In 1942 a batch of fifteen steel bodied R B class wagons (226, 284, 334, 492, 840, 1054, 2066, 2061, 2645, 3734, 3786, 3876, 4293, 5003, 7094) and all of the wooden bodied RB's (956, 974, 982, 1025, 1083, 1097, 1120, 1143, 1151/8, 1203, 1237) was sold to the Commonwealth government. They were used to construct the JU class tankers number 213-239. Eleven of these tankers are believed to have been used on the Northern Australia railway during the war.
In 1946/7 these wagons were returned to WA and sold as follows:
1946 - 213,221/6 to C.O.R.
(renumbered 73-75)
229,239 to CALTEX
(renumbered140,145)
222 to VACUUM (later MOBIL)
218/9,223/4/7/8,233-5/8 to SHELL
1947 - 215-7,225, 232 to VACUUM
(later MOBIL)
214,220,230/1/6 to W.A.G.R.
(renumbered JJ1259, 1275/8,1280/1)
1949 - 229 to VACUUM (later MOBIL)
In 1971 numbers 140/5 were written off followed by 218/9,223/4/7, 233/5 in 1975. However, number 140 became W.A.G.R. JJ1282 in 1982 followed by 145 becoming JJ1283 in 1983.
In 1987 numbers 234/8 became class JUR.
JJ class wagons 1275, 1280 were written off in 1992 although 1280 may then have been reinstated as 1259, 1280-3 were written off in 1997.
