Rollingstock

Locomotives

Planet Locos
At least five locomotives were used at various times during the history of the Maylands Brickworks.
Early on, the brickworks acquired two four-wheel Type 'Y' Planet locos built by Messrs F.C. Hibberd & Co. Ltd., Park Royal, London. They were both fitted with Ford 10 engines. Numerous examples of Type 'Y' locos were used around the world. Two almost identical locos were also built for Whiteman Brickworks in Helena Vale.

One of the Maylands Planet locos was numbered with a yellow '1' on the rear of the drivers cab and featured a laterally curving roof. The second loco had a forward curving roof and appears to not have been numbered. The rooves were thought to be made of masonite.

One of the original Planet Type 'Y' locomotives numbered '1.' photographed by Weston Langford at Maylands in 1966.

Closeup of number '1.' from a 1966 photo by Weston Langford.

The second unnumbered Planet Type 'Y' locomotive photographed by E. Woodland at Maylands in the 1960s. 

Whiteman Type 'Y' Planet loco "Gertie" photographed by Weston Langford at Helena Vale in 1976.

A Whiteman Brick Planet loco after it was re-engined (note the overhanging radiator) photographed by Keith McDonald at Helena Vale in 1971.

Homemade Locos
The Planet locos were underpowered for the brickworks needs and were written off by the end of the 1960s. As a replacement for the Planet locos, three four-wheel petrol locomotives were built by the brickworks. They were powered by red Holden 186 6-cylinder engines with automatic transmissions and a chain-drive.

The homemade locomotives can be differentiated by their rooves, fuel tanks and engine covers. One loco had an angular roof and the other two had curved rooves with yellow chevron on their nose. One of the curved rooved locos had a slightly different frame and also had planks of wood on the roof.

The homemade locomotive with angular roof photographed by Nicholas Pusenjak in 1970.


The same loco photographed by D. Beazley in 1970.

One of the homemade locomotives with curved roof photographed by Jim Bisdee in 1980. Note planks of wood on roof.

The same loco as above showing the yellow 'V' chevron photographed by David Whiteford in 1980.

The second curved rooved homemade locomotive photographed by Geoff Murdoch in 1973. (LR 43)
Note the angled chevrons and slightly larger engine hood compared to the loco pictured above.

The same loco as above photographed by Jeff Austin in the late 1970s.

All locos were around 6 foot high and painted green. 'Doors' consisted of hessian bags sewn together on a makeshift curtain rail.

Hoppers

The side-tipping hopper wagons were originally pushed by hand before motive power was employed. The wagons look to be homemade due to each hopper being slightly different in size and shape. There appear to be two main types of hoppers; some with channel end frames, but the majority had box end frames. Some hoppers have dual end support struts, while others have a single angled support. The wagons were coupled together with a length of chain of about five or six links between each truck to form a train of around six (with Planet locos) to ten in length (with the homemade locos). Roughly 24 side-tipping trucks were thought to be in use in 1973, with numerous others discarded on the side of the line. Most of the hoppers had a number painted on the end and/or side, some with a white background.

1966 photo by Weston Langford showing the difference between the two main hopper frames.

More 1966 hopper photos by Weston Langford. Note the discarded early style hopper near the perway and the chain couplings on the ground.

Comparison of hopper types from a 1980 photo by Jim Bisdee.

Preservation

The two Planet locos are long since scrapped, but two homemade locomotives have survived into preservation; the angled roof loco (now known as "Maylands") and three hoppers were acquired by the W.A.L.R.P.A (Bennett Brook Railway) in 1981. One of the curved roof locos and 4 side hoppers were sold to Moonta Mines Railway in South Australia. The WALRPA loco was rebuilt with new body incorporating a curved cab roof and a bonnet from a Chamberlain tractor. The Moonta Mines loco has also been significantly rebuilt. It is unknown at this point what happened to the second curved roof loco.

A Planet 'Y' from Whiteman Brickworks now known as "Yellow Rose" is also preserved at Bennett Brook.

"Maylands" on one of the first trains on the Bennett Brook Railway at Whiteman Park photographed by Lindsay Watson in 1984. (The first wagon is actually built on the frame from an old Maylands side-tipping wagon)

Moonta Mines Railway loco "Maylands" photographed by Weston Langford in South Australia in 2002.

References:

Bradford, R. B. 2006. "Maylands locomotive (LR 187)". Light Railways 189

McKillop, B. 2006. "From Back Yard to Bennett Brook 1976-2005: A history of the Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Association". Light Railways 187

Murdoch, G. 1973. "The Metropolitan Brickworks Tramway". Light Railways 43

Watson, L. 2008. "Whiteman Brickworks Tramways, Middle Swan, Western Australia". Light Railways 204