Comments on: 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.

By: NiagaraMike11

NiagaraMike11 — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 19:24:25 +0000

I stand to be corrected but I believe one worked at Uhtoff quarry outside Orillia Ont.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 02:14:48 +0000

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”??

By: headtailgrep

headtailgrep — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 01:08:26 +0000

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..

By: MrDan

MrDan — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 23:30:52 +0000

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).

By: awmooney

awmooney — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:21:55 +0000

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.