The transformation of the Society's oldest carriage, the 106-year-old AL class sleeping car number 1040, has moved forward in a number of ways.

The AL has been safely tucked into one corner of the Canberra carriage shed since December 1984, and since that time Society members have slowly and painstakingly worked on its restoration.

This 'elder statesman' (stateswoman?) of railway carriages has had an illustrious life (click on any of the pictures below to see a larger image).

Built in 1901 at the Eveleigh Workshops in Sydney, 1040 was one of three sleeping cars which initially went into service on the Albury Mail.

After this early use, they moved to the Forbes Mail in 1912, followed by a short life (1921-22) on the Cooma Mail. Subsequent service saw them on the South West Mail (Sydney to Junee), Gulgong Mail, Cowra Mail, Broken Hill Express and North Coast Mail.

The cars were Pullman-type sleepers, built by the NSWGR along the lines of those produced by the famous American company.

Each could accommodate 20 in sleeping berths which ran along the sides of the carriages rather than across, as became the practice for later sleeping cars.

The top bunks swung down on chains from above the main side windows. A spring counter balance system took some of the weight of the heavy berth frame. The bottom bunk was made up by reconfiguring cushions from the daytime seating arrangement.

1040's life did not end with its withdrawal from passenger running - in December 1935 it was converted to a dental clinic car (and recoded DCC 1040), providing dental services in NSW country centres.

But life in this role came to an abrupt end in 1966 when a petrol-driven electricity generating set inside the carriage caught fire and damaged one end of the car. Fortunately, the fire did not destroy the structural integrity of the car.

However, the railways eventually condemned the car and it came into the Society's care in 1977.

Clearly this was a vehicle with great historical value but it was in need of an inordinate amount of work to return it as near as possible to its original condition, so that it could become a public exhibit.

The challenge was taken up by Bob Hall, assisted over the years by a number of other Society members.

The aim has been to repair the internal and external fire damage and reconstruct and restore the wood and glasswork to as close as possible to its sleeping car days.

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At the same time, the work will return the car from its dental configuration to its day-seating configuration, and provide at least some sleeping berths, so Museum visitors can see how travellers experienced sleeping car travel in the early 1900s.

While much remains to be done, great progress has been made:

• where required, new ceiling timbers have been installed;
• layers of paintwork have been stripped back, to reveal the original interior woodwork;
• pressed metal ceiling panels have been replicated and installed - where new panels were required, these were made using a mould to produce a fibreglass copy;
• bulkheads between compartments have been French polished and various timber mouldings are now being worked on and installed in these areas, to recreate these sitting areas as per the original design;
• a number of day seating modules have been re-created.

Cedar was the predominant non-structural timber in the original car, and some timber of this type has been acquired for the restoration. Tasmanian Oak has also been purchased for some of the work.

Getting timber (and parts) appropriate for use in the restoration has always been a challenge, but this was helped in an unusual way in 2007.

The Rail Transport Museum at Thirlmere offered timber and parts from derelict sleeping car AF 23.

Eight AF cars were imported from the Pullman works in the USA in 1891. While bigger than 1040, they were not unlike the subsequent Australian-built AL sleeping car, and so contain timber and fittings of value to this restoration task.

[AF 23 also had an extensive career - it ran as a sleeping car between Sydney and Albury for many years, and during World War Two was one of three AFs converted to carry hospital patients. Later still, it became a 'service vehicle' for NSWGR work crews, eventually being condemned in 1981.]

In April, a small team travelled from Canberra to Thirlmere and was able to retrieve two ute loads of parts including door frames, seat bases and numerous timber mouldings.

These parts, along with other materials bought or donated to the project, will allow further work on the restoration of 1040.

Visitors on their guided tours at the ARHS Museum these days can admire the tongue and groove exterior woodwork on this remarkable carriage, and - sometime in the future - will be able to marvel at its interior beauty.

Note: Progressive reports on 1040's restoration, originally published in the Society's magazine Federal City Express, are being added to the website. See Restoration Reports.