M815

ID/Name: M815
Type:  Goods Wagon
Description: Cattle Truck
Built: 1953
Status: Available for traffic

History

This style of cattle truck dates back to 1897, although M815 is one of the last batch built in the 1950s and makes use of welding in place of rivets in the construction of the frame. they were used to transport cattle form all over the State to the Newmarket Sales yard in Melbourne and to other such facilities in country Victoria such as Bendigo and Ballarat.

They were heavily associated with the Wodonga to Cudgewa branchline in the North East of the State where cattle from the high country made up the majority of goods traffic on the line.

Through the 1970s much live stock business was lost to the road, with the traffic finally ending on the railway in 1986.

M815 was allocated to Seymour Railway Heritage Centre and became surplus to their needs in 2015 at which time it was transferred to Daylesford Railway by road.

Of interest 3 M wagons were built with taller roofs for the transport of elephants as part of the Wirths Circus Train.