In 1935 the railways were starting to carry grain in bulk. Up to this time, the wheat was first bagged and then loaded into standard freight vehicles. In the 1920's even _M__ cattle trucks were stencilled for bagged wheat traffic.
In 1935 the only wagons suitable for the transport of bulk grain were the _GZ_ wagons. _GY_ were not in service until 1939.
To provide 200 vehicles quickly, a group of the later series _I__ wagons were modified for bulk grain. The code for these wagons was G and the numbers were:
15570 - 15574, 15576, 15579 - 15581, 15583, 15585 - 15587, 15589 15591 - 15593, 15595, 15597 - 15602, 15604, 15606, 15608, 15610 15611, 15613 - 15616, 15619 - 15623, 15627 - 15629, 15631, 15632 15636 - 15640, 15642, 15644 - 15648, 15650 - 15654, 15656, 15658 15660 - 15662, 15665, 15666, 15668, 15669, 15671 - 15679, 15682 - 15687, 15689, 15690, 15692, 15693, 15695, 15697, 15699 15700, 15703 - 15709, 15712 - 15715, 15717, 15719, 15721, 15722 15725 - 15727, 15729, 15730, 15733, 15734, 15737 - 15739, 15742 15743, 15746, 15748, 15749, 15751, 15753 - 15759, 15762, 15764 15766 - 15768, 15770, 15772 - 15774, 15776, 15778, 15780, 15783 - 15792, 15795, 15797 - 15800, 15803, 15805, 15806, 15808 - 15810, 15812 - 15815, 15817, 15819, 15820, 15822, 15825 15827, 15829, 15831, 15832, 15834 - 15836, 15838 - 15840, 15842 15844, 15846, 15847, 15849, 15852 - 15855, 15858 - 15864 15866 - 15868
As there was a flat wagon group already coded _G__, the flat wagons were altered to _GH_. Wagons coded _IG_ were altered to _IX_ to avoid potential conflict of grain loading to these wagons.
As with other classes of bulk grain wagons, in 1948 an identifying yellow strip was painted in diagonal corners to mark them as suitable for bulk grain traffic.
In about 1956 with many GY wagons in service, the G and GZ wagons were returned to general service. The yellow stripes were painted over with the change. G wagons were reclassified to I or _IA_.
One of the wagons is preserved at the Echuca Wharf Museum, the yellow stripe feintly visible under overhaul paintwork.
File c194m compiled by Peter J. Vincent, updated 20/10/2018