'Short Tom' Coaches

The 31' 6" long end-platform narrow gauge carriage known unofficially as the 'Short Tom' type was built in large numbers over many years, with design changes made progressively. The five vehicles which ran on Eyre Peninsula as passenger coaches came from two construction batches, the 1883-1895 group (cars 50 and 74) and the 1905-1907 group (cars 6, 159 and 160).

Several other 'Short Tom' vehicles operated on Eyre Peninsula, but not in their original passenger coach form. See details for composite goods brakes 69, 70 and 117 and for passenger brakes 127 and 132.

6. Built 1905. To Port Lincoln 26 Feb 1917. SME equipment fitted, date unknown; removed 2 May 1963. Condemned 13 Aug 1970. Capacity quoted as various figures between 26 and 34 passengers at different times.

50. Built 1884. To Port Lincoln 21 Sep 1917. SME equipment fitted 7 May 1946, removed 6 May 1963. Condemned 10 Sep 1964.

74. Built 1888 as coach. Transferred to Port Lincoln 13 Dec 1912. Damaged in derailment at Toopoora 30 May 1921, repaired at Cummins workshops. Converted to kitchen car for inspection train 1926 (probably May that year).

159. Built new for Port Lincoln, for opening of railway 18 Nov 1907. Condemned 28 May 1962. Capacity quoted as various figures between 26 and 34 passengers at different times.

160. Built new for Port Lincoln, for opening of railway 18 Nov 1907. SME equipment fitted, date unknown; removed 2 May 1963. Condemned 13 Aug 1970. Capacity quoted as various figures between 26 and 34 passengers at different times.

Early series car 50 at Port Lincoln, 1962/63. Note the lower roofline compared to the adjoining cars which are from later series. Photo: Graeme Westwood

Later series car 6 at Port Lincoln. Photo: Peter Fehlberg Collection