The Section Car Pages

Fairmont M19


 The car above is an M19-Z42, Fleet number M21 formerly of South Australian Railways, then Australian National Central Region. This car was ex Port Lincoln in South Australia, where a couple of other M19-Z42s also ran.

At least one M19-Z42 was built in the US (possibly two) and the rest then built locally. The Fairmont car records confirm one was built in late 1950.

A builders plate on a QR car gives a build date for the M19-Z42 as around the mid 1950's.

Queensland Railways had a number of these cars, (sixteen, in 1954 and twenty four in 1955) a number of which were also run by The Postmaster Generals Office (later Australia Post and Telstra). as the preferred narrow gauge car.

 

The cab is a later Australian National Railways Cab. The SAR had its own style of cab as was fitted to this M19-Z63, M60

Queensland Railways had a number of these cars, (sixteen, in 1954 and twenty four in 1955) a number of which were also run by The Postmaster Generals Office (later Australia Post and Telstra).

The M15 was then designed by Fairmont specifically for narrow gauge working on 36", metre and 42" gauge. Earlier cars were built with all holes for each gauge..

A few still around in Queensland. I have heard a figure of ten in Queendland and I know of one in Tasmania, last known to be with Don River, but delivered to the Emu Bay Railway Co.


The South Australian Railways purchased a small number of M19AAs as it progessed the standardisation of the Port Pirie to Broken Hill line. This is one of them in Peterborough Yard in late 1985. I believe that this car has been restored privately. A list of the SAR cars is located here

The cars did not remain original for long, as the more powerful motors were believed to have contributed to a number of prangs in the early seventies. They were remotored with the smaller less powerful RO-C motors.


Commonwealth Railways M19s

This is an EX Commonwealth Railways M19, Fleet number 140, with a typical CR cab.

M19's were operated extensively by NSWGR, the South Australian Railways and the Commonwealth Railways. One M19 was also sent to the Victorian Railways as a demonstrator - this car is currently with the Victorian Goldfields Railway.

Commonwealth Railways M19s

The table below lists the known Commonwealth Railways M19s. As with some of their M15s, a number were fitted with electric start.

Fleet Number Serial Number Location
140
South Australia - Operational
140
There were two cars marked as 140 - this was located in Victoria, though its front rail was purchased and used on the first 140
141
Last seen in Peterborough, loaded to head to NSW - currently undergoing repairs
165
Last seen in Peterborough loaded to head to NSW

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© Nic Doncaster - Page uploaded August 21, 2002, Updated June 13, 2023