Diesels of the Desert: The Commonwealth Railways GM class

Comments · 122

• PE

  @Peter-f4o4z · 1 year ago

  The GM 2 stroke diesel loco is still used by Aurizon across the Nullarbor, they make a much louder noise than other locos, I live in Port Germein right next to the Trans line you can clearly distinguish between them and other locos

  12

• MA

  @marinotagliapietra7839 · 1 year ago (edited)

  the man at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqOCFJBohFs&amp;t=1547">25:47</a> &nbsp;was my father &nbsp;at the door of the blacksmith workshop he was the blacksmith / train examiner &nbsp;at Cook in the early 1960`S, the refueling stop in the middle of the Nullabour Plain. That is where I drove &nbsp;my first GM &nbsp;at age &nbsp;14, in 1964. &nbsp; We were shunting &nbsp;and the driver had to hop off and uncouple some water gins from the tea and sugar, the fireman &nbsp;was doing some thing else at that moment for some reason, &nbsp;they would have had heart &nbsp;failure in Port Augusta if they knew. &nbsp;When the tea and sugar came to Cook, I would be gone all day, I knew the GM &nbsp;like the back of my hand . &nbsp; I used to sit in the fireman`s seat directing the driver when the fireman was on my side of the train, coupling and uncoupling. I knew many of the &nbsp;drivers and firemen. A few years later, we moved to Port Augusta, I &nbsp;became an electrical apprentice, I`ve done maintenance &nbsp;on On GM 1 and 2. My brother became an engine driver and later on &nbsp;he drove the very last &nbsp;narrow gauge &nbsp;Ghan.

  6

• SO

  @sometimeworld1 · 1 year ago

  Two trips across Australia in trains hauled by maroon and silver GM class locomotives in 1973 and 1979. &nbsp;Great days.

  12

• FE

  @FelixTheHat302 · 1 year ago

  This was a fantastic documentary, well done. The editing, original footage, finding all that archive footage, and the story overall, fantastic. <br>How cool do the GM Class trains look as well lol

  13

• KA

  @KanesTrains · 1 year ago

  The story of the GM class, is the story of opening up Australia. So proud of your work mate, and happy I was able to help make it happen. 😊

  48

• TE

  @tegknox2694 · 1 year ago (edited)

  This is a beautifully produced documentary about an epic railway and how it&apos;s &nbsp;motive power evolved. &nbsp; For a train fanatic such as myself, it was 90 minutes that felt like 15. &nbsp;Thanks to William Adams for making the effort to post this incredible story.

  10

• CO

  @colinfeilen988 · 1 year ago

  Great information about EMD early diesels &nbsp;, we are proud to be renovating GM 1 at Rail Heritage Museum in Bassendean WA ! 🚂

  24

• MA

  @marinotagliapietra7839 · 1 month ago

  the sound of a GM &nbsp;accelerating on the Nullabour, was awesome.

• PE

  @PeterGlen-s9z · 3 days ago

  The best doco of Australian rr.

• MA

  @marinotagliapietra7839 · 1 month ago

  When I was an apprentice I was caught &nbsp;taking a nap at the back of a GM on the large battery box, &nbsp;I commented &nbsp;&quot; fair go it is the first time this week&quot; the leading was not impressed, it was about 8.00 AM on a Monday morning

• JS

  @jsaplays33 · 10 months ago (edited)

  its amazing some of these GM locos are still kicking, I&apos;ve seen a few pulling the grain trains in SA as a kid in 2000s

  1

• MA

  @mainesail3097 · 1 year ago

  AMAZING how incompetence, such as the railroads gauge conflicts, can hold a nation back so significantly.. Early resolution of these types of issues in the USA (in the late 1800s-predominantly) is one of the major factors that allow the national economy to grow faster than many others-whereas Australia just limped along with limited economic progress and innovation

  4