GY - Fixed Wheel Open wagon


The GY wagon evolved from bogie open wagons coded E, first introduced in 1925. The design is not directly from the E but the heritage is distinct. The design path was _E__ to _IZ_ to _GZ_ to GY to _HY_ to E.

From the E wagon, a four wheel wagon was developed that incorporated similar door widths and axleboxes. The vehicle was classed _IZ_. A grain proofed version was built which was welded and was coded GZ. A reduced capacity truck was required for branchlines that were laid with 60lb/yd rail. The 22ton capacity open wagon coded GY evolved in 1939.

To complete the design cycle, a non grain proof version of the GY was built. The code for this was HY and they were introduced to service in 1948. By the mid 1950's many of the remaining E bogie wagons of rivetted construction were in need of major repair. To rebuild the E wagon, the body was replaced with a welded one which in the main utilised HY components. Thus completed the cycle started in 1927.

Up until 1935 grain was bagged and then moved in standard wagons. The _G__, GZ and GY vehicles in service from then were used for bulk grain; the doors and sides being "grain proof". They were top loaded, tarpaulin covered and at the Geelong Terminal for unloading. In the 1950's unloading was deemed too slow with men and shovels. Mechanical scrapers were used to assist in removing the grain.

Block grain trains of GY's were treated with great respect by train crews as runaways could occur unless care was taken descending long grades.

When not in grain traffic, the vehicles were used for general service: timber, tractors, water tanks or anything that could fit. As there was considerable expense in making the wagons grain proof again for the seasonal wheat traffic, about 1000 wagons were placed into general service only and coded _G__ between 1980 and 1985. This was anticipated by the author as early as 1978 as the number of general class vehicles in service were being drastically cut.

Up to 1948 the GY wagons were painted red with no grain stripe markings. With the introduction of the _HY_, confusion arose with HY wagons being loaded with grain by mistake. From September 1948, the grain wagon classes: G, GY and GZ were marked with a yellow stripe at diagonal corners to denote 'grainproof'.

To assist train visibility in the 1970's, GY wagons started to be painted 'Hansa' yellow from late 1969. By the late 1970's only about one or two GY wagons remained in red scheme.

By the late 1970's, the cost of tarpaulins was becoming prohibitive and the bogie grain fleet had grown to 380 bottom discharge hoppers. To assist the grain handling over 800 of the GY's were drastically modified with bottom discharge hoppers and metal tops. The prototype for these wagons was GY 2207 which became GH 1 after the initial trails in March 1979. The wagons were coded to _GH_ With the introduction of a major construction program of over 300 more bogie vehicles, the GH's were out of service by the 1990's.

Types

The number group for GY's runs 1 - 1160, 2001 - 3149, 3380 - 6149, 15869 - 16129, 16131 - 16722, 16724 - 17030. These numbers break down to three main construction types from several different wagon codes. The wagons number 16130 and 16723 were scrapped prior to the GY conversion program.

Vehicle history list