BE

economy class wooden compartment pass.

ABOVE: BE 47 (ex BDSE) at Geelong, Aug. 23 1978
Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

Number in Class Number group 1 - 61 Construction period 1906 - 1923 In service 1910 - mid 80's Where built Newport (5-10 and 40-43 at Islington SA) Diagram Model info. SEM make a HO kit that requires kitbashing	Found mainly on longer distance intrastate passes, the BE's had beautifully crafted interiors featuring nicely upholstered seats (8 per compartment) and fine woodwork, they rode supurbly at high speed. The "E" apparently stood for "E"xpress.

ABOVE: BE 1 at Wangaratta Sept 15 1969. The 63 year old car is so freshly painted that the smell of the new paint probably filled the air. In April 1970 the term "second class" was replaced with "economy class" which means this would probably be one of the last cars to be painted "second class", (photo courtesy Neville Gee)

ABOVE: BE 2 at Geelong, Sept. 28 1978 Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: BE 4 at Mangalore, circa 1974. (photo courtesy David Langley)

ABOVE: BE 7 appears to be photographed in Adelaide in the early 1970s. (SLV collection)

ABOVE: BE 10 at Spencer St circa 1974. (photo courtesy David Langley)

ABOVE: BE 43 was unique. It is missing its queenposts and truss rods. It was converted to a fishbelly underframe by SAR as part of auto coupler provision proposals. The VR did the same with the BCEs but the fishbelly conversion was deemed too expensive so a value engineered conversion of the existing underframes retaining queen posts, truss rods and modifies centre sill was progressed. circa mid 1950s. (Caption by Phil Dunn, photo courtesy Brian McClure)

ABOVE: BE 12 at Spencer St, Oct. 14 1978 (photo courtesy Geoff Winkler)

ABOVE: BE 14, location unknown, 1979.

ABOVE: BE 21 at Geelong, Jan. 13 1978 (photo courtesy Geoff Winkler)

ABOVE: BE 23 at Ballarat, Oct. 2 1978 Photo courtesy Geoff Winkler

ABOVE: BE 27, possibly at Rutherglen, early 1970s, photo courtesy David Langley

ABOVE: BE 29 at Spencer Street, 1978. BELOW: at Spencer St Sep 1984.

ABOVE: A badly damaged BE 27 just prior to scrapping at Newport, mid 1980s Not that the underframe has been stripped of all equipment.

ABOVE & BELOW: BE 30 at Spencer St, circa 1936. (SLV collection)

 

ABOVE: BE 31 at Cobram circa 1974. (photo courtesy David Langley)

ABOVE & BELOW: BE 34 was built 7-10-1910 and was airconditioned 22-6-1938 and recieved the SOP bogies you see here Nov 1960.

BELOW: BE 36 at Spencer St, circa 1936. (SLV Collection)

 

ABOVE: BE 51 at Albury circa 1979, photo courtesy Rob O'Regan

ABOVE: BE 52 at Spencer St circa 1982. This car was air conditioned in 1939. photo courtesy David Langley.