Twenty six new 70' express stock cars were built between 1906 and 1909. This design and cars placed into service were a direct result of the electrification project. The new cars allowed the cascading of older stock to provide stock suitable for electric suburban service.
The new code was AVE, the car numbers were 1 - 26.
In the 1910 recoding the class was relettered to AE. The original numbers were retained.
Twelve cars were built during 1912 ( Nos. 27 - 38 ) and four cars in 1923 ( Nos. 39 - 42 ).
Following a disastrous train fire on a Bairnsdale train in 1912 in which two carriages were destroyed to their underframes and rebuilt later. One of the cars was 34 AE. It was rebuilt and issued to service in 1914.
Some cars were in Joint Stock service between Adelaide and Melbourne.
The class were converted for different uses: dining or buffet cars as required.
Car 36AE was notable as this car was the prototype car for air conditioning carriages in VR service, the test for the "Spirit of Progress" cars. 36 AE entered service 13/12/1935 after air conditioning modifications. What was not known until now was the car went in to the Workshops on 31/5/1935; about seven months of work for the air conditioning fit.
In the early 1980's, some _BE_ cars were recoded to AE. They used numbers in the '50' group. The BE cars had previously been AE cars until conversions in the early 1960's.
Vehicle history list
No photos found for AVE
Diagrams for 'AVE '
FileID Description................................................BF625 AVE - 1-4, 1908, [sPJV]BF621 AVE - 5-10 JS, 1908, [sPJV]
Photos for 'AE '
FileID Description................................................AU254 AE 2 - part view, Spencer Street, c1924, [oMDN]CM941 AE 2 - s2e2c, 1970s, [oBAU]BB136 AE 4 - undergear removed/scrapping, Newport Workshops, 18/7/1984, [oPJV]AA579 AE 10 - V&SA, Newport Workshops, c1975, [oPJV]AV824 AE 13 - s1, Spencer St, 1/2/1976, [oPJV]BD162 AE 18 - s2e2, Spencer Street, 19/10/1976, [oRXO]BE707 AE 19, Flinders Street Yard, 27/8/1981, [oPJV]BD163 AE 23 - s1e1, Spencer Street, 18/10/1976, [oRXO]BD616 AE 24 - e1 bogie, Flinders Street Yard, 27/7/1981, [oPJV]BD617 AE 24 - e2 bogie, Flinders Street Yard, 27/7/1981, [oPJV]BD618 AE 24 - s1e1, Flinders Street Yard, 27/7/1981, [oPJV]CB178 AE 24 - s1p, Cobram, 15/4/1979, [oPJV]CB179 AE 24 - s1q, Cobram, 15/4/1979, [oPJV]CM942 AE 28, Spencer Street, 1970s, [oBAU]CM943 AE 28 - bogie, Spencer Street, 1970s, [oBAU]BQ208 AE 28 - part view, Flinders Street Yard, 24/3/1981, [oPJV]CC255 AE 28 - part view, Flinders Street Yard, 3/4/1979, [oPJV]AA010 AE 35, [oMDN]AC587 AE 36 - new aircon, [sFXK]AA580 AE 38, c1976, [oPJV]BD310 AE 38 - s2e1, Wodonga, 12/4/1975, [oPJV]BD164 AE 38 - s2e1, Spencer Street, 4/11/1976, [oRXO]AA581 AE 42 - V&SA stored, Newport Workshops, c1975, [oPJV]DJ632 AE 51 - on Up Bendigo set, s2e1, Sunshine, 11/1983, [oPJV]AV345 AE 51 - s1, Flinders Street Yard, 2/11/1983, [oPJV]BQ579 AE 52, Flinders Street Yard, 10/10/1984, [oPJV]AV079 AE 52 - s2 (1), Flinders Street Yard, 6/6/1983, [oPJV]AV094 AE 52 - s2 (2), Flinders Street Yard, 6/6/1983, [oPJV]
Diagrams for 'AE '
FileID Description................................................BF655 AE - (AVE), [sPJV]AQ050 AE - 1-4, 11 - 38, 1914, [sPJV]BF652 AE - JS, [sPJV]
File c320m compiled by Peter J. Vincent, updated 9/10/2007