Commonwealth Railways GM class
| Company type | Locomotive class |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | September 1951 |
| Founder | Clyde Engineering |
| Headquarters | Granville , Australia |
| Products | Diesel-electric locomotives |
The GM class diesel-electric locomotives were manufactured by Clyde Engineering in Granville for the Commonwealth Railways from 1951 through 1967. As of July 2025, a number of these locomotives continue to operate under Aurizon and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.
History
Derived from the Electro-Motive Diesel EMD F7, the initial 11 units were equipped with EMD 16-567B engines delivering , featuring four powered axles. Later models incorporated more robust 16-567C engines rated at , with six powered axles; the final 11 units also included dynamic braking capabilities.
Introduced in September 1951 on the standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway, production totaled 47 locomotives by December 1967. These engines served across all Commonwealth Railways’ standard gauge routes, including lines to Broken Hill, Alice Springs, Marree, and Adelaide after those tracks underwent gauge conversions during the 1970s and 1980s.
In January 1972, three locomotives were leased to Victorian Railways for operations on the North East line; two returned in May 1976 and the remaining one in November of that year. The entire GM fleet was transferred to the Australian National Railways Commission in July 1975. In 1979, some units were trialed for service to Lithgow, and between October 1983 and October 1985, three were hired by V/Line.
Although primarily designed for standard gauge, several locomotives were converted to broad gauge (5'3") during their operational lifespan.
The withdrawal process began in 1988 after one unit was destroyed in an accident. By October 1994, only 15 remained in active service. A shortage of locomotives led Australian Southern Railroad to reactivate GM1 in December 1997.
In 1998, Great Northern Rail Services purchased twelve units; most were dismantled for parts while three returned to service around Melbourne and Sydney. Following Great Northern’s closure in 2003, these units were sold to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia before being transferred to Southern Shorthaul Railroad.
A proposed engine refurbishment for GM30 by Australian Railroad Group in 2005 was never finalized; ultimately, the locomotive body was scrapped.
In November 2010, the federal Department for Infrastructure & Transport entrusted GM1 to Rail Heritage WA. Later, in May 2012, Clyde Engineering sold GM3 to Southern Shorthaul Railroad for refurbishment at Lithgow.
By October 2023, Aurizon operated the majority of its GM fleet with only one unit out of service due to newer locomotive availability in South Australia. Southern Shorthaul Railroad primarily employs their GMs on infrastructure and grain transport duties across New South Wales and Victoria.
GM10 is recognized as Australia’s oldest locomotive still routinely engaged in freight operations.
Aurizon ownership
After the division of ARG assets, G&W retained eleven GM locomotives (while ARG kept GM30 for a project that was later abandoned). These locomotives frequently hauled grain trains on South Australia’s Pinaroo line; following its closure, several units were stored (GM32 and GM34 scrapped; GM44 kept at Port Augusta). The fleet remained stationed at Dry Creek until ORA took ownership; facing a shortage of locomotives in 2022, ORA reactivated some units. Later that year, Aurizon acquired ORA and redeployed the GMs as shunting engines. Their current conditions are:
- GM32 - Scrapped
- GM34 - Scrapped
- GM37 - Operational at Dry Creek (equipped with ICE radio)
- GM38 - Stored at Dry Creek
- GM40 - Stored at Dry Creek
- GM42 - Stored at Dry Creek
- GM43 - Operational shunter at Port Augusta (fitted with ICE radio)
- GM44 - Stored at Port Augusta
- GM45 - Stored at Dry Creek
- GM46 - Operational shunter at Port Augusta (with ICE radio)
- GM47 - Stored at Whyalla (equipped with ICE radio)
Status legend
| Explanation: | Active Service | In Storage | Preserved Unit | Repurposed | Undergoing Overhaul | Decommissioned |
|---|
| Locomotive | Service Entry | Current Custodian | Paint Scheme | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM1 | September 1951 | Rail Heritage WA | CR Maroon and Silver | Preserved, Bassendean, Western Australia |
| GM2 | November 1951 | National Railway Museum | CR Maroon and Silver | On Static Display |
| GM3 | December 1951 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | CR Maroon and Silver | Stored at Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway |
| GM4 | January 1952 | Australian National Railways Commission | AN Green and Gold | Decommissioned and Scrapped |
| GM5 | January 1952 | Australian National Railways Commission | AN Green and Gold | Scrapped |
| GM6 | February 1952 | Australian National Railways Commission | AN Green and Gold | Scrapped |
| GM7 | March 1952 | Australian National Railways Commission | AN Green and Gold | Scrapped |
| GM8 | March 1952 | Australian National Railways Commission | AN Green and Gold | Scrapped |
| GM9 | April 1952 | Australian National Railways Commission | AN Green and Gold | Scrapped |
| GM10 | June 1952 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | SSR Yellow | In Operational Use |
| GM11 | July 1952 | Australian National Railways Commission | AN Green and Gold | Scrapped |