[2] Grain became the major commodity carried by rail in Victoria, with the consulting arm of Canadian National commissioned by VicRail in 1983 to find ways of improving efficiency.

Recommendations carried out included increasing train sizes to 50 bogie wagons and closing a number of branch lines.

[1] At the same time Australian National had placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Rosewater for 10 BL class locomotives, with an option for a further five.

A condition imposed by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission on Toll Holdings taking control of Pacific National was that nine locomotives be sold to SCT Logistics.

By mid 2008, SCT Logistics had received new locomotives, and their G classes were sold to the Australian Wheat Board, CFCLA and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.

The G class featured imported General Motors-Electro-Motive Division technology (prime mover, alternator and traction motors) on a locally designed frame and body.

Major advances introduced with the class included cab air conditioning, onboard toilet, Trimount type high adhesion bogies, and Super Series wheel creep control to enable heavier loads to be hauled.

Differences in the subsequent units included the fitting of double blade windscreen wipers, lowering of the multiple-unit jumper receptacle, and the changing of the marker light orientation from vertical to horizontal.

Recent years have seen many of the class fitted with on line refuelling, and working from Melbourne to Perth on the SCT Logistics service.