Built to add sleeping car capacity to the "Spirit ofProgress" on the the Melb - Canberra and Melb - Sydney service. The code came from AM being a NSW code for a sleeping car with a V added to it denoting Victorian ownership. As a "composite car" its sleeping compartments could operate as a normal compartment sitting car. At some time before the mid 1970's VAM 1 was put on broad gauge and was a regular on The Vinelander at least through the late 1970's. It was recoded to SZ 287 in 1983