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Locomotive Profile: Commonwealth Railways "GM" Class Clyde EMD Diesel Electric Locomotive 'A Photographic Profile' (TH-536)

$49.00 AUD

Product No.: TH-536

Title: Locomotive Profile: Commonwealth Railways "GM" Class Clyde EMD Diesel Electric Locomotive 'A Photographic Profile'

Author(s): Sargent, John & Pantlin, Graeme
Publisher: Train Hobby Publications Australia
ISBN: 1876249536

Condition: New

Binding: Soft Cover
Dust Jacket: None
Edition: First
Publication Year: 2001

Features: 48 Pages with Colour Photographs.

The Commonwealth Railways began negotiations with Clyde Engineering in the late 1940's, who were a leading steam locomotive and rolling stock builder at the time. After several overseas trips by CR and Clyde executives, Clyde Engineering secured the Australian manufacturing license agreement with the Electro Motive Division of General Motors. A contract was then awarded to Clyde Engineering in September 1950 for the construction of eleven diesel electric locomotives of a similar design to the US F7 series.

As Australia had a smaller loading gauge than the USA, the F7 design had to be stretched and lowered. To achieve this, the radiators were moved from the roof to the side of the loco and all of the ancillary equipment was relocated within the engine room. The extra length of this design made it possible to lower the axle load to 18 tons by using three axle bogies instead of the two axle bogies on the F7. However, three axle bogies with traction motors on all axles had not been developed at this time. The centre axle on each bogie was non-powered idler.

This gave the locomotive a wheel arrangement of A1A-A1A. Powered by the proven GM/EMD 567B engine, the first of these machines was ready for testing on 24 August 1951 and all were delivered from September 1951 to July 1952. The delivery run of these locomotives involved hauling a freight train to Albury where their 4ft 81/2in gauge power bogies would be exchanged for transfer bogies so they could be hauled over the 5ft 3in gauge VR and SAR systems to Port Pirie. Here they were re-fitted with their power bogies before they entered service on the Commonwealth Railways as the GM class. In what would become a CR tradition, GM1 was named "Robert Gordon Menzies" in honour of the Prime Minister at the time the class was introduced.