end for external access were also retained.
Club Car MCC 1518 was rebuilt and reclassed again by Ipswich Railway Workshops entering service as Class MCD/L named The Canecutters Bar in April 1994 for use on the Queenslander service.
This car demonstrated the luxurious nature of the Queenslander service. The 36 lounge chairs were replaced with 17 lounge chairs with each two chairs served by a small table and one table having only a single chair. The vestibule that had contained the toilet and storage compartment was replaced along with some of the seating from the previous saloon by four tables with each having four chairs as a dining area. The doorway linking through the train was retained but the external access door was removed. The Queenslander train ceased operating in December 2002. The Queenslander carriages were then incorporated as part of the Sunlander in April 2003 with the First Class carriages being renamed Queenslander Class.
This car was used on the very last Sunlander service on 1 January 2015. Many of the on-board railway staff and passengers on this last trip signed their names on an interior wall panel of this car.
When MBL1518 first entered service in 1955 it was painted white with a grey roof. There was a broad band of blue above the carriage windows to the roof with a yellow stripe just below the windows. It was painted all over silver with a broad maroon band containing a yellow stripe just below the carriage windows during subsequent rebuilds.
Originally built as a Second Class Sitting Car – MBL 1518
Built by Commonwealth Engineering entering service in November 1955
The cost on delivery was £36,227 ($72,454). Fitted with automatic couplers.
Steel bodied passenger carriage fitted with air conditioning and fluorescent lights throughout. These carriages are generally referred to as M Series Cars being derived from the first letter of the carriage class. This car is carried on two four-wheel bogies fitted with Timken roller bearings. The M Series were the first steel air-conditioned carriages in service in Queensland being designed for use on the ‘Lander trains then being introduced. The ‘Lander trains were as follows –
Sunlander – Brisbane to Cairns; Inlander – Townsville to Mount Isa; Midlander – Rockhampton to Winton; Westlander – Brisbane to Cunnamulla
MBL 1518 was rebuilt as a Club Car by Ipswich Railway Workshops entering service on 30 March 1978 and reclassed as MCC.
As a Club Car MCC 1518 had all the Second Class seats removed which were replaced by 36 lounge chairs together with eleven small tables placed along either side of the passenger saloon. The toilet at one end was retained with the luggage rack being converted into a storage cupboard. A small kitchen fitted with a freezer, micro-wave oven, drink fridge and sink replaced the toilet and luggage rack at the other end as well as replacing some of the second class seating. This kitchenette was fitted with a servery facing the length of the carriage. The car was carpeted in the passenger saloon while the centre aisle was retained except at the kitchenette end where it was offset to one side. The end doors enabled access through the train while the vestibule doors at either end for external access were also retained.
Club Car MCC 1518 was rebuilt and reclassed again by Ipswich Railway Workshops entering service as Class MCD/L named The Canecutters Bar in April 1994 for use on the Queenslander service.
This car demonstrated the luxurious nature of the Queenslander service. The 36 lounge chairs were replaced with 17 lounge chairs with each two chairs served by a small table and one table having only a single chair. The vestibule that had contained the toilet and storage compartment was replaced along with some of the seating from the previous saloon by four tables with each having four chairs as a dining area. The doorway linking through the train was retained but the external access door was removed. The Queenslander train ceased operating in December 2002. The Queenslander carriages were then incorporated as part of the Sunlander in April 2003 with the First Class carriages being renamed Queenslander Class.
This car was used on the very last Sunlander service on 1 January 2015. Many of the on-board railway staff and passengers on this last trip signed their names on an interior wall panel of this car.
When MBL1518 first entered service in 1955 it was painted white with a grey roof. There was a broad band of blue above the carriage windows to the roof with a yellow stripe just below the windows. It was painted all over silver with a broad maroon band containing a yellow stripe just below the carriage windows during subsequent rebuilds.
Registration number
R6572
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