The Queensland Railways ordered two different types of steel bodied air-conditioned carriage stock, both built by Commonwealth Engineering at their Rocklea plant. Over the years these carriages have been used on many different long distance Queensland Rail services.
All Queensland Rail Travel (formerly "Traveltrain") services are now operated only with L Series carriages.
10 x MAL class first class sitting cars (36 seats)
14 x MBL class second class sitting cars (52 seats)
3 x MCL class composite sitting cars (18 first-class, 24 second-class seats)
15 x MAS class first class sleeping cars (14 berths)
15 x MBS class second class sleeping cars (24 berths)
6 x MCS class composite sleeping cars (8 first-class, 9 second-class berths)
In 2007 as well as 2010, Queensland Rail decided that the 80 remaining M-series carriages would have to be removed from service by December 2013.[2] With the replacement of The Sunlander by the Spirit of Queensland, the M-series carriages were retired in December 2014.[3]
Preservation and Re-Use
The known ownership/location of the remaining M series lander cars is as follows:
Four of these cars have undergone work to return them to traffic as the Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway Dinner Train, which runs over 7 km of scenic railway track at Ipswich, and sport the original blue and white livery they first wore in 1953.
The Q Train, based at The Bellarine Railway, have obtained carriages for the purpose of their restaurant train.
MBL 1509: Converted to a boutique First Class Dining Car A, seating 14 people. (Ex "The Spirit of the Outback")
First class sleeper MAS 1487: Converted to a Q Class combined Dining and Bar Car, seating 28 people.
Economy class sleeper MBS 1474: Converted to a Q Class Dining Car, seating 44 people. (Ex Sunlander)
Staff car MSC 1469 : Converted to a boutique First Class Dining Car B, seating 14 people. (Ex Sunlander)
First class sleeper MAS 1540 is located next to Mitchell Railway station. Exchanged for with Steam locomotive 761 by QPSR (Story can be found here)
Club car "Captain Starlight Lounge" MCC 1520 (formerly on the Spirit of the Outback) is currently at the Macgregor Forecourt in The University of Queensland, formerly home to the Yumantra restaurant [6]
Between October 1981 and October 1985, Comeng built a further 30 carriages. These were built out of stainless steel.[7]
The original order was for 5 x LBL class second class sitting cars (48 seats).
Subsequent orders added an additional:
5 x LAL class first class sitting cars (36 seats)
5 x LBL class second class sitting cars (48 seats)
10 x LAR class roomette sleeping cars (14 berths)
5 x LDC dining cars
In 2007 as well as 2010, Queensland Rail projected that the 30 remaining L series carriages could operate for a further 15 years, pending refurbishment.[2] In July 2014, tenders were called to reconfigure 11 L series carriages.[8] With The Sunlander withdrawn, this allowed The Inlander, Spirit of the Outback and The Westlander to be converted to L series stock.[9]
References
^ abDunn, John (2006). Comeng A History of Commonwealth Engineering 1921-1955. Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 182–198. ISBN1877058424.
