In 1969 twenty-five XNG class salt hopper wagons were built by Commonwealth engineering in Queensland for Norseman Gold mines NL. They were numbered XNG1-25. A further fifteen (XNG26-40) were built in 1971. The WAGR outline diagram is shown below. WAGR official photo of XN class coal hopper (RHWA collection) In 1974 numbers 1-13,15-18 and 24 became class XN coal hoppers with a curved extension added to the sides whilst the rest were converted to standard gauge as class WL. WAGR official photo of WL class wagons (RHWA collection) The XN class wagons were owned by W.A.G.R. from December 1979.

In 1982 numbers WL14, 19-23, 25-40 were converted to class XNA with higher sides (but straighter than the XN) but became class WL (again) in March/April 1984 even though they retained the higher sides of the XNA modification. This time the standard gauge wagons were renumbered and they became WL34051-72 (ex XNA 28, 32, 35, 34, 23, 25, 31, 19, 14, 29, 21, 26, 30, 37, 38, 39, 20, 33, 27, 22, 36, 40 respectively) WAGR official photo of WL class wagons (RHWA collection) However five months later they reverted to class XNA but retained the numbers in the standard gauge 3XXXX series as XNA34051-34072. In late December 1985 XN12 was converted to class XNA and in 1986 XN1-11,13, 15-18 and 24 were converted to XNA standard. This brought all 40 wagons back together again as one class but within two blocks of numbers. Further conversions started in 1994 when, starting with XNA 18, members of the class were fitted with a fibreglass roof and air operated bottom discharge doors for grain traffic. It was reclassified XNW as were the other members of the class as they were converted. XNW 12 R. Bruce (RHWA collection) In September 2001 eight XNW class wagons XNW 1, 2, 34060, 34062, 34066, 34067, 34068, 34070 were transferred to the Port Lincoln division in South Australia. In 2014 the 40 XNW class wagons on Aurizon's books were listed for scrapping.