The GMD GMD1 is a diesel locomotive originally produced by General Motors Diesel (GMD), the Canadian subsidiary of General Motors Electro-Motive Division, between August 1958 and April 1960. This road switcher locomotive is powered by a 12-cylinder EMD 567C diesel engine, capable of producing . The GMD1 was built on either Flexicoil A1A-A1A (for light-rail prairie branchlines) or Flexicoil B-B trucks. One hundred and one were built: Canadian National (CN) purchased 96 and Northern Alberta Railways (NAR) the remaining five, which later became part of CN's fleet when it acquired majority interest in NAR.Distinctive GMs get second lives Trains December 2010 page 18
As the light branches were abandoned or rehabilitated, the bulk were upgraded with new fuel tanks and Flexicoil B-B trucks and assigned to yard and transfer service. In 1988 and 1989, 39 GMD1s were remanufactured by CN as GMD 1Us: 12 emerged with B-B trucks and continued to run long-hood forward, while the others retained their A1A trucks and were converted to short-hood-forward operation.GMD1's reign on the plains comes to an end Trains August 1999 pages 32/33 On April 19, 2021, CN's last GMD-1 was retired from revenue service.
Original owners
RoadQuantityRoad numbersNotesCanadian National78 1000–1077 A1A-A1A trucksCanadian National18 1900–1917 B-B trucks; fitted with steam generatorsNorthern Alberta Railways5 300–305 A1A-A1A trucks (to CN 1078–1082)Total 101
Second-hand users
A number of GMD1 units were sold off in the 1990s and 2000s to rebuilders, leasers, regional and shortline railways. Twenty were acquired by . Oregon Pacific Railroad acquired CN No. 1413, and is now numbered OPR No. 1413. Cando Rail Services acquired CN 1401, 1434 and 1435 in late 2018. CN 1401 is now CCGX 1009, CN 1435 is CCGX 1010. Waterloo Central Railway took donation of and restored a GMD1 in 2021.
References
http://rapidotrains.com/gmd-1-master-class/
External links
See also List of GMD Locomotives