Class XW, XWA, XWAB, XWB, XWBB, XWC and WXW Class Wheat Hoppers

Class XW, XWA, XWAB, XWB, XWBB, XWC and WXW Class Hoppers

WAGR official photo of XW21312 when new. (RHWA collection)

This class of large steel wheat hoppers brought standard gauge wagon design to the 3-6" gauge. The first batch of ninety (XW21301-21390) were built a Midland workshops in 1972. A further five (21281-21285 were built in 1976 followed by 21286-21300 in 1977. Production continued in 1978 with 21801-21820 followed by 21821-21850 in 1979 and 21851-21880 in 1980. The very last batch were 21881-21895 built in 1981. This gave a grand total of 205 wagons.

In 1975 several of these wagons were converted temporarily to standard gauge by changing the bogies. They were then reclassified WXW. They were all reconverted back to 3'-6" gauge XW class wagons in 1976. The wagons involved were:

21309, 21314, 21317, 21319, 21320, 21332, 21343, 21348, 21354, 21355, 21358, 21359, 21361, 21362, 21365, 21373, 21377, 21378, 21388, and 21390.

Following this a smaller group of wagons (21331, 21342, 21354, 21359, 21362, 21372, 21377) were reclassified XWC for coal traffic in 1976. They all reverted to class XW in 1977.

In 1983 a modified version of the design (class XWA) was introduced when XWA24701-24715 were built. Subsequently a large number of the original XW class wagons were converted to XWA standard.

The wagons converted to XWA standard in 1984 were:

21282, 21284-21305, 21307, 21309, 21313, 21314, 21318, 21319, 21321-4, 21326-9, 21330, 21332-8, 21340, 21341, 21343 21346-21353, 21355, 21356, 21358, 21360, 21361, 21363, 21366-21370, 21372-4, 21376, 21378, 21379, 21801, 21803-9, 21810, 21812-21833, 21837-21840, 21842-4, 21846-9, 21851, 21852, 21854-21863, 21865-21884, 21886, 21888, 21890-3, 21895

Before the conversions to XWA began a total of forty class XW wagons were converted to XWAB standard with air brake bypass pipes. These wagons could be distinguished by the Blue painted brake cylinder. The forty wagons involved were:

21281, 21283, 21306, 21310-2, 21315-7, 21320, 21325, 21331, 21342, 21344, 21345, 21354, 21357, 21359, 21362, 21364, 21365, 21371, 21375, 21377, 21802, 21811, 21834, 21836, 21841, 21864, 21885, 21887, 21889, 21894.

With these conversions and those to class XWA the original XW class ceased to exist. The next batch of new hoppers was built in 1984 and coded XWBB. They were numbered 24716-24730. They were followed by class XWB wagons 24731-24760. Through the late 1980s into the 1990s a bewildering series of reclassifications followed as the brake specifications of individual wagons was changed. Essentially the different configuration were:

XW Vacuum Braked Improved Yoke Drawgear

XWA Vacuum Braked Automatic Drawgear

XWB Air Braked Automatic Drawgear

XWAB Vacuum Braked Fitted with air bypass pipe Automatic Drawgear

XWBB Air Braked Fitted with vacuum bypass pipe Automatic Drawgear

As far as I have managed to follow it the changes were as follows:

1987 XWA 21285, 24712 to XWAB
XWA 21384, 21389, 21344, 21867 to XWB

1988 XWA 21299, 21303, 21352, 21857, 24707, 21891 to XWB
XWBB 24716, 24723 to XWB

1989 XWA 21289, 21298, 21305, 21321, 21382, 21812, 21821, 21855, 21863, 21866, 21872, 21895 to XWB

1992 XWA 24702 to XWAB
XWB 21281, 21283, 21306, 21308, 21311, 21312, 21316, 21317, 21320, 21325, 21331, 21339, 21342, 21345, 21354, 21357, 21359, 21362, 21364, 21365, 21371, 21372, 21375, 21377, 21802, 21811, 21815, 21834, 21835, 21836, 21837, 21841, 21844, 21845, 21850, 21853, 21864, 21885, 21887, 21889, 21894 to XWAB

XWA 21287, 21290, 21293, 21296, 21297, 21302, 21307, 21310, 21313, 21319, 21322, 21324, 21326, 21332, 21335, 21336, 21337, 21338, 21348, 21350, 21355, 21360, 21366, 21368, 21376, 21381, 21383, 21387, 21388, 21389, 21804, 21807, 21809, 21810, 21813, 21817, 21818, 21819, 21823, 21824, 21826, 21827, 21828, 21829, 21831, 21832, 21833, 21838, 21846, 21849, 21854, 21860, 21868, 21869, 21870, 21873, 21875, 21880, 21883, 21884, 21888, 21892, 24105, 24703, 24704, 24706, 24709, 24710, 24711, 24713, 24715 to XWB

1993 XWA 21282, 21288, 21292, 21301, 21314, 21327, 21329, 21340, 21341, 21363, 21367, 21373, 21803, 21805, 21814, 21822, 21825, 21840, 21874, 21890, 21893 to XWB

1994 XWB24706 written off

1997 XWB21353 to XWBB

In June 2010 there 259 wagons left classed as XW (21281 – 21305, 21307 – 21333, 21335 – 21390, 21801 – 21814, 21816 – 21888, 21890 – 21895, 24701 – 24705, 24707 – 24711, 24713 - 24760) with a further five classed as XWC (21306, 21334, 21815, 21889, 24712). In 2014 all of the XW and XWC were listed for scrapping by Aurizon.

XW	Vacuum Braked	Improved Yoke Drawgear
XWA	Vacuum Braked	Automatic Drawgear
XWB	Air Braked	Automatic Drawgear
XWAB	Vacuum Braked Fitted with air bypass pipe	Automatic Drawgear
XWBB	Air Braked Fitted with vacuum bypass pipe	Automatic Drawgear

As far as I have managed to follow it the changes were as follows:
1987	XWA 21285, 24712 to XWAB XWA 21384, 21389, 21344, 21867 to XWB
1988	XWA 21299, 21303, 21352, 21857, 24707, 21891 to XWB XWBB 24716, 24723 to XWB
1989	XWA 21289, 21298, 21305, 21321, 21382, 21812, 21821, 21855, 21863, 21866, 21872, 21895 to XWB
1992	XWA 24702 to XWAB XWB 21281, 21283, 21306, 21308, 21311, 21312, 21316, 21317, 21320, 21325, 21331, 21339, 21342, 21345, 21354, 21357, 21359, 21362, 21364, 21365, 21371, 21372, 21375, 21377, 21802, 21811, 21815, 21834, 21835, 21836, 21837, 21841, 21844, 21845, 21850, 21853, 21864, 21885, 21887, 21889, 21894 to XWAB XWA 21287, 21290, 21293, 21296, 21297, 21302, 21307, 21310, 21313, 21319, 21322, 21324, 21326, 21332, 21335, 21336, 21337, 21338, 21348, 21350, 21355, 21360, 21366, 21368, 21376, 21381, 21383, 21387, 21388, 21389, 21804, 21807, 21809, 21810, 21813, 21817, 21818, 21819, 21823, 21824, 21826, 21827, 21828, 21829, 21831, 21832, 21833, 21838, 21846, 21849, 21854, 21860, 21868, 21869, 21870, 21873, 21875, 21880, 21883, 21884, 21888, 21892, 24105, 24703, 24704, 24706, 24709, 24710, 24711, 24713, 24715 to XWB
1993	XWA 21282, 21288, 21292, 21301, 21314, 21327, 21329, 21340, 21341, 21363, 21367, 21373, 21803, 21805, 21814, 21822, 21825, 21840, 21874, 21890, 21893 to XWB
1994	XWB24706 written off
1997	XWB21353 to XWBB
In June 2010 there 259 wagons left classed as XW (21281 – 21305, 21307 – 21333, 21335 – 21390, 21801 – 21814, 21816 – 21888, 21890 – 21895, 24701 – 24705, 24707 – 24711, 24713 - 24760) with a further five classed as XWC (21306, 21334, 21815, 21889, 24712). In 2014 all of the XW and XWC were listed for scrapping by Aurizon.