Class GB open wagons

GB6773 between a pair of G's at Wagin in about 1907 blown up from State Library of WA 009847PD In 1904 a group of new G class wagons was built with vacuum brakes but wooden underframes. Further examples were built in 1905 but these were now classified GB as were the rest of the class of 453 wagons. Construction ended in 1906 when a longer version of the same design was introduced as the GC class.

These wagons had a relatively uneventful existence and when their timbers started to become life expired the metal parts were salvaged for new GC class wagons. This process continued for some time to the point where steel underframe and wooden underframe versions of class GC were being produced in parallel by recycling GB components. Presumably this reflected the relative condition of the GB parts being reused. Possibly the most surprising examples were the wooden framed GCs produced in 1951/2 although this could be a reflection of a contemporary steel shortage. However, from 1953 any remaining GB's were withdrawn.

The photo shows a string of brand new GBs in 1905 at Midland Workshops (WAGR official - RHWA collection).

1904	154, 241, 242, 257, 259, 402, 403, 438, 447 built as class G
1905	62, 139, 6345 - 6668 built
1906	6669 - 6784 built
1907	154, 241, 242, 257, 259, 402, 403, 438, 447 reclassified from class G to class GB
1909	6421, 6537, 6556, 6571, 6594, 6601, 6712, 6765, 6773 transferred to Hopetoun line.
1912	6463 replaced by new GC
1918	237, 245 built to replace G class wagons
1921	6397, 6484, 6659 replaced by GC
1924	6607 replaced by GC
1925	6486, 6489, 6524, 6526, 6545, 6615, 6647, 6676, 6741 converted to class M
1926	402, 6420, 6432, 6453, 6541, 6604, 6622 replaced by GC
1927	6413, 6442 replaced by GC 6571, 6601 fitted with ridgepoles at Hopetoun
1928	241, 6698 replaced by GC
1929	6381, 6417, 6436, 6491, 6500, 6513, 6548, 6560, 6605, 6626, 6664, 6680, 6761 converted to class M 6358, 6367, 6375, 6462, 6519, 6529, 6654, 6657, 6696, 6742, 6748, 6767, 6776 replaced by GC 6734 written off (presumably an accident victim)
1930	403, 6349, 6352, 6355, 6374, 6387, 6403, 6414, 6419, 6464, 6492, 6495, 6535, 6536, 6542, 6552, 6562, 6578, 6580, 6602, 6610, 6613, 6617, 6619, 6621, 6635, 6662, 6707, 6720, 6721, 6738, 6740, 6768, 6783 replaced by GC
1931	6382, 6482, 6625, 6631, 6634, 6648, 6673, 6704, 6757 replaced by GC 6389, 6744 replaced by GC (steel underframe) 6771 written off (destroyed)
1932	6362, 6475, 6737 replaced by GC 6364, 6409, 6411, 6719, 6753 replaced by GC (steel underframe)
1933	245, 438, 6365, 6373, 6383, 6401, 6415, 6434, 6474, 6528, 6551, 6559, 6643, 6701, 6706, 6735, 6760, 6762 replaced by GC 6447, 6588, 6590, 6600, 6627 replaced by GC (steel underframe)
1934	6384 written off 139, 6347, 6380, 6394, 6429, 6437, 6445, 6460, 6467, 6477, 6503, 6510, 6561, 6596, 6665, 6668, 6677, 6691, 6702, 6723, 6725, 6728, 6759, 6779 replaced by GC 6570 replaced by GC (steel underframe)
1935	62, 242, 259, 6370, 6376, 6378, 6406, 6407, 6440, 6444, 6468, 6470, 6508, 6516, 6554, 6555, 6565, 6567, 6577, 6584, 6592, 6599, 6629, 6653, 6672, 6675, 6736, 6764, 6772, 6777, 6778 replaced by GC 6350, 6379, 6424, 6485, 6514, 6550, 6645, 6683, 6715 replaced by GS 6739 written off
1936	6345, 6421, 6426, 6439, 6459, 6465, 6501, 6534, 6537, 6556, 6557, 6571, 6589, 6597, 6601, 6620, 6632, 6765, 6773 transferred to Harbours and Lights Dept. Hopetoun 6360, 6377, 6385, 6391, 6398, 6412, 6431, 6454, 6466, 6481, 6496, 6498, 6568, 6573, 6574, 6582, 6606, 6611, 6628, 6646, 6671, 6674, 6682, 6689, 6695, 6711, 6717, 6732, 6745, 6754, 6763, 6769 replaced by GC 6456, 6478, 6684, 6731, 6746, 6749 replaced by GS
1937	6351, 6402, 6418, 6425, 6473, 6540, 6579, 6594, 6630, 6637, 6638, 6651, 6656, 6661, 6666, 6699, 6710, 6713, 6729, 6750, 6755 replaced by GC
1938	154, 6346, 6348, 6400, 6428, 6461, 6502, 6507, 6509, 6547, 6549, 6614, 6644, 6655, 6667, 6690, 6756 replaced by GC
1939	6363, 6368, 6371, 6422, 6427, 6435, 6446, 6449, 6455, 6499, 6505, 6517, 6525, 6527, 6543, 6576, 6598, 6679, 6681, 6693, 6716, 6724, 6730, 6752, 6758 replaced by GC
1940	6448, 6490, 6591 replaced by GC
1942	6640 written off
1944	6457, 6483, 6506, 6553, 6642, 6692, 6784 written off
1945	6544 written off
1947	6353, 6396, 6450, 6472, 6487, 6488, 6566, 6569, 6586, 6633, 6639, 6669, 6687, 6694, 6726, 6782 written off
1948	6359, 6361, 6416, 6433, 6471, 6497, 6663, 6709, 6714, 6718, 6722 written off
1949	6354, 6357, 6386, 6405, 6423, 6476, 6494, 6518, 6539, 6546, 6572, 6595, 6603, 6660, 6670, 6700, 6712, 6751, 6770, 6781 written off 6390 to JETTY 690
1950	237, 6438, 6458, 6504, 6511, 6515, 6530, 6558, 6575, 6585, 6612, 6623, 6624, 6685, 6686, 6688, 6697, 6733, 6780 written off 6366, 6392, 6564 to JETTY 761, 764, 774 respectively
1951	6641, 6652 replaced by GC 6521, 6650, 6658, 6774 written off
1952	6369, 6443, 6493, 6587 replaced by GC 6356, 6404, 6520, 6522, 6532, 6533, 6583, 6609, 6649, 6703, 6705, 6766, 6775 written off
1953	6393, 6430, 6531, 6593 written off 6399 missing at stock take
1954	257, 6372, 6388, 6408, 6451, 6608, 6618, 6678, 6743 written off
1955	447, 6480 written off
1956	6538, 6616, 6727 written off
1957	6512 written off
1958	6452 written off
1959	6441, 6581 written off
1960	6469, 6708 written off
1961	6747 written off 6636 converted to DW
1962	6410, 6523 written off
1963	6479 written off
1965	6563 written off
1966	6395 written off