Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT Division)

First Class Sitting Car BJ 897 BJ 897 is a wooden-bodied, first class, 30 seat compartment car. It was built in 1904 as an AM class sleeping car in the same style as BVJ 1457, and converted in 1950 to its current sitting car configuration. AM 897 was one of three sleeping cars built in 1904 to providing accommodation on the then new North West Mail. The car's five compartments each contained four sleeping berths. An end compartment was for use by female travellers, and this was separated from the other four by a door in the corridor. When these cars first entered service, they had gas lighting. Electric lighting came in the 1920s. About this time, the AM cars were reconfigured from four sleeping berths per compartment to two, providing more privacy for travellers. In 1950, the car was converted to a first class sitting car, with the code BJ 897. After being condemned in 1983, BJ 897 was acquired by the Society and was renovated. It operated briefly in 1988. Until 2001, it was used as a static display at the Canberra Railway Museum. After several months of restoration, the carriage was again returned to service for the Centenary of Federation train on Sunday, 16 September 2001. The lower photo on the right shows the exterior of this carriage on September 16 while at Queanbeyan station. Even after all her changes, BJ 897 still retains elaborate pressed metal ceilings.

Click on picture for larger image; use your 'Back' button to return to this page    BJ 897, museum platform    Queanbeyan, 2001

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