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CV 14698 (ABV) Covered Van
On the 18th October 2009 OTHR took delivery of CV 14698 which had been purchased from the Central West Railway Society at Orange.

(photo ©S. Preston Collection)
Planned use:
This van is to be restored as a CV to form part of a rake of goods wagons to showcase a typical "period" working train on the Oberon branch.
Allan Leaver describes this wagon - "CV 14698 entered service in May 1909 as a four wheel Cattle wagon. It was built by the Clyde Engineering Company at Clyde under Contract Number 21/08. Because of the need for additional Covered Vans, CW 14698 was converted to a CV in September 1941. CV 14698 had its timber under frame replaced with the standard steel under frame in July 1958.
Although it was converted to ABV specifications with the Masonite lined interior, it was not recoded to the ABV code.
CV 14698 remained in service until the final withdrawal of all four wheel wagons from service. It was condemned in August 1983. It was purchased by the former Central West Railway Society at Orange before being purchased by Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway in 2009. "

Priority: Move to dry storage, photograph and measure all details, careful dismantling of sections commencing with the doors. Progressive reconstruction retaining as much of the original material as possible. Repainting gunmetal gray.

(photo ©Peter Culley )
The CV as first unloaded at Oberon yard 18 Oct 2009

The article below was generously provided byAlan Leaver

Four Wheel Covered Van CV 14698 (© Alan Leaver)

The use of Covered Vans on the New South Wales Railways has it origins at the start of railway operations in 1855. C Wagons (Covered Vans) were part of the original contract and were built in this same style up to the mid 1880’s. At this time, the design of vans constructed was louvered C wagons or LC. These were built with iron or steel under frames. These LC vans were built between the mid 1880’s through to the mid 1920’s.
By 1940, most of the original C Vans had been condemned. However a need for covered vans had developed, so a number of four wheel Cattle Wagons were converted to CV (Covered Vans). The former Cattle Wagons retained their timber under frames, and the upright body pillars were retained, but the open spaced timber floor was replaced with tongue and groove timber floor and groove timber sheathing in the inside. The side doors were moved from the left hand end to the centre of the wagon on both sides.

Contract 1/45 began as an order for 1,000 S Wagon under frames. This order was eventually extended through other contracts for 10,000 similar under frames for Livestock wagons, Covered vans and Louvre vans. Most of the CV wagons had their timber under frames replaced with the standard S type steel under frame with buffers and automatic couplers during the 1950’s.

The Special Customer’s Requirements

Until the early 1960’s, Arnott’s biscuits were packaged in metal containers that were approximately 6”x6”x10” and sealed by the paper label. These containers carried a single variety of biscuit, and the grocer at the point of sale treated these as bulk supplies, selling them from the tin to the customer by weight as required, and handing them to the customer in a brown paper bag. These biscuit tins could be safely transported in Louvre vans as there was no need for the wagon to be waterproof.

The early 1960’s brought about a revolution in packaging. Individual quantities were now packaged in transparent packaging, and needed to be packed into cardboard boxes for safe transport. These cardboard cartons now needed weatherproof transport vehicles.

The Railways rose to meet the needs of Arnott’s, a very good reliable customer. 45 Vans (3 Louvre and 42 Covered) were converted by lining the interior with Masonite. The coding of the revised vans was changed to ABV to reflect their new traffic task. This change in coding gave rise the obvious nickname, “Arnott’s Biscuit Vans”. ABV 7889 was the first to appear and was used in traffic for assessment until mid 1963 when the decision was made to convert the remaining 44 vans. The majority of conversions were completed between late 1963 and November 1966. The penultimate conversion appeared in May 1967 with the final conversion of ABV 20365 not appearing until June 1969.
ABV 14902 was the first of these special vans to be condemned in June 1975. The rest followed as Arnott’s gradually moved to transporting their product by road. The final withdrawals occurring in 1983 when the decision was made to cease the operation of all four wheel goods wagons. The ABV wagons were the very last four wheel vehicle commissioned in NSW.

Covered Van CV 14698

CV 14698 entered service in May 1909 as a four wheel Cattle wagon. It was built by the Clyde Engineering Company at Clyde under Contract Number 21/08. Because of the need for additional Covered Vans, CW 14698 was converted to a CV in September 1941. CV 14698 had its timber under frame replaced with the standard steel under frame in July 1958.
Although it was converted to ABV specifications with the Masonite lined interior, it was not recoded to the ABV code.
CV 14698 remained in service until the final withdrawal of all four wheel wagons from service. It was condemned in August 1983. It was purchased by the former Central West Railway Society at Orange before passing to the Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway in 2009.

Allan Leaver
21.2.2010