Brief History Of The Class.

GY open wagons were built between 1939 and 1958 to carry bulk wheat and general goods, with a maximum load of 22 tons. The doors were 'grain-proofed' and when transporting grain the open wagons were covered with a tarpaulin.

When not in grain traffic, the vehicles were used for general service: timber, tractors, water tanks or anything that could fit. By the 1970's there were nearly 6,200 GY trucks, and were the largest single class of goods vehicle on the Victorian Railways.

Up to 1948 the GY wagons were painted red with no grain stripe markings. From September 1948, the grain wagons 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, the cost of tarpaulins was becoming prohibitive and the bogie grain fleet had grown to 380 bottom discharge hoppers. With the introduction of a major construction program of over 300 more bogie vehicles, the GY's were out of service by the 1990's.

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References: Vincent, Peter, "GY - Fixed Wheel Open wagon", Victorian Railways Rolling Stock 1886 - 1996, CD-ROM, 1998

History of GY3626 (From P. Vincent)

1/6/1951	Built by Birmingham Railway C & W Co. England.
19??	Arrived at CHTR.

Heritage Significance

GY's are the most common 4-wheel wagon constructed by the Victorian Railways to survive.

Restoration Policy

GY3626 has been restored to accurately exhibit a 1976 painting and lettering scheme.