General Motors GM6 six-wheeled locomotive similar to a 121

[jhb171achill]

In 1960 the Lebanese Railways took delivery of four six-wheeled diesel locomotives, very much like a cross between an “E” and a B121. A further two were built for industrial use, one going to South Africa, thus probably 3ft 6ins gauge.

On a separate forum a picture of one these was posted. They were class GM6 (not GM6c, which seems to figure more in searches).

The design is very clearly off the same drawing board as CIE’s locomotives, as of course one might expect.

I would be interested in finding out more. There is little apparently obvious on the interweb.

Any ideas, anyone, on where more comprehensive info might be available?

 

[RichL]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GM6W

http://emdexport.railfan.net/demos2.html

 

[jhb171achill]

Very many thanks, RichL.

In my teens, I devised an idea for an 009 layout, based on what the CDR would have looked like if it had ended up in the 1970s as part of CIE. I had designed a scaled-down "Dutch Van", and a similarly scaled-down 121; THIS thing above, and in particular the solitary example which went to South Africa and thus must have been "Cape" gauge, intrigued me as to what CIE might have ordered in the 1960s to replace most of the old railcars!

(Must dig out my old drawing out of sheer curiosity, though I have since become "broad-minded" (5ft3) rather than "narrow-minded (3ft)!!).....

[RichL]

That's an interesting idea. Probably very heavy though? CIE's solution for the dieselisation of the West Clare seems more likely - assuming Walker were still in business, of course.

Heres a couple of other links

http://emdexport.railfan.net/demos2.html

and a photo..

[NIR]

Lebanon, looks like one of the buggers

[jhb171achill]

Sure is one of them!

Looks like a load of three plus possibly a van of some sort?

If it’s like a 121, it’s going to be well able for that.

 

[jhb171achill]

29 minutes ago, RichL said:

That's an interesting idea. Probably very heavy though? CIE's solution for the dieselisation of the West Clare seems more likely .......

Yes, almost certainly too heavy. A 3ft gauge bogie version would be better, but the Walker yokes would probably have gone there, with the four Clare railcars....

[Mayner]

GM produced a 3' gauge version of its GA8 Export Model for use in Mexico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GA8#/media/File:NdeM_5406_(27443008661).jpg the GA8 model is visually similar to the B121 Class but is simpler mechanically and electrically, running on freight wagon trucks, with two traction motors mounted in the body with chain drive to the axles.

Something more powerful than the Walker locos may have been required to haul trains over Barnesmore Gap and the Strabane-Letterykenny Line had freight traffic held up during the 1960s.

Another possibility would have been to produce a B-B version of the GM6. Clyde Engineering produced similar locos for Victoria and Western Australia Government Railways during the 1960s by combining the 6-567C engine and main generator used in the GM6 with a Bo Bo chassis and running gear. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAGR_J_class_(diesel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Railways_Y_class_(diesel)

 

Edited August 5, 2020 by Mayner

[NIR]

More info here

https://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/300/380/385/railways/branches/beirut/20020224-beirut-furn-el-shebbak-stockyards/html/20020224-beirut-furn-el-shebbak-stockyards-pan08.html

[Galteemore]

Looks like one of the German rail buses next to it. 

[NIR]

Yep

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uerdingen_railbus

After a deep dive I'm imagining a Lebanese commuter/cement micro layout in HO with those peculiar French sleepers

[jhb171achill]

You could almost imagine the UTA having bought a few of them for Belfast shunting and what little goods they had left.....

Certainly, a plausible use for them in Ireland would have been instead of the "E" class. You could see them bumbling about North Wall and Heuston, and possibly on the Loughrea, Ballina or Cobh lines. One suspects they would have been a very much better buy than the seven G611 class!

Possible model idea I was thinking about over the last few days, but I've 25 Provincial Wagons kits as yet unbuilt!

[jhb171achill]

What's the big long "bar" at the bottom?

[RichL]

46 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

What's the big long "bar" at the bottom?

Looks like a safety feature, a bit like tram locos

[Galteemore]

I don’t think it’s anything structural - looks like fairly light sheet metal. Could be something like a rail version of a Mansfield Bar as Rich says. My initial thought that it could be to keep the worst of the local dust and grit out. 

Edited August 8, 2020 by Galteemore

[jhb171achill]

Ah! Possibly. Makes modelling easier!

[NIR]

More GM at 03:40 (then a very odd looking loco + railcar set)

 

[jhb171achill]

Superb, NIR, good detective work!

I remain fascinated by these six-wheel things.... The “E121” class, perhaps!

[hexagon789]

Given the steep gradients on parts of the Lebanese network I am a bit surprised these only had one driven axle it seems. Traction must've been "interesting" in poor rail conditions on a gradient.

[Mayner]

10 minutes ago, hexagon789 said:

Given the steep gradients on parts of the Lebanese network I am a bit surprised these only had one driven axle it seems. Traction must've been "interesting" in poor rail conditions on a gradient.

The GM6w appear to have a single traction motor presumably mounted in the body driving all axles rather than a single driven axle.

The Abt  rack system appears to have been used on the Mount Lebanon section of the narrow gauge Beriut-Damascus Line  https://beirutdamascusrailway.wordpress.com/intro/

Its possible that the main lines were worked by steam up to the outbreak of the Civil War in the 1970s and the GM6 were acquired for shunting and light duties.

Passenger services appear to have been down to a weekly sleeping car and railcar service to Syria on the Beriut-Tripoli line and Sunday excursions with coaches attached to goods trains on the Beriut-Damascus line

There are 1971 photos of narrow and standard gauge steam in the Liban Sur Rail  U Tube video, and  1974 photos of a narrow gauge 0-10-0T rack locomotive in https://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/300/380/385/railways/resources/middleeast/ much more interesting in my opinion than a GM switcher.

[hexagon789]

52 minutes ago, Mayner said:

The GM6w appear to have a single traction motor presumably mounted in the body driving all axles rather than a single driven axle.

The Abt  rack system appears to have been used on the Mount Lebanon section of the narrow gauge Beriut-Damascus Line  https://beirutdamascusrailway.wordpress.com/intro/

Its possible that the main lines were worked by steam up to the outbreak of the Civil War in the 1970s and the GM6 were acquired for shunting and light duties.

Passenger services appear to have been down to a weekly sleeping car and railcar service to Syria on the Beriut-Tripoli line and Sunday excursions with coaches attached to goods trains on the Beriut-Damascus line

There are 1971 photos of narrow and standard gauge steam in the Liban Sur Rail  U Tube video, and  1974 photos of a narrow gauge 0-10-0T rack locomotive in https://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/300/380/385/railways/resources/middleeast/ much more interesting in my opinion than a GM switcher.

Thanks for that, I've obviously misunderstood what I read to mean only one driven axle rather than one motor driving three.

[Galteemore]

Very interesting link, Mayner. The 1944 photo at Tripoli clearly reveals French practice of having named crew for a loco, compete with plates on the cab side.

[Mayner]

Signs of a country trying to return to normality looks like Syria has re-opened a section of the narrow gauge Damascus-Beruit line and runs steam passenger trains!

Steam loco seems similar to those used in the Lebanese section of the line.