By the early 1980's, the general service fixed wheel wagons of _I__, _IA_and _RY_ classes were disappearing from service.
This meant the main fixed wheel wagons of this type were _GY_ wagons. With the damage acquired in general service, this meant costly repairs to the bulkproof doors when they were to be used in grain traffic.
To provide for more general service wagons, GY class were relegated to non-bulk service and classed G as they passed through the workshops in need of repair. The GY number was retained.
As GY wagons by this time were yellow, the G wagons were painted with a red diagonal stripe in opposite corners to indicate 'non bulk proof'. This was done until such time as they progressed through the workshops for a lift and paint when they would b painted to standard wagon red.
Conversions took place between 1980 and 1985. Research is continuing. The writer has about 800 wagons listed with more known about.
By mid 1996 there was only about forty wagons of the G/GY type left. These were in briquette traffic Morwell to Dandenong ( Heinz factory ).
There were two main types of G:
Standard GY type
These were in the number range 1 - 910, 2001 - 17030.
'Outside' sill type
These are numbered in the range 911 - 1160.