VHLY 100t Rice Hopper

First VHLY fresh from conversion in 2001.

The VHLY rice hopper was converted from VHGF wheat hoppers for rice traffic from Leeton, NSW in 2001. These hoppers replaced the NSW NGRX hopper in use when Freight Australia won the contract to haul rice to Kellogg’s at Botany and into Victoria.

The first of these hoppers (VHGF 249) was delivered in January 2001 with extended sides to increase capacity, strengthened side sills and are fitted with high-speed bogies enabling them to travel at 115 km/h. They were also fitted with pneumatic top roof hatch and bottom discharge door opening systems when rebuilt. Further conversions took place in 2003.

Modified by: ANI-Bradken Rail, Braemar NSW in 2001-2003.

Running Numbers: 219D, 230, 242, 243, 245, 246, 249D, 250, 252, 256Q, 257, 260, 261, 266, 268, 275, 289, 292, 293 and 296.

Length: 14.9m Tare: 25t Gross: 100t

Bogies: High-speed VRME Bogies

Colour Schemes:

At this stage, the only colour scheme these wagons have appeared in is the FA Green as shown about. With the take-over of FA by PN this may change.

Operation:

These wagons are loaded in Leeton, NSW with rice for Victorian destinations and for Kellogg’s at Botany. Normally a full train is loaded at Leeton, two wagons are detached at Junee for Botany and the rest continue to Melbourne. The two for Botany were attached to the FA’s MS9 daily goods to Sydney, detached at Leightonfield and taken to Botany by LVRF by one of their port shuttles. Since the start of 2005, the Kelloggs wagons have been transferred to Sydney on the returning empty ‘Bomen ‘ fuel train to Enfield Yd and taken to Botany using the shunting engine by a special trip train.

Modelling in HO:

Steam Era Model produce an excellent injection molded kit fir the VHGF wheat hopper, but the roof will need to be scratchbuilt.

2 VHLY’s at Marrickville, being taken to Botany on a LVRF trip train. Geoff Taylor