897 - BJ class sitting car

BJ class sitting car

Built: 1904

Builder: New South Wales Railways, Eveleigh

Current status: Static display

At a glance, BJ 897 is strikingly similar in appearance to AL1040. But on closer inspection, there are fundamental differences which set the two apart. BJ 897 can trace its origins to the Mann Boudoir Car Company, a carriage manufacturer that first opened its doors in 1883. At their peak, Mann supplied luxury passenger cars for some of the most prestigious trains in the world - chiefly the infamous Orient Express - and were the largest competitor to the Pullman company.

The company was formed by William D’Alton Mann, an American engineer who dabbled in just about everything - upgrading military arms, railcar design, even magazine publication! Mann invented the sleeping compartment (earlier Pullman designs had passengers sleeping in a large shared space), and was also one of the pioneers of the corridor connector, allowing passage between carriages while the train was in motion.

The Mann Boudoir Car Co. didn’t last very long. After becoming part of the Union Palace Car Co. in 1888, it was very quickly bought out by rival company Pullman. The Mann brand fell out of use from 1909, but Mann’s innovations persisted, becoming the new normal.

897 was built in 1904 as an AM class sleeping car, but with the introduction of the TAM sleepers in the 1910s-1920s, it was no longer fit for purpose and was rebuilt in the 1930s as a BJ first class sitting car. Coming to Canberra Railway Museum in the 1970s, it showcases not only the rivalry between Pullman and Mann, but the fate that befell many turn-of-the-century sleeping cars.