- Commonwealth Railways GM class
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GM class 
GM2 preserved at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide Power type Diesel-electric Serial number GM1 - GM47 Build date 1951 Total produced 47 Configuration GM1-11 A1A-A1A GM12-47 Co-Co Gauge Standard Gauge Cylinders 16 Power output 1342 kW / 1800 HP 
GM43 leaving Mt Gambier, 1995
The GM class are a form of Australian diesel electric locomotive ordered by the Commonwealth Railways from 1951 and built by Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales. These bulldog nosed locos held passenger as well as freight duties around Australia, and despite their age they are still used today. The class was the base for other similar designed locomotives built by Clyde Engineering such as the Victorian Railways S class and the NSWGR 42 class.
The class can be grouped into 2 categories, the GM1 or F class (four motor, respectively No.GM1 to GM11) and the GM12 or S class (six motor, numbers GM12 to GM47). The first group entered services in 1951-52, while the second entered service from 1955-57 and 1962-67.
The class later passed to Australian National in 1978, with a number sold to Great Northern Rail Services in the 1990s. Today most units are owned by Genesee and Wyoming Australia, Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia and other private operators.
24 have been scrapped, a number stored or used for spares, while the rest are in service. GM36 is preserved by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in the Commonwealth Railways maroon and silver livery, and is leased to commercial operators. Class leader GM1 is owned by the Commonwealth Government, in November 2009 expressions of interest were sought from parties with an interest and capability for the preservation of the locomotive.[1]
Contents
Status Table
Locomotive Entered Service Current Owner Current Number Livery Status GM1 September 1951 Australian Government GM1 CR Maroon/Silver Stored GM2 November 1951 NRM GM2 CR Maroon/Silver Static Display GM3 December 1951 EDI Rail GM3 CR Maroon/Silver Stored GM4 January 1952 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM5 January 1952 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM6 February 1952 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM7 March 1952 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM8 March 1952 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM9 April 1952 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM10 June 1952 Southern Shorthaul Railroad GM10 SSR Yellow Operational GM11 July 1952 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM12 October 1955 Coote Industral Rail GM12 AN Green Stored GM13 November 1955 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM14 April 1956 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM15 April 1956 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM16 July 1956 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM17 March 1957 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM18 April 1957 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM19 May 1957 Railpower GM19 Undercoat Rebuilding GM20 June 1957 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM21 July 1957 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM22 July 1962 Southern Shorthaul Railroad GM22 SSR Yellow Operational GM23 August 1962 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM24 September 1962 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM25 October 1962 Coote Industral Rail GM25 AN Green Stored GM26 November 1962 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM27 January 1963 Southern Shorthaul Railroad GM27 SSR Yellow Operational GM28 February 1963 Port Pire GM22 CR Maroon/Silver Static Display GM29 March 1963 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM30 December 1964 ARG GM30 Undercoat Stored (Up for Sale) GM31 January 1965 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM32 January 1965 GWA GM32 AN Green Stored GM33 March 1965 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM34 April 1965 GWA GM34 AN Green Stored GM35 April 1966 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM36 May 1966 SRHC GM36 CR Maroon/Silver Leased To EL Zorro GM37 June 1966 GWA GM37 GW Orange Stored GM38 June 1966 GWA GM38 AN Green Operational GM39 July 1966 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped GM40 January 1967 GWA GM40 AN Green Operational GM41 February 1967 N/A N/A N/A Scrapped/Cab Preserved GM42 February 1967 GWA GM42 GW Orange Operational GM43 March 1967 GWA GM43 GW Orange Operational GM44 April 1967 GWA GM44 GW Orange Stored GM45 May 1967 GWA GM45 GW Orange Operational GM46 June 1967 GWA GM46 AN Green Operational GM47 December 1967 GWA GM47 GW Orange Operational Gallery
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Pair of GM classes hired to the Victorian Railways during the 1970s and hauling the Spirit of Progress
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Preserved GM36 in Commonwealth Railways livery, hired to El Zorro for use on a grain train
See also
Notes
- ^ . It is now at RailHeritageWA. Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. "Disposal of Railway Locomotive GM1". www.infrastructure.gov.au. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/gm1/index.aspx. Retrieved 2009-11-27.[dead link]
External links
- "National Railway Museum - Port Adelaide". www.natrailmuseum.org.au. Archived from the original on 2008-04-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20080429192202/http://www.natrailmuseum.org.au/exhibits/nrm_gm2.html. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- "AN: GM Class". locopage.railpage.org.au. http://locopage.railpage.org.au/anr/gm.html. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- "VICSIG - GM Class". vicsig.net. http://vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=GM&orgstate=A&type=Diesel-Electric. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
Commonwealth Railways / Australian National locomotives Diesel-Electric (standard gauge) GM class • CL/CLF/CLP classes • AL/ALF classes • BL class • DL class • EL class • AN classDiesel-Electric (narrow gauge) Diesel-Hydraulic (narrow gauge) Categories:- Diesel locomotives of Australia
- Co-Co locomotives
- Clyde Engineering locomotives
- Railway locomotives introduced in 1951
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