GJF bulk grain hoppers


GJF 300 at Bendigo 1978


Number in Class 330
Number group 21 - 350
Construction period 1972
In service 1972 - early 80's
1979 recode VHGY
Where built various
Diagram Body arrangement
Body details
Underframe
Modeling
1 to 200 were built as GJX class. 21 - 200 were recoded to GJF in 1972, 201 - 350 were built as GJF.

By the early 80's all had been recoded to VHGY

Common practice was to use GY's to transport wheat to the big inland terminals at Marmalake (Murtoa) and Dunnoly. Block trains of GJF's would then carry the grain to the seaports of Portland and Geelong for loading into ships. Some branchlines could not carry fully loaded GJF's. They carried 55 tons of grain compared to a GY which could only carry 22 tons

Later, hoppers to a similar design were built as VHGY and VHHF.
The square symbol next to the class/number indicated that the wagon was equipped with load compensating brake equipment. Because they never went interstate they were not equipped with grade control equipment, (a circle next to the class/number)

The reason that GJX's 21 - 200 were recoded from GJX to GJF was because when built many GJX's went to NSW and simply vanished, NSW, like Victoria, were always short of wheat wagons so they put them to good use. Having brand new wagons carrying wheat for another railway was not acceptable to the VR so they removed the grade control equipment which made them unfit for bogie exchange traffic, and recoded them to GJF which meant they stayed in Victoria as they couldn't get "bogie exchanged" and earn revenue carrying wheat for the NSWGR


GJF's 232 and 233 taken to show the new metric lettering. April 24 1972
Official VR photo PR 6243


GJF 301 as built at Newport workshops, Aug 15 1972
Official VR photo, PR 6504


GJF 80 at North Geelong, March 1979. This wagon was built as a GJX and recoded to GJF after its grade control equipment was removed
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan



GJF112 at North Geelong, 1978



GJF 103 at Ballarat 1979


GJF 112 at Nth Geelong April 23 1978


GJF 117 at Nth Geelong April 23 1978


GJF 201, photographed in 1977


ABOVE: GJF 226 at Geelong Feb 1978
photo courtesy Geoff Winkler


GJF 318 at Hamilton, 1979.



GJF 222 at West Footscray 1978



Above photo circa 1978, courtesy Peter J Vincent

GJF's 45, 83 and 32 show the all aluminium design found on numbers 1 - 100


Roof view of GJF 318, Ouyen 1978



VHGY 79 at Bendigo 1980



VHGY 360 at Newport, 1979


GJF 350 has the finishing paint touches applied at Newport workshops, 1972
Official VR photo



By the late 1980's many VHGY's were being recoded to VHGF
Photo courtesy Rob O'Regan



VHGF 140 at Tottenham, Dec. 8 2007

Page last updated Mon, Jan 28, 2013