2HH

ID/Name: 2HH
Type:  Departmental
Description: Breakdown van
Built: 1902
Status: In use

HISTORY

One of 6 large 45t 6 wheel open wagons, they were originally coded as OO and were intended for the cartage of coal from Jumbunna and Outtrim near Korumburra. However, their size made them impractical for use on the infrastructure of the time which was designed for 15t 4 wheel wagons, and they were withdrawn from service after a brief period.

In 1912 all 6 were converted to Breakdown Vans by the edition of extended wooden sides, 4 large doors and a corrugated iron roof. Originally assigned to Bendigo Loco Dept, 2OO was transferred to Geelong Loco Dept in 1934 where it was to stay for the next 52 years.

As the name implies, they were used in breakdowns trains which went out to assist in the recovery of derailments and other such incidents. In this, the wagons carried all the tools the work crews would require onsite.

In the 1957 reclassification of Departmental Stock, they were recoded to HH.

By the mid-1980s, the rail mounted steam cranes had been replaced by commercial mobile cranes and the breakdown gangs been moved over to trucks and centralised. This meant regionally located breakdown trains were no longer required and 2HH was purchased by Daylesford Railway and transported by road in 1986.