Queensland Railways

HWO / HWOS Open Wagon

1:87 HOn3½ & HO Scale

Available Now

Model Features

* Ready to Run

* Factory painted & decorated

* Injection molded plastic construction

* Highly detailed & accurate underframe with full brake equipment detail

* Equipped with genuine Kadee® scale knuckle couplers

* Adjustable coupler pocket for correct HOn3½ & HO scale heights

* Highly detailed QR37 type bogies fitted with blackened metal RP25-88 profile wheels

* Raised lettering on bogie sideframes

* Separately applied SAB load control valve on one bogie

* Wood grain detail on the wagon floor panels and insides of the wagon ends

* 18" Recommended minimum radius for HOn3½ (12mm gauge version)

* 26" Recommended minimum radius for HO (16.5mm gauge version) when fitted with door spring stops

* 18" Recommended minimum radius for HO (16.5mm gauge version) without door spring stops fitted

* Separately applied door spring stops, uncoupling lever bars, & brake hoses (to be fitted by the modeller)

Pack - 1

1990's

HWO -1	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 1 HOn3½ (12mm Gauge)	$225.00	SOLD OUT
	QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWO 39492, HWO 39497, HWO 39549

HWO -1 HO	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 1 HO (16.5mm Gauge)	$225.00	Available Now
	QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWO 39492, HWO 39497, HWO 39549

Pack - 2

1990's

HWO -2	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 2, HOn3½ (12mm Gauge)	$225.00	Available Now
	QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWO 39484, HWO 39512, HWO 39590

HWO -2 HO	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 2, HO (16.5mm Gauge)	$225.00	Available Now
	QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWO 39484, HWO 39512, HWO 39590

Pack - 3

2000's

HWO -3	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 3, HOn3½ (12mm Gauge)	$225.00	Available Now
	Weathered QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWOS 39495, HWOS 39554, HWOS 39573

HWO -3 HO	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 3, HO (16.5mm Gauge)	$225.00	Available Now
	Weathered QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWOS 39495, HWOS 39554, HWOS 39573

Pack - 4

2000's

HWO -4	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 4, HOn3½ (12mm Gauge)	$225.00	Available Now
	Weathered QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWO 39517, HWO 39604, HWOS 39526

HWO -4 HO	HWO Open Wagon - Pack 4, HO (16.5mm Gauge)	$225.00	Available Now
	Weathered QR Grey - 3 Wagon Pack
	Wagon Numbers - HWO 39517, HWO 39604, HWOS 39526

Order Form & Brochure

Brochure

Order Form

Reviews

Australian Model Railway Magazine - August 2018

AMRM Review - August 2018

Photo courtesy of Matt Green

Prototype Overview

In 1976 Queensland Railways placed an order with Commonwealth Engineering at Salisbury, Brisbane, for 125 HWO class drop-sided open wagons. They were to be the last open wagon type purchased by QR, and the largest drop-sided open wagon to be operated on the Queensland system.

Running numbers for the 125 members of the HWO class were from 39480 to 39604. All were delivered between August 1977 and March 1978. When ordered in 1976, they cost $30,139.00 each.

The drop-sided door design allowed for easy loading of many styles of general goods not requiring a box wagon. When loaded with palletised goods, they were often tarped prior to dispatch, and lashing rings were provided for tarping along the side of the wagon below the doors. The floor of the wagon was a composite design of steel and hard wood timber, with the timber slightly raised to ensure the cargo was resting on wood when loaded. The raised ends of the wagon also featured timber on the inside face.

When delivered, the HWO wagon featured steel doors with pressed vertical ribs for strength. From the late 1980's, the HWO fleet went through a rebuild and refurbishment program which included replacing the original doors with a new pattern that was much stronger. The new pattern door featured a flat plate steel inside face, with steel box section framework on the outside. During this rebuild program, a data plate was also fitted below the wagon body line to carry the individual wagon number and information. From the early 1990's, buffers were progressivly removed from QR rolling stock, and the HWO fleet would have had their buffers removed around the same time.

The HWO wagon was dedicated to premium freight traffic in their early years of service, and many were allocated to freight companies such as QRX, and in later years, Q-Link. With the shift towards containerisation, the use of open wagons declined, and from the early 1990's, many HWO wagons were converted or allocated to perform other roles. During 1991, 21 HWO's were converted to CCH "Prairie" wagons.

In September 2001, 25 wagons were re-coded HWOS and allocated to steel traffic. The HWOS wagons also received blue painted doors on both ends of the wagon, with stenciling "STEEL TRAFFIC ONLY", "RETURN TO ACACIA RIDGE WHEN EMPTY". At the same time a further 25 wagons were re-coded HWOI and allocated to infrastructure work. One HWOI has also been used as a coal mine weighbridge test wagon.

The year 2001 also marked the first withdrawals of the HWO class, with around 35 remaining in service as HWO by the end of 2001. From 2008 further withdrawals of the class from service were made, with a combined total of 40 HWO, HWOS, and HWOI, still in use by June 2009. Most were transferred to Aurizon ownership in 2010.

The last revenue use of the HWO class was the weekly Rockhampton to Winton service with Q-Link.

As of 2016, several of the class survive, with many of these noted as HWOS.