Five models of M19 operated in Australia. The M19 Z24 E, the M19 Z42 F, the M19 Z63 F, the M19 F and the M19 AA.
M19's were introduced to Australia post WW2 so we never got to see some of the earlier model types downunder. The one unique M19 car we did get was the M19 Z24 E and its history is covered in a seperate page. I note the MR 19 F was being advertised back in the 50's by Tutts and Tutts also carried some technical drawings for this model which indicates that this model was being considered. I have an open mind as to one being assembled here but any evidence apart from drawings is non existant to date.(Feb 2004)
I have allocated a seperate history page for this model. Click on the heading.
The first M19 Z42 downunder was manufactured by Fairmont MN and exported to Australia as a field trial car that is presumed to be for trialing on SAR roads as an M19Z63_F was also manufactued and dispatched at the same time. It left the Fairmont MN the factory in December 1950 and arrived in Australia in 1951. It was the only US assembled M19Z42 car with examination of factory records indicating further imports were first made up of engines and standard gauge parts locally modified, then engines and specific M19Z42 parts all with a standard local content as per other cars being assembled at the time.
The earliest unrestored example and very intact Queensland M19Z42 that I have examined puts its manufacturing date at early 1953. The low Tutts serial number (104) on this car indicating this was when assembly was most likely to have commenced in Australia.
My records indicate that existing M19Z42 SAR road number M7 was also from the same batch as the car above though its serial plate and original engine are long gone as proof posative. I note M7 appears to be the first of the M19Z42's ordered by SAR in 1952 and delivered mid 1953. Numbers M1 to M6 being allocated to M19Z63's.
Research to date indicates Queensland Railways had a minimum fleet of at least 16 M19 Z42's with the last 16 units built allocated factory fitted magneto ignition which was a standard order for QR. Some of the earlier built units may have found their way to QR but only an ex Queensland PMG unit from this time has surfaced. There also appears to be a gap in factory records covering 1953 in which further units may have been produced.
The M19 Z42 quantities that SAR/CR had are also unknown and I have yet to see a serial plate on a SAR model and my SAR records are incomplete. The fleet would not have been large in South Australia compared to Queenslands extensive 42" rail network at the time. Matching QR road numbers to factory serial numbers and records and filling in the spaces shows the fleet at a handfull.
The Emu Bay Railway Company in Tasmania also had at least one M19 Z42. Personal examination of this remaining car dates it circa 1951/2. It is well preserved at the Don River Railway in Tasmania.
Tutt-Bryants stopped assembling them in 1955 when Fairmont MN sent out the last batch of parts for this model in November 1954. The M15Z42-B-1-1- was on the drawing board and so the M19 Z42 became obsolete.
Research to date puts the Australian fleet of M19Z42's at 21 with further research to be undertaken. To date 7 are known to still exist with a fresh lead just in on an 8th car (Jan 2004.)
The Post Masters General Department (PMG) had at least one ex QR M19Z42 in its fleet on Queensland Rails to maintain long distance telephony junctions which followed railway corridors. The history of this car and others operated by the PMG is under research and information will be posted as it comes to hand.
The M19 Z63 F - was assembled for the South Australian Railways broad gauge system back in 1951 and all fitted with the RO-C engine.
The majority of M19 Z63's had extensive rebuilds during their life and a local built SAR/ANR canvas and box steel cab with slanted glass windshields fitted. Some of the later arrivals were run as open cars.
Pacific ACE, a sub company of Tutt-Bryants, constructed another 24 M19 Z63's at their Hornsby NSW/Salibury QLD factory's between 1964 with the last one ever built rolling off the assembly line in December 1971.
This gave SAR and Australia a minimum fleet of 73 M19Z63's according to the build data and factory records I have.
I note the last M19 Z63 ever assembled in Australia went to Victoria and it was the only M19 Fairmont that the Victorian Railways - VR- ever had. It also had Magneto ignition. It is preserved.
A number of M19 Z63's still exist. Some are owned privately, some reside in Museums and some are owned or in use on Tourist Railroads in South Australia.
The M19-AA's were built by Pacific ACE in their Salisbury plant in Queensland.
A total fleet of 12 M19-AA's fitted with the imported RKB-6 Fairmont twin cylinder engines were manufactured and all ran in South Australia. The first two, serial No.s 1 & 2, were ordered by Commonwealth Railways on the 10 July 1967 and delivered on the 27th February 1968.
They proved a success at the time and another 10 were ordered on the 9th October 1969 and all delivered on 25th March 1970. These later cars were supposed to carry the serial numbers 3-12 but left the factory with the next set of M19 F serial numbers 34 - 43.
The M19-AA's were eventually re motored with the ROC engine. It is claimed that the RKB engine was too powerful and too fast??? That may have been partly true but why did they order ten more after running two successfully for the first two years. I suspect more likely that it was a cheaper option to fit an ROC engine which were plentiful at the time rather than rebuild the RKB Twins as they wore out.
A number of M19 AA's have survived but alas none with the RKB twin.
A single M19-F-1 Standard Gauge along with an ST2-H-1 were first ordered by Tutts Bryants in August 1948 for field trials on the NSWGR railway system during 1949. This first M19 was assembled at the Fairmont MN factory.
After successful trials and no doubt some good salesmanship from Tutts a batch of M19-F-2 parts and engines were sent in November 1949 for local assembly with some Australian content. These cars once assembled were allocated local Tutt-Bryant serial numbers as they were only considered parts by Fairmont MN. I note the 2nd car (number three in Australia) from this batch has survived and is privately owned by this author.
I have no data to say if they found their way also to the Commonwealth System at this time but it seems unlikely.
Production was intense during the early 50's with many examples surviving. It would appear delivery slowed down in the mid 50's when NSWGR introduced the Wickem model and production of the NSWGR 'TIC' model increased.
1967 saw a resurgence in production with the conversion of a lot of Commonwealth Railways 42" gauge trackage to standard in South Australia.
A total of 15 units were assembled between 1967 and 1974. 14 to Commonwealth Railways in SA and the last one to a mining company in Western Australia. The last standard gauge model assembled in Australia rolled of the production line in February 1974.
A minimum of 133 M19's were assembled in Australia.
NSWGR M19's either remained virtually intact or were extensively modified with the fitting of different motors and drive line, lengthening of the body for two seats either side etc etc and these modifications varied between districts. There are some unusual creations still to be seen. Generators were never fitted to the early NSWGR M19's.
The CR M19's delivered during the 60's and 70's were fitted with the standard CR 'Bird Cage' type steel cab. This cab was to heavy for the aluminium frame and saw a number of earlier than usual frame rebuilds using mild steel angle.
Serial numbers 1022 to 1033 had the unique Fairmont Electric Start fitted. Records indicate 1022 to 1026 were also ordered with Magneto ignition, most unusual for a standard gauge M19 in Australia and I suspect the rest were as 1044 is still extant with magneto. The reasons for this combination was electric start to overcome the 'Kickback' from magneto ignition and magneto ignition was utilised incase of battery failure as these cars operated in remote locations. I note M15's operated by CR also had the Electric Start/Magneto combo.
I was told a story by an old retired fitter some time back about how an RQD engine was fitted into an M19...He describe modifications to the engine bay etc and told me that it proved to damm dangerous to operate and was subsequently dismantled. I must admit I was a tad sceptical about the story until a box of parts from his old area came my way recently. There in the box was an M19 engine belt pulley and sweated onto it was an enlarging ring with three holes..and you guessed it the pulley bolted straight onto an RQD engine...
Quite a few M19's from both NSWGR and SA have survived with a number in private ownership.
Copyright © TFHL/Mark Swaby 2004 - All rights reserved
Updated 2nd March 2004