VR Sleeping/State Cars
Enterprise and Perseverance were in service 18/02/1890 and 5/06/1890 respectively and were constructed as sleeping cars on the Ararat to Portland line. This service stopped by 1898 and both cars were repurposed.
After the sleeping service was disbanded on the Portland line they served for a short time as sleeping cars on the Melbourne to Albury train. Perseverance was modified and renamed “Inspection” in 1900 It was again internally modified and renamed “Norman” 20/01/1921 being taken off register in 1962. When State Car 1 was scrapped the underframe was placed under Norman. The existing Norman is a hybrid of both cars. In use for many years with the railway commissioners this car would have travelled on every line extant from 1930 till withdrawn from service. It was used for royal tours and many times on the RESO train. It is now used as a display car at the North Williamstown Railway Museum. Enterprise was converted to State Car 1 in 1900. It was scrapped 28/08/1956 Both cars were wooden construction with 64’ long bodies and were 9’ 6.5” wide. They had end platforms which were used for access
ABOVE: ENTERPRISE in as built condition. BELOW: After it was modified to No 1 State. photo date 1931.
ABOVE: Diagram of No1 State car from 1904 diagrams book.
ABOVE & BELOW: No1 State car, this photo was likely taken after its removal from service, just before it was scrapped in 1956
ABOVE & BELOW: No known photos exist of Perserverance but after conversion to Norman there are quite a few photos, these two were taken in 1927
ABOVE: Diagram of Inspection car, after it was converted from Perserverance but before it became Norman (1921). From 1904 diagrams book.
ABOVE: Ovens entered service Aug 1928 when this photo was taken. It was initially used on the Mildura line according to the 1929 Annual Report. In 1938 it was recoded to No 3 sleeper.
