The GM class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Commonwealth Railways in several batches between 1951 and 1967. As of July 2025, some remain in service with Aurizon and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.

History

The design was based on the Electro-Motive Diesel EMD F7 locomotive.GM1-class A1A-A1A diesel-electric locomotive No.2 National Railway Museum The first 11 were delivered with EMD 16-567B, engines and four powered axles with the remainder having 16-567C, engines and six powered axles. The final 11 were fitted with dynamic braking.

Delivered to operate on the standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway, they first entered service in September 1951. Further orders saw 47 in service by December 1967. They operated on all of Commonwealth Railways's standard gauge lines including those to Broken Hill, Alice Springs, Marree and Adelaide when converted to standard gauge in 1970, 1980 and 1982 respectively.

In January 1972, three (31, 32 & 34) were loaned to the Victorian Railways for use on the North East line, initially for only a six-month lease. After a year in Victorian Railways' service the mufflers on the engines were converted to the type fitted to local locomotives, in order to reduce sparks being emitted in the summer season. The latter two were returned in May 1976, the former in November 1976.

In July 1975, all were included in the transfer of Commonwealth Railways to Australian National. In 1979, a few operated to Lithgow, New South Wales on trials, while in October 1983, three (23, 24 & 28) were hired to V/Line returning in October 1985."Victorian Standard Gauge Report" Railway Digest July 1985 page 201

The GM class were manufactured for standard gauge use, some of the locomotives were converted to operate on broad gauge for some of their lives.

Apart from one destroyed in an accident in 1985, withdrawals began in 1988. GM1 was placed on a plinth in Port Augusta, GM2 was donated to the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide and GM3 to Clyde Engineering, Kelso."GM3" Railway Digest November 1990 page 395 By October 1994, only 15 remained in service."South Australian Motive Power Update" Railway Digest October 1994 page 14 A locomotive shortage saw Australian Southern Railroad return GM1 to service in December 1997."SA Snapshot" Railway Digest February 1998 page 31

In 1998, Great Northern Rail Services purchased 12 from Australian Southern Railroad."Great Northern Puts Faith in GM Chant" Railway Digest November 1998 page 16 Most were scrapped for parts with only three returning to service seeing use in Melbourne and Sydney. Following Great Northern ceasing operations in 2003, these were sold to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia before being resold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad.

In May 2005, Australian Railroad Group forwarded GM30 to Forrestfield workshops to be receive a engine, as fitted to the CLs. The project was never completed and the shell was scrapped.Issue 104/10 West Australian Railscene e-mag 11 October 2010

In November 2010, the Department for Infrastructure & Transport placed GM1 in the custody of Rail Heritage WA.GM1 Rail Heritage WA 2 November 2010 In May 2012, Clyde Engineering sold GM3 to Southern Shorthaul Railroad and it was transferred to their Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway workshop for overhaul.

As of October 2023, all but 1 of the Aurizon units are operational due to more modern power available for freight services in South Australia With 3 Stored Operational while the Southern Shorthaul Railroad units are used on infrastructure and grain trains in New South Wales and Victoria.Standard Gauge GM Chris' Commonwealth Railway PagesGM Class (GM1 to GM11) RailpageGM Class (GM12 to GM47) RailpageGM Class Vicsig

GM10 is the oldest locomotive in regular freight service in Australia.

Aurizon ownership

After the ARG split up G&W retained 11 GMs (ARG retaining GM30 for an ambitious project but was then scrapped) They regularly worked grain trains in SA on the pinaroo line; after its closure some of the fleet were stored (GM32 & GM34 being scrapped and GM44 being stored at Port Augusta). Over the years the fleet was stored at Dry Creek until ORA ownership; in 2022 ORA experienced a loco shortage and brought some back into service. Later in the year Aurizon bought ORA and the GMs became shunters. They currently work in these positions:

GM32 - Scrapped

GM34 - Scrapped

GM37 - Operational Pt Augusta (Fitted with ICE radio)

GM38 - Stored Dry Creek

GM40 - Stored Dry Creek

GM42 - Stored Dry Creek

GM43 - Stored Dry Creek

GM44 - Stored Port Augusta

GM45 - Stored Dry Creek

GM46 - Operational Dry Creek (Fitted with ICE radio)

GM47 - Stored Whyalla (Fitted with ICE radio)

Status table Key:In serviceStoredPreservedConvertedUnder OverhaulScrapped

Locomotive Entered service Current Owner Livery Status GM1 September 1951 Rail Heritage WA CR Maroon/Silver Static Display GM2 November 1951 National Railway Museum CR Maroon/Silver Static Display GM3 December 1951 Southern Shorthaul Railroad CR Maroon/Silver Stored GM4 January 1952 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM5 January 1952 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM6 February 1952 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM7 March 1952 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM8 March 1952 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM9 April 1952 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM10 June 1952 Southern Shorthaul Railroad SSR Yellow Operational GM11 July 1952 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM12 October 1955 Southern Shorthaul Railroad Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM13 November 1955 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM14 April 1956 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM15 April 1956 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM16 July 1956 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM17 March 1957 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM18 April 1957 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM19 May 1957 Railpower Australian National green & yellow Under Overhaul GM20 June 1957 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM21 July 1957 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM22 July 1962 Southern Shorthaul Railroad SSR Yellow Operational GM23 August 1962 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM24 September 1962 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM25 October 1962 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM26 November 1962 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM27 January 1963 Southern Shorthaul Railroad DP World Wrap Operational GM28 February 1963 Seymour Railway Heritage Centre CR Maroon/Silver Stored GM29 March 1963 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM30 December 1964 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM31 January 1965 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM32 January 1965 Aurizon Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM33 March 1965 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM34 April 1965 Aurizon Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM35 April 1966 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM36 May 1966 Seymour Railway Heritage Centre CR Maroon/Silver Under Overhaul GM37 June 1966 Aurizon ORA Orange With Aurizon Logos Operational GM38 June 1966 Aurizon Australian National green & yellow Stored GM39 July 1966 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM40 January 1967 Aurizon Australian National green & yellow Stored GM41 February 1967 Australian National Australian National green & yellow Scrapped GM42 February 1967 Aurizon ORA Orange Stored GM43 March 1967 Aurizon ORA Orange Stored GM44 April 1967 Aurizon ORA Orange Stored GM45 May 1967 Aurizon ORA Orange Stored GM46 June 1967 Aurizon Australian National green & yellow Operational GM47 December 1967 Aurizon ORA Orange Stored

References

Notes

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