Caravan Delivery or Transport

[kenny]

I'm always interested in the logistics of things.  (Don free free to move if not correct)

This thread looks at the 1% of the time a caravan is moved not by the owner but by other means ie truck, train, boat or anything else that comes up.

What inspired this thread was a photo of some Chesney's at their Lawnton factory which had the annotation "Shipload going to Tasmania" and there are Chesney's that appear to be loaded inside a ferry for transport across Bass Strait.

Have you seen any caravan deliveries?  If so, post them here!

Here are some that I have found so far.

Top - photo of vans inside ferry courtesy of Moreton Bay Regional Library
Middle - photo by Arthur Robinson at Cairns in 1974
Bottom - photo by Peter Kennedy

Regards kenny

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Kenny,

That’s an interesting thread you’ve started. There’s a couple of photos which come to mind. One is the item below of a whole clutch of Millard caravans being transported across the country to Bi-Tone Caravans in WA - Bi-Tone was a Millard dealer at that point. The info was posted by Franklin1 on the Bi-Tone thread here in 2009:

Dec 16, 2009 21:56:41 GMT 10 Franklin1 said:

…Back in June 1969, there was a huge fanfare about 65 Millard caravans being shipped by rail from Sydney to Bi-Tone at Welshpool, WA. Nineteen special train decks were used to carry the 65 caravans - one of each model made by Millard at the time. All of them were destined for that one dealer.

The train was 600 yards long (just over half a kilometre), and required five different rail gauge changes between Sydney and Perth. For each gauge change, they had to jack the carriage decks up and change the bogie wheels underneath, without removing the vans from the deck. A monumental effort for the times...

[kenny]

Hi Everyone, well I haven't had much success as I'd hoped in populating this section, but they say "all good things come to those who wait". I found a stunner.

The Brisbane City Council had a tram network that closed in 1969. One of their trams would ply the network with the latest Ford or Holden.

I found a photo advising a Chesney! (ack BCC library)

Enjoy this one

Regards kenny

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Kenny,

Here’s a couple of photos of Viscount caravans on their way to Darwin to be used as accommodation after Cyclone Tracy in 1974 which I’ve copied from the Viscount Caravan Owners - Australia Facebook page:





The first photo was pasted on Facebook by forum member Aussieambo in January this year, and the second by Kent H in October 2017;

In relation to the second photo Twocutekelpies commented on Facebook:

That certainly wouldn't be legal now Apparently this pic was taken at 3 ways road house.
Some comments I've found regarding this bit of history - "The caravans were brought in 3 at a time, one on the back of a light rigid tray top, one on the tow ball, and the last one somehow strapped to the rear bumper of the towed caravan, making a caravan road train of sorts."
"We saw many of these pass through Katherine and particularly as they crossed the Katherine River on the then only high level bridge which was also the railway bridge for the North Australian Railway. This bridge had wooden decking on it and Armco guard railing with occasional breaks in it for pedestrians to safely stand in while trains, road-trains and general vehicle traffic used it. We were accommodated in a nearby Motel and from it we could see the caravan road-trains crossing the bridge and it definitely sounded like they were getting some damage done to the caravans as they bounced off of the Armco. Watching these on the Highway was scary as they seemed to snake down the road far worse that double decker triple trailer cattle transporters."
source caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=54672

Great photos from what was a tragic time.

Don Ricardo

[kenny]

Nice images! Thanks for sharing Don, I understand some caravans also came by train to Darwin via Mt Isa (end of the line).

In researching this, I found these other references to incidents with caravans on QGR trains (excludes caravans being struck while inside the corridor as a train approached):

19/10/71 213m23c Bundaberg - Clayton
Derailment of SMS 6283 and 5266 on 209 Down at Yellow Waterholes Creek, due to a tarpaulin catching in the vee of points. The caravan loads being conveyed on these wagons were damaged. See Courier Mail 20/10/71, Sunshine Express 11/71 p.173.

24/1/75 587m13c NCL Sandy Creek
A caravan loaded on 258 Up struck the bridge superstructure, damaging the caravan. Location between Sarina and Mackay.

13/2/75 Mount Isa
Collision of BGV van 965 and SML 17032 (loaded with caravan) during shunting, damaging the caravan.

12/10/87 Townsville south yard
Derailment of FJS 29181 (loaded mini caravan).


Regards kenny

[kenny]

This wasn't exactly what I was hoping for for in this thread, but its how I located them.  (Ack SLQ collection)

Here are some caravans that 'floated' away (displaced if you will) during the 2011 Qld floods near Grantham.

TOP Caption says "Caravan sitting on the Grantham railway line after being displaced by flood water 2011".
MIDDLE Caption Says "Displaced caravan ready for removal by the Defence force in Grantham 2011"
BOTTOM Caption Says "Australian Defence Force personnel loading a displaced caravan onto a prime mover on Anzac Avenue in Grantham 2011"

Regards kenny.

[kenny]

Here's a caravan on a train in Cairns in 1973!

Always scanning the background for a van & this time it paid off!

Regards kenny

[kenny]

ah HA! found another!

Check this guy out at Bowen (Qld) January 1973

Regards kenny

[Don Ricardo]

Nov 27, 2021 18:11:25 GMT 10 kenny said:

ah HA! found another!

Check this guy out at Bowen (Qld) January 1973

Regards kenny

G'day Kenny,

That is possibly a new or almost new Viscount on the flat truck.

The coloured bands indicate that it is a 1972 model Viscount, so if the photo is January 1973 it hasn't been off the factory floor for long.

Don Ricardo

[kenny]

Found another caravan catching a train, enjoy toot toot!

[kenny]

Here's another ripper 1970 photo of a Chesney being delivered via a train. Nice Landy too! (ack National Archives ECatLIb).

(I know a guy who works for the railway.  When substantial weight isn't placed above the bogies on a railway wagon, the suspension is not activated and hence, the ride would be very rough for the Chesney and Landy.)

[kenny]

2011 "She'll be right mate, load'er up!" Regards kenny

[kenny]

Here's another van being delivered by rail!

Is it an Olympic?  Caption says photo is dated 1966.


Rail yard is Roma Street, Brisbane, Queensland!

[hughdeany]

Hi Kenny,
Very hard to tell but it could be an aluminium Olympic or a Coronet,all I can see is two front windows side by side and 3 others along the side,so looks like a 15x7 whatever it is!
Cheers
hughdeany

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Kenny and Hughdeany,

100% definite it's a fibreglass Olympic. You can tell by the square (rectangular) shape and side and front mouldings.

Don Ricardo

[kenny]

Here is another one being railed. Caption says its Beenleigh, QLD.