All carriages were designed to fit within the Victorian Railways' loading gauge, and to run on rails spaced 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) apart.
[1][2] He immediately set out to introduce a new type of passenger carriage, inspired by the latest trends overseas.
All carriages began with the then-standard dark maroon livery over a black underframe, with yellow pin-striping and details.
During and after World War I, the detailing was abolished and they were painted plain red, with white text on black rectangles for running information, such as class and identity.
After purchase, it retained its number, with a note attached indicating that it was part of the South Suburban system.
When the Victorian Railways first started looking into bogie passenger carriage design, Britain didn't have many examples to follow, so the styles selected were copied from American railroads of the era.
It was originally the prized car of Solomon Mirls, the chief mechanical engineer of the Victorian Railways from 1878 to 1890.
[3] On 27 June 1902, the car returned to regular service as 129AA (the second vehicle to have that identity), and may have been restored to its original configuration.
It was classified 19A but, within a year, that had changed to AA, to reflect that it was a bogie vehicle as distinct from the non-bogie fleet.
They were either side of a central corridor, which linked to a 14 ft 7 in (4.45 m) four-windowed saloon, fitted with eight seats, which led to the open platform.
[6] By 1925, the car had been modified for use in the Better Farming Train, a special marketing service devised by Harold Clapp, the Victorian Railways' Chief Commissioner at the time.
Being part of a full train consist, the guard facilities were no longer required, so they were removed and the entire compartment was converted to a larger kitchen area.
The corridor connecting the two saloons was partitioned, additional cooking benches were provided, and the ice chests were moved.
In 1943, the car was withdrawn from special service and converted to a Way and Works vehicle, for use by railway workmen around the state.
However, in 1955, the body was noted in use as part of a scout hall in Trugannini Road, Caulfield, south of Carnegie railway station.
It was still there through the early 1970s, but vanished after that until spotted again in the 1990s behind Mimosa Road, Caulfield, painted white and with a protective roof.
[8] There is no reference explaining why "Perseverance" was slightly higher and heavier, but the 1904 diagram shows the Inspection Car as 13 ft 0 in (3.96 m).
The Gentlemen's Saloon measured 19 ft 9+1⁄4 in (6.026 m) and was provided with a table, three couches and six rounded plush seats.
"Perseverance" was rebuilt as the "Inspection Car" for the use of the Victorian Railways' Commissioner (at the time there was only one), accommodating 28 staff members.
Both were 65 ft 2 in (19.86 m) long over the body mounted on six-wheel bogies, with a side corridor and sheltered end-platforms.
This section covers all fully-enclosed wooden bogie passenger carriages, initially built at 45 feet (14 m) over body, as well as later conversions and extensions.
Compartments contained two bench seats, with a central footway connecting to outward-swinging doors either side, which could be locked with a standard square carriage key.
1887: 1888: 1889: 1890: 1891: 1892: 1893: 1897: 1898: 1902: 193AA was built by Ellis and entered service on 3 November 1890, as just one of the range of first class fully enclosed bogie carriages.
The car had seven identical 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) compartments, each with three windows – two in line with the bench seats, and one in the outward-swinging door.
[17] Most of the external doors were sealed, leaving one each side per saloon, and three for accessing the buffet area at the gentlemen's end.
[20] 1-12AC converted ex AA swing-door cars in 1902, by adding corridors through one side of the carriage, reducing the size of all six compartments.
The initial build was of 58 ABC carriages, 50ft2in over body but with an internal corridor along one side, as opposed to the then-standard individual compartment design.
Unlike most rollingstock, the ABC/ABL cars had a vertical white line painted on both sides of the carriage, showing the gap between 1st and 2nd class accommodation.
The vast majority of carriages listed on this page were destroyed and burnt as a quick, easy form of disposal.