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Caption: General Motors diesel-hydraulic switcher 600, a "GMDH-1", is seen here on trial on the Canadian Pacific Railway at St. Marys, Ontario in 1958. An experimental locomotive concept that never caught on, a total of four demonstrator GMDH-1 locomotives were built at GMD's London ON plant in the mid to late 50's, equipped with two large truck-sized diesel engines mated to a pair of hydraulic transmissions. GM's automotive department no doubt had a hand in the carbody styling. No orders were to follow from CNR, CPR or other railways, which were by then well into dieselizing their fleets (with the more popular diesel-electric locomotives).
Number 600 was the second unit built (serial number A1713, blt September 1958). Reports indicate it was later sold to a railway in Brazil and is now scrapped. The other three fared a little better: while one was sold to a contractor and sent to Pakistan, the original demo 1001 resides at the Canadian Museum of Science & Technology (it had been the GMD London plant switcher for years). Another unit, after changing hands more than half a dozen times, remains active to this day at a petroleum company in Kaybob, Alberta. A single GMDH-3 was produced, essentially a smaller version (with only 3-axles and a single engine/hood), that now resides at a preservation society in southern Michigan.
Geotagged location may not be exact.
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VERY nice (and unexpected) image !!!! The only one of these in operation as mentioned, up in Kaybob, Alberta I was lucky to catch enroute from South Amboy, NJ to Edmonton area back in Dec. of 1980 when it was sitting at Fort Erie. The image submitted is at http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=7089
Rare indeed. And the -3 version is at the Rail Society in Clinton, MI.
That’s one odd duck. Imagine if those went into regular production, GM probably would have simplified the design somewhat (maybe used a GP or SW style carbody for standardization).
I wonder how many steam-heads (especially our American friends) travelled all over Ontario searching for the last vestiges of Steam only to find THIS in St. Marys.. I can imagine this would have been about as interesting to a steam fan as the monotonous GE AC4400 is to many of us today..
When I laid eyes on an example of this “thing” back in 1980 I was totally flummoxed as to just what the heck it was. The body almost looked like it was made of fibreglass with such odd lines……all I knew was to take enough photos of it. Perhaps if I was out in Bill Thomson’s day, I would have shook my head in disgust…..as in “What is this world coming to”??
I stand to be corrected but I believe one worked at Uhtoff quarry outside Orillia Ont.