NC Van The NC guard's vans were originally classed NDD. In the 1910 reclassification they were classified NC. Apart from the windows and height they were externally the same as the NBC vans. Inside there were benches along both side walls. One end was equipped with a small guard's compartment. This had two corner seats, two desks with ticket selling windows and a letter rack. A novel feature was a folding dog cage under one of the benches. Six NC Brake Van / Guards Vans were built by Victorian Railways 1 NC was built in 1909 as NDD and reclassed 1NC in 1910. 2 NC was built and placed into service Nov 1912 3 NC , 4 NC and 5 NC were built and placed into service June / July 1914 6 NC was Built and placed into service in 1919 1 NC, 4 NC and 6 NC were all scrapped by Victorian Railways between 1954 and 1957 2NC - Brake Van (4 ton capacity) VR Service History 26/11/1912 NWS Built new 2 NC *NC 2.VA - 26/11/1912 NWS Built new - circa 1926 - Modified AC Malco BO 6/ 7/1932 NWS Into Workshops - 5/ 8/1932 NWS Out of Workshops (31 days) 2/10/1937 NWS Into Workshops - 3/12/1937 NWS Out of Workshops (63 days) 25/ 1/1945 NWS Into Workshops - 23/ 2/1945 NWS Out of Workshops (30 days) Dec 2016 - Puffing Billy Rollling Stock register Puffing Billy Service History or Notes 21 Oct 1995 - Loco 7A and 2 NC collides with trolleys NK 3, Jenny, & NG 1 on the SELBY side of the MONBULK CREEK trestle bridge. Historic - Victorian Railways - Narrow Gauge Rolling Stock - NC Brake VanBrake Van (4 ton capacity) made of Timber and wrought iron2NCpuffing billy, 2nc, 2'6" gauge, victorian railways, 2 nc brake van

V.R NC Class Full Guard's Van body 3 NC ( marked underneath as 22 NQR) 3 NC Brake Van (4 ton capacity) Service History : *NC 3.VA - 17/ 6/1914 NWS Built new - / 5/1928 - Modified AC Malco BO 13/ 8/1932 NWS Into Workshops - 26/10/1932 NWS Out of Workshops (75 days) 11/ 8/1937 NWS Into Workshops - 21/ 9/1937 NWS Out of Workshops (42 days) 19/ 3/1945 NWS Into Workshops - 17/ 8/1945 NWS Out of Workshops (152 days)Historic - Victorian Railways - narrow gauge rolling stock - NC Class Full Guard's Van body 3 NCTimber Guards Van body sitting on wrought iron frame of 22 NQRV.R NC Class Full Guard's Van body 3 NC ( marked underneath as 22 NQR) puffing billy, victorian railways, narrow gauge, nc guards van, narrow gauge rolling stock

6 NC Brake Van (4 ton capacity) Service History Purchased by the Puffing Billy Preservation Society (Body & underframe only): NC 6 Brake Van (4 ton capacity) - Awaiting restoration *NC 6.VA - 17/12/1919 NWS Built new - /11/1928 - Modified AC Malco BO 5/10/1934 NWS Into Workshops - 9/10/1934 NWS Out of Workshops (5 days) 17/ 3/1955 - Scrapped Historic - Victorian Railways - narrow gauge rolling stock - NC Class Full Guard's Van 6 NCTimber Guards Van wrought iron framepuffing billy, nc van, narrow gauge, victorian railways, 6nc, guards van, narrow gauge rolling stock

On 24 March 1962 the special train marking the closure of the Colac-Beech forest railway line was again put on by the Australian Railway Historical Society, this time called the "Bye-Bye Beechie". It had G42 as the locomotive, eight NBH excursion carriages with NC guard's vans at either end, pulling a crowd of keen passengers. Special excursion trains until mid-1962.Colour. G42 locomotive inscribed "Australian Railway Historical Society, Bye-Bye Beechie, 24-3-62", an NC guard's van, eight NBH excursion carriages and another NC guard's van on No.2 Road at Beech Forest Railway Station, with dismounted passengers all around. On No.4 Road a number of loaded or semi-loaded NQR wagons and an NUU louvre van, with a truck, a car, and a van at the end of the row. A parked red truck in the foreground is next to a timber stack.beech forest: railways; "bye bye beechie";, beech forest: railways; "bye bye beechie";

In February 1959 eight NBH carriages were tranfered from storage at Newport to Colac in time for the first tentatively organized trip over the Colac-Beech Forest railway line. Eventually seventeen excursion trains ran, with carriages and an NC guard's van, usually hauled by G41 or G42, but occasionally 14A locomotive. The train run by 14A ran soon after the carriages were delivered.B/W. At McDevitt station locomotive 14A passes through on a rare NA-hauled eight excursion carriage and NC guard's van train. The front of the engine is labelled "The Ridge; 21 M(arch) 1959; ARHS", the Australian Railways Historical Society.colac; beech forest; railways; mcdevitt;

By July 1960 for the Beech Forest railway outwards traffic was down to 12,730 tonnes per year, and from Ferguson under 1,000 tonnes per year. One wagon was all that was needed in July to reach Beech Forest The line kilometre proportion of $26,320 was sufficient in itself to justify the withdrawal of the rail service, without the fact that reconditioning the two Garratt locomotives and rendering serviceable the ancient wagons would make the costs prohibitive. As a result the whole line closed in June 1962.Colour. 144mm x 279mm. G42 locomotive with Weeaproinah goods in a loaded NQR wagon and NC guard's van, between Beech Forest and Ferguson in July 1960.ferguson: beech forest; railways;

Wimba station is 37.3 km south of Colac. This station, originally called "Bunding", opened with the line in in March, 1902, as an unnamed stopping place. It was renamed "Wimba" on 17 November, 1902. A water tank for locomotive requirements was placed on the side of a hill about 100 metres south of the station. Wimba was not provided with a loop siding but had a passenger shelter until 1936 when the roads took over. A sheep race was provided near the passenger shelter. The station closed with the line.B/W. An UP goods train loaded with pulp wood on NQR wagons and two NC guard's vans taking water at Wimba tank on 8 January 1958. wimba; railways;

Colour. Locomotive G42, an NC guard's van and eight NBH excursion carriages packed with children round a bend near Tulloh at March, 1961. Two people stand watching.tulloh; railway; colac;

B/W/ "NA" class locomotive, NQR wagons and NC guard's van hauling timber near Gardner's property in Beech Forest in 1912. Note the workmen clustered on the engine and wagons.beech forest; railway;

B/W. An NA class engine, a number of NQR open wagons, two NUU louvre vans and a NC guard's van climb between Gellibrand and Beech Forest. A man stands near the engine.beech forest; gellibrand; railways;

Wimba station opened with the line in March 1902 as an unnamed stopping place, and a water tank for locomotive requirements was placed on the side of a hill about 100 metres south of the station. Locos bound for Beech Forest stopped at the passenger shelter at the station, uncoupled, and moved forward to the water tank. Goods were loaded and unloaded during this pause. The station and the tank closed with the line.B/W. Engine 14A, an NUU louvre van and an NC guard's van at the Wimba Tank, with fireman L. Moore on the roof of the cabin running water into the engine's tank. The guard returns to his van.wimba; railways; water tank;

The last train to Beech Forest ran on 30 June, 1962. The train had a particularly motley look to it; 180 passengers were loaded into NU goods vans which had been hastily fitted out with temporary seats and tarpaulin roofing. The train was hauled by the dilapidated G42 locomotive, kept alive through patch-up repairs and cannibalised G41 parts, which intending travellers looked at with some trepidation. The train made it without mishap. When it returned to Colac on that cold, gloomy June day it signalled the end of narrow gauge operations in the Otway Ranges.B/W. Locomotive G42 with the sign " Australian Railway, Last Train to Beech Forest, 30-6-62, Historical Society" is departing Colac. NC guard's van and NU louvred van are attached. A woman and man watching. .colac; beech forest; railways;

The 1963 Victoria Railways Annual Report stated: "Owing to the paucity of traffic the provision of a regular goods train service on the Colac-Weeaproinah narrow gauge line has involved substantial operating losses in recent years . . . As it was evident that the cost of retaining the service was quite disproportionate to the small amount of traffic offering, the line was closed."B/W. On the 27 June 1962 locomotive G42, 13 NQR wagons, several loaded with wood, and an NC guard's van negotiate Scanlon's curve near Tulloh. Three staff occupy the wagon next to the engine. On the horizon a house amidst a tree.weeaproinah; tulloh; scanlon's curve; railway; colac; beech forest;

NC Van The NC guard's vans were originally classed NDD. In the 1910 reclassification they were classified NC. Apart from the windows and height they were externally the same as the NBC vans. Inside there were benches along both side walls. One end was equipped with a small guard's compartment. This had two corner seats, two desks with ticket selling windows and a letter rack. A novel feature was a folding dog cage under one of the benches. Six NC Brake Van / Guards Vans were built by Victorian Railways 1 NC was built in 1909 as NDD and reclassed 1NC in 1910. 2 NC was built and placed into service Nov 1912 3 NC , 4 NC and 5 NC were built and placed into service June / July 1914 6 NC was Built and placed into service in 1919 1 NC, 4 NC and 6 NC were all scrapped by Victorian Railways between 1954 and 1957 Van 5NC - Brake Van (4 ton capacity) In Active Service - Belgrave Station Yard VR Service History: 5 NC *NC 5.VA - 31/ 7/1914 NWS Built new - / 6/1926 - Modified AC Malco 16/11/1932 NWS Into Workshops - 9/12/1932 NWS Out of Workshops (24 days) 23/10/1935 NWS Into Workshops - 19/11/1935 NWS Out of Workshops (28 days) 10/ 8/1939 NWS Into Workshops - 8/ 9/1939 NWS Out of Workshops (30 days) 2/ 6/1944 NWS Into Workshops - 25/ 8/1944 NWS Out of Workshops (85 days) 21/ 4/1949 NWS Into Workshops - 14/10/1949 NWS Out of Workshops (178 days) Dec 2016 - Puffing Billy Register of Rolling Stock NC 5 Brake Van (4 ton capacity) - In traffic Historic - Victorian Railways - Narrow Gauge Rolling Stock - NC Brake Van Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H2187 The Puffing Billy Rolling Stock CollectionBrake Van (4 ton capacity) made of Timber and wrought iron5NCpuffing billy, 5nc, 2'6" gauge, victorian railways, 5nc brake van

On the 1st March, 1959, the first special train was organized by the Australian Railways Historical Society in conjunction with the Kanyana Festival Committee of Colac, Victoria. It proved so popular that additional trains were later organized. Temporarily in storage at Newport railway yards eight NBH excursion carriages were transferred to Colac which ran on the special trains until early-1962. A A.R.H.S. "Kanyana" special excursion locomotive G41, an NC guard's van and NBH excursion carriages at halts at Gellibrand while the fireman attends to the engine requirements (or 'ER' in railways' parlance). The passengers are milling outside the excursion carriages while two are talking to the driver. Houses are in the background. B/W.gellibrand; railways; kanyana special; colac; beech forest; loco g41;

The last train ran to Beech Forest on 30 June 1962. It had a particularly motley look: 180 passengers were loaded into a series of NU goods wagons hastily fitted with temporary seats and, given the time of year, tarpaulin covers. The G42 locomotive had patched-up repairs and cannibalised G41 parts. Intending travellers faced up to the trip with some trepidation but the train made it with no problems. On this cold, gloomy day when it got back to Colac it signalled the end of narrow gauge operations in the Otway Ranges.B/W. Locomotive G42 with the sign "Australian Railway Historical Society, Last Train to Beech Forest, 30-6-62", an NC guard's van, a NU louvred van and many NQR open wagons, at a photostop near Tulloh. Several passengers taking photos while the driver is waiting to proceed.colac; beech forest; railway; tulloh;

With the fireman coaling up at Beech Forest "The Otway Ranger", arranged by the Puffing Billy Preservation Society, on 31 March 1962, gets ready to continue its trek pulling eight NBH excursion carriages and an NC guard's van. The buffer beams on the G42 engine have been recently painted red. B/W. G42 locomotive being coaled up and watered at Beech Forest coal stage by the fireman.beech forest: railways; otway ranger;

Drivers were highly skilled enginemen. Taking a train from Beech Forest to down to Gellibrand required the train to be controlled at 10 mph (16 km) without running out of air. When a brake application was made the brakes on the locomotive were applied harder than the train brakes. The brakes locked up and the engine would just slide along. Drivers used a retention valve on the loco, then released the loco brakes so as not to wear out the brake shoes. So the train pulled into Gellibrand ready to pull out again after refilling the loco with water.At Gellibrand, a Down goods train is about to depart the station on 14 December 1955. The train consists of the locomotive G42, a louvre van NO, two NQ wagons and a guard's or brake van NC. B/W.gellibrand; colac; beech forest; railway;