Stainless Steel (SX) Carriages
DownsSteam SX Set #49
DownsSteam's SX set ceilings host historic photos depicting scenes from across Queensland and the Darling Downs, including the "ANZAC" coach; "Range" car; "Downs" car and "Darling Downs Finest" dining car. Our SX set also includes our unique "Dreamtime Journey Coach" (static exhibit), a commercial kitchen car and an archives car. The “Range” car features work camps used during the building of the Range Railway line and of some of the bridges and tunnels. The “Downs" car features historic places on the Darling Downs, including Rudd’s Pub at Nobby, Talgai Homestead, one of the childhood homes of Pamela Lyndon Travers (writer of "Mary Poppins") and the Sister Kenny Memorial. The “ANZAC”car commemorates the use of railways during various wars from the Boer War, through the Great War, World War 11, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The word "ANZAC" is used by special permission.
SX Class Background
The Suburban Stainless Steel SX Coaches were built by Commonwealth Engineering (body shells at Granville and fitted out at Rocklea), in 1961/62 as locomotive-hauled sets consisting of 5 SX coaches with an SXV guards coach at each end. During the Bjelke Peterson years, the idea was to transform the SX sets into Brisbane's first Electric Multiple Units. The conversions were started, but never completed. All SXV guard's vans were modified with the addition of a headlight, destination board and a small drivers console desk but no electrical controls or running gear was ever added. The SX sets were not a common sight on Brisbane's South side prior to Electrification in 1979 due to the SX cars not being fitted with side steps and the majority of these stations only having low platforms. The conversion to electric traction never occurred and in the late 1980's the guards coaches had steel plates riveted over the headlight and destination boards. Several sets of the class have been retained for excursion train operations after the cessation of regular locomotive hauled commuter trains in 1999.
