GJX Grain Hopper Small VR Logo
GJF Grain Hopper Small VR Logo
Version 2 – 4 pack of GJF aluminium coloured hoppers with small black `VR` logos. This version will feature the GJF hopper with the small black ‘VR’ logo as it ran soon after introduction. This version does not have grade control valves.
GJX Grain Hopper Large VR Logo
Version 3 – 4 pack of GJX aluminium coloured hoppers with large black `VR` logos. This version will feature the GJX hopper with the large black ‘VR’ logo as it ran in the 1970’s and 1980’s. This version features grade control valves.
GJF Grain Hopper Large VR Logo
Version 4 – 4 pack of GJF aluminium coloured hoppers with large black `VR` logos. This version will feature the GJF hopper with the large black ‘VR’ logo as it ran in the 1970’s and 1980’s. This version does not have grade control valves.
VHRX/VHRF Rice Hopper V/Line Freight/Sunrice Country
Version 5 – 4 pack of VHRX/VHRF grey coloured hoppers with orange sill band, `V/LINE FREIGHT` lettering on one side, and `CARRYING AUSTRALIAN RICE TO THE WORLD FROM SUNRICE COUNTRY` lettering on the other. This version will feature the VHRX and VHRF hoppers that carried rice in the mid-1990’s. VHRX 12H will feature grade control valves, the VHRF wagons will not.
VHRF Rice Hopper V/Line Freight/Sunrice Country
Version 6 – 4 pack of VHRF grey coloured hoppers with orange sill band, `V/LINE FREIGHT` lettering on one side, and `CARRYING AUSTRALIAN RICE TO THE WORLD FROM SUNRICE COUNTRY` lettering on the other. This version will feature the VHRF hoppers that carried rice in the mid-1990’s. The VHRF wagons will not have grade control valves.
VHGF Grain Hopper Freight Australia All Green
Version 7 – 4 pack of VHGF all green coloured hoppers with various styles of `FREIGHT AUSTRALIA` lettering. This version will feature the VHGF hoppers as they appeared from 1999 onwards, until the ground operated lids were fitted.
VHGF Grain Hopper Freight Australia Green & Yellow
Version 8 – 4 pack of VHGF green coloured hoppers with yellow sill band, and `FREIGHT AUSTRALIA` lettering. This version will feature the VHGF hoppers with ground operated lid modifications, in FA green and yellow livery, as they began to appear from 2003 onwards.
VHGF Grain Hopper Pacific National Blue & Yellow
Version 9 – 4 pack of VHGF blue coloured hoppers with yellow sill band, and `PACIFIC NATIONAL` lettering. This version will feature the VHGF hoppers with ground operated lid modifications, in the PN blue and yellow livery, as they began to appear from 2004 onwards.
VICTORIAN GJX GRAIN HOPPER – PROTOTYPE OVERVIEW The Victorian Railways received delivery of the Tulloch-built aluminium GJX grain hoppers in 1966. The order was for 100 wagons, numbered from 1 to 100. The first 20 units were later fitted with grade control valves and retained the GJX coding. At the same time, the final 80 hoppers that did not feature grade control valves were recoded to GJF. In the 1970’s, a number of hoppers had the small ‘VR’ logo replaced with a large ‘VR’ logo. Some GJX hoppers saw service in NSW in the early 1970’s. In the period 1979-1981, the GJX hoppers were recoded to VHGX, and the GJF hoppers recoded to VHGY. Later in the 80’s, the VHGY wagons were recoded to VHGF. In the mid to late 1990’s, a number of hoppers were reclassified as VHRX and VHRF to carry rice. They were painted in the V/Line grey livery with tangerine (orange) band, and sported ‘V/LINE FREIGHT’ lettering on one side, and ‘CARRYING AUSTRALIAN RICE TO THE WORLD FROM SUNRICE COUNTRY’ on the other. All of these hoppers have since lost this livery and reverted to the VHGX/VHGF classifications to again carry grain. After the purchase of V/Line Freight by Rail America, the VHGX/VHGF hoppers were painted in an all green livery with various styles of ‘FREIGHT AUSTRALIA’ lettering, and later a yellow band was added. Some of these aluminium VHGF hoppers have also seen use in NSW working on the Friskies services for Freight Australia. In 2003, a program was commenced to convert the manual roof hatches to pneumatic ground operated lids. New roof hatches were fitted as part of this process, together with an additional air reservoir, control boxes, dump valve and pneumatic ram to rotate a new shaft connected to the hatches. With the sale of Freight Australia to Pacific National (PN) in 2004, the PN blue and yellow livery is being progressively applied to the fleet. A little over 80 aluminium VHGF hoppers remain in traffic, and all have now been fitted with ground-operated roof hatches. VICTORIAN GJX GRAIN HOPPER – PROTOTYPE PHOTOS
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