South Australian Railways
Broad Gauge
Class operators: South Australian Railways
Condition: Good
Entered service: 7/10/1933
Entered the museum: 31st March 2004
Length (over coupling points): 38’ 10’’ (11.84m)
Load Weight: 33 tons (33,000kg)
Number in class: 44
Ownership: Port Dock Station Railway Trust
Provenance: South Australian Railways/Australian National
Tare Weight: 19t 12c (19,609kg)
Withdrawn: 20 May 1980
RB-class bogie refrigerator car No. 9003 was built at South Australian Railways’ Islington Workshops in 1933. It was transferred to the Barmera – Adelaide milk traffic on 6 July 1937. Fitting of high speed bogies on 2 October 1967 resulted in it being reclassed RRP9003, and it was later reclassed RBP9003 on 19th November 1971 when passenger car bogies were fitted (wagons 9002 – 9028 were built as RB-class, 9029 – 9044 as RBP-class).
Wagons 9002 – 9004 were built with a single door each side, but were later rebuilt with two. Under South Australian Railways ownership, they were painted Aluminium and Royal Blue, and equipped with SME brake gear for use behind 250-class railcars.
No. 9003 became Australian National Railway property during the sale the South Australian Railways’ country operations to the Commonwealth. On 28 February 1980 it was reclassified ARPY 9003 and condemned on 20 May 1980.
SteamRanger (Australian Railway Historical Society SA Division) obtained the vehicle on 12 November 1986 and it was transferred to the National Railway Museum on 31 March 2004.