L four wheel sheep vans
ABOVE: L 791 circa 1934. photo courtesy PROV
Although they mainly carried sheep, other animals such as pigs were occasionally carried. They often ran in block trains from the country to two main locations in Melbourne: Newmarket stockyards and animal processing plants near Brooklyn. In the 1970's a live sheep export trade was established with Saudi Arabia and the L's were used extensively to move the sheep to Portland for loading onto ships.
Numbers 1 - 1252 featured a peaked or gable roof. L 1253 onwards featured curved roofs.
Numbers 1 - 282 were replacements for earlier wooden L wagons which are shown at the bottom of the page.
It is interesting to note that VR built fifty bogie sheep wagons in 1928 yet they continued building these 4 wheel wagons up until 1953.
Steam Era Models make a HO scale kit.
Veteran Models make an O scale kit.
| Numbers | Quantity | Year/s built | Notes |
| 1 - 282 | 254 | 1896 - 1920 | 1 |
| 283 - 382 | 100 | 1920 | |
| 383 - 402 | 20 | 1903 | |
| 403 - 452 | 50 | 1905 | |
| 453 - 602 | 150 | 1907 | |
| 603 - 620 | 18 | 1908 | |
| 621 - 702 | 82 | 1909 | |
| 703 - 802 | 100 | 1911 | |
| 803 - 902 | 100 | 1912 | |
| 903 - 977 | 75 | 1914 | |
| 978 - 1052 | 75 | 1916 | |
| 1053 - 1136 | 84 | 1918 | |
| 1137 - 1152 | 16 | 1919 | |
| 1153 - 1202 | 50 | 1920 | |
| 1203 - 1236 | 34 | 1924 | |
| 1237 - 1252 | 16 | 1925 | 2 |
| 1253 - 1332 | 80 | 1938 | |
| 1333 - 1432 | 100 | 1953 | |
ABOVE: A rake of L wagons about to be unloaded at Newmarket, circa 1940. photo courtesy PROV.
ABOVE: Classleader L 1 at Tottenham, Nov 6 1975, photo courtesy Peter J. Vincent
ABOVE: L 15 photographed circa 1905, was built new in 1896. It was autocoupled in 1932. photo courtesy PROV
ABOVE: The caption for this image says it is L 100 but there are no class or number markings on the wagon. L 100 was built at Newport workshops June 1912 which is most likely when this photo was taken.
ABOVE: Builders photo of L 601 which was constructed Oct 1907. The number boards were later moved, also note the dual waybill clip. Each deck could have a different consignor. Whilst the vehicle was airbraked auto couplers would have to wait until 1932.
ABOVE: Unknown L with steel underframe and wooden body. This wagon may have been equipped with a steel body at some stage, more research is needed. BELOW: Unknown L with a wooden underframe and body, this wagon had a through brake pipe but not an operating air brake. Note the solid ends on both wagons.
