gone on the Ghan - 2

 

Another well-known Aussie locomotive class used on the old Ghan was the Commonwealth Railways GM class. An early diesel-electric, the 47 member class was built by Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales, as from 1951. These bulldog-nosed locos were used for passenger and freight duties around Australia, and - despite their age - they are still used today. Similar designed locomotives subsequently built by Clyde Engineering included the Victorian Railways S class and the New South Wales 42 class diesels.

The class came in 2 categories: the GM1 or F class (four motor, numbers GM1 to GM11) and the GM12 or S class (six motor, numbers GM12 to GM47). The first category entered service in 1951 to 1952, while the second entered service between 1955 and 1957, plus a second batch between 1962 and 1967.

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.

Of the 47, 24 have been scrapped, some are stored or used for spares, while the rest are in service. GM36 is preserved by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in the Commonwealth Railways livery, and is leased to commercial operators. Class leader GM1 is owned by the Commonwealth Government and expressions of interest have been sought from parties with an interest and capability for its preservation.

Both photos feature GMs with Ghans - the earlier photo dates from 1965 and the later from near the end of the old Ghan era, traversing The Gap just south of Alice Springs on the old line. By this time the maroon paint had faded to a pinky red.