Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT Division)

BAM Sleeping Cars

BAM 1738, 1743, 2189

BAM non-air-conditioned sleeping cars are eight-wheel steel cars built in 1939 as open saloon sitting cars for the New South Wales Railways. In 1968, a prototype (coded BAM 2189) was rebuilt to provide a 14-berth twinette sleeping car with 7 compartments. Each compartment had two berths and wash facilities with hot and cold water, and there were toilets and showers at each end of the car. The compartments had electric (axle-driven) heating. During 1973, a further five cars were converted, with the same facilities but to a slightly different layout, particularly with the conductor's accommodation. These cars were gas heated. All were withdrawn from regular passenger services in November 1988 when overnight mail trains ceased operations in NSW. One of the cars currently based in Canberra, BAM 1741, was on the last Western Mail which ran from Dubbo on 27 November 1988. Today the Society owns three BAM class carriages - BAM 1738, 1743 and 2189. They are housed at Canberra Railway Museum, and are often used on heritage train tours which require overnight accommodation. With 1738, the Society has converted the conductor's compartment to accommodate a guard. It has been recoded to BHM 1738. Also located in the Canberra Railway Museum yard are BAM 1741 and 1748, which are privately owned. 1748 has been modified from its original configuration by converting sleeping cabins at one end to a lounge area.

Click on picture for larger image; use your 'Back' button to return to this page    BAM sleeping car interior    BAM 1743 sleeping car    BHM 1738 (ex-BAM 1738) with guard's area

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