GJF bulk grain hoppers

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
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 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