GJF bulk grain hoppers
GJF 300 at Bendigo 1978
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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. |
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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
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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
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