South Australian Railways (SAR) carriage Wandana has a complicated history and now consists of the original body of Car 181 and the original underframe of Car 219, having been modified several times during its service life. The underframe number typically carried forward as the number of modified vehicles.
Narrow gauge carriage 181 was built in 1911 as a standard Long Tom passenger car with seating capacity of 60, longitudinal seats and two toilets, and in 1926-7 became surplus (after Western Division conversion to broad gauge), and so was converted to broad gauge, including modification of bogies and underframe, as Car 493, and Car 181 ceased to exist.
Car 181's original body (on Car 493) was transferred back to narrow gauge onto the underframe of Car 219 in 1942, when Car 493 swapped bodies with SAR Car 219. Car 219's original body had been converted to a first class lounge car for the East-West trains. Car 493 was later scrapped.
Narrow gauge carriage 219 was built in 1919 as a standard Long Tom passenger carriage. At the time of the body swap, the original body of Car 181 was placed on Car 219's underframe and fitted with 36 bunks in three tiers to convey patients on World War II hospital trains between Alice Springs and Terowie.
In 1945, Car 219 was refitted with longitudinal seating and transferred to the South East Division, and then in 1958 was modified at Islington works and issued to the Port Lincoln Division as a relay van with sleeping accommodation. A hand brake and Guard's compartment was fitted in the 1958 SAR conversion. The Port Lincoln Division renumbered the vehicle as Car 209 (in sequence with other vehicles at Pt Lincoln). The vehicle was finally purchased by Pichi Richi Railway in 1974.
The seating capacity is now 36, and the car sees regular service as part of the Pichi Richi Explorer consist. In 2025-26 the vehicle is undergoing extensive timber frame repairs at Quorn.
In Pichi Richi Railway service, the carriage has been named Wandana, although it was never named by the SAR.1
1. SAR Short Tom carriage 174 was built in 1909 and was named Wandana when it was converted to a sleeper/observation car and issued to the SAR's Port Lincoln Division in 1917. "Wandana" possibly referred to the SS Wandana ship. Car 174 was a 'Short Tom', although 6 inches wider than other 'Short Toms'. It was converted to a workmans dining and sleeping van with shower in 1942, and resumed its number "174". In 1966 it was condemned at Port Lincoln. See Comrails.
