| Class J water tanks (GC chassis 1600 gallon Steel tank) |
WAGR Builders photo of J10467 (RHWA collection). |
| This group of ninety-eight wagons was urgently required and converted over the space of three years from redundant GC wagon chassis. The numbers of the GC wagons involved were retained by the new tankers.
They were surprisingly long lived given the age of the wooden chassis involved and some went on to form the basis of the JOA class. Although all of the tanks were 1600 gallon capacity they were not all of the same type. Most tanks were supported by steel anchor plates but on one wagon at least (7102) the tank was supported on wooden beams like the older J class wagons. One wagon at least (8681) had a short fat tank whereas on most wagons the tank was only two inches shorter than the underframe. The WAGR outline diagram is shown below. |
J 7777 J Moir collection |
|
|
| They were built as follows: |
| 1953 | 732, 1076, 6499, 6659, 6911, 6975, 7327, 7447, 7769, 7827, 8126, 8529, 8548, 9122, 9546, 9679, 9790, 9827, 9965, 9988, 10467, 10515, 10539 ex GC
215 ex written off GC |
| 1954 | 1921, 8399, 8681, 9304, 9460, 9607, 9699, 10255, 10261, 10266, 10272, 10275, 10312, 10313, 10323, 10332, 10340, 10361, 10362, 10376, 10382, 10384, 10388, 10390, 10401, 10402, 10404, 10406, 10413, 10421, 10424, 10434, 10438, 10444, 10449, 10455, 10485, 10487, 10495, 10510, 10512, 10522, 10549, 10554, 10560, 10571, 10581, 10588, 10596 ex GC
621 ex written off GC |
| 1955 | 1966. 4893, 6435, 6646, 6772, 6960, 7102, 7248, 7391, 7577, 7777, 7789, 7832, 8015, 8038, 8421, 8623, 8713, 8754, 8863, 9170, 10242, 10386, 10389, 10587 ex GC |
One of this class at the right of this picture possibly J7827 (it's a bit difficult to read the number).(RHWA collection) |
| Numbers 732, 1076, 7327, 8126 and 8529 were labelled "Chromated Water" for railcar use from the start. Almost immediately they were in service the introduction of Diesel locomotives in large numbers generated a need for fuel oil tankers and reduced the need for water tankers and so conversion of the class to JOA class wagons started. |
| 1955 | 621, 9607, 10255, 10332, 10376, 10386, 10389, 10402, 10434, 10438, 10455, 10485, 10512, 10560, 10571 to JOA |
| 1959 | 1076 to JOA |
| 1960 | 7102, 8038, 8529, 8863 to JOA
2413 rebuilt for old J with new wooden frame presumed to be GC type. |
| 1961 | 215, 6646, 6911, 6960, 8421, 8548, 9304, 9790, 10323, 10449, 10522 to JOA |
| 1963 | 8399, 10362 to JOA
8713 written off |
| 1964 | 4893, 6435, 7577, 10266, 10401, 10510 to JOA
1966 written off |
| 1965 | 6499, 7447, 8126, 9546, 10242, 10361, 10382 to JOA |
| With the demise of steam gathering pace in the late sixties withdrawals gathered pace. | |
| 1967 | 6772, 7769, 8015, 8754, 9122, 9679, 10275, 10596 written off |
| 1968 | 7827, 9988, 10390 written off |
| 1970 | 1921, 7789, 8623, 10404, 10421 written off |
| 1971 | 10539 written off |
| 1972 | 732, 6659, 7248, 9170, 9460, 9699, 10312, 10384, 10388, 10406, 10424, 10444, 10495, 10549, 10554, 10587 written off |
| 1973 | 7832, 9827, 10261, 10313, 10340, 10413, 10515 written off |
| The remaining wagons, which survived the end of steam in 1973, were fitted progressively with former CXA underframes or written off. However it is possible that more of the class acquired steel underframes than is recorded here. |
| 1974 | 2413 fitted with CXA underframe |
| 1975 | 10272, 10467 fitted with CXA underframe
10487, 10588 written off |
| 1976 | 7327 fitted with CXA underframe
10581 written off |
| 1978 | 9965 written off |
| 1979 | 8681 written off |
| 1981 | 7391 written off |
| 1983 | 6975, 7777 written off |
| There was also a unique wagon in this group built on a steel underframe rather than wooden underframe. This wagon (J9156) was converted from a steel framed GC in 1954 and in 1965 was converted to class JOA. | |
 |
 |