Website: Brad Peadon
Lists: Bradly Coulter
Photos: Both Brads.
December 2025
----------------------------------------------------
Follow: Semi-Retired Foamer Media Here.
To be updated on everything we publish, latest preservation news, and photography.
----------------------------------------------------
Originally born as humble 442 class locomotives back in the early 1970s, these machines had already lived a full working life before someone looked at them in the early 2000s and said, “You know what… you’re not done yet.” What followed was less a makeover and more a full mechanical rebirth.
Between 2003 and 2004, twelve former 442s were stripped right back to their bare frames at UGL’s Broadmeadow workshops. The old Alco engines were shown the door and in their place went modern GE 7FDL-12 powerplants, along with new electrical systems, traction gear and control equipment. By the time the dust settled, very little remained of the originals beyond the frames, bogies and fuel tanks. Out of this transformation rose the GL class, numbered GL101 to GL112 — essentially 1970s veterans with 21st-century muscles.
Power-wise, they now punch out around 3,300 horsepower, making them far more capable than their former selves and perfectly at home on heavy freight duties. They’re Co-Co locomotives, standard gauge, and solidly built at about 132 tonnes — not exactly something you’d want sneaking up behind you in a dark alley. With a top speed a little over 110 km/h, they’re not setting land speed records, but they’re built to pull, not pose.
Since their rebuild, the GLs have done the rounds with a variety of freight operators including Southern Shorthaul Railroad, SCT, Qube, Pacific National, GrainCorp and others, popping up wherever hard work needs doing. Grain trains, general freight and infrastructure jobs have all felt the tug of a GL at one time or another. Because there are only twelve of them, sightings can feel a bit special — like spotting a rare bird, only louder and with far more diesel fumes.
While they might still be riding on 1970s underframes, the GL class has proven that a good rebuild can keep an old warrior relevant for decades. They’re a fine example of Australian railway practicality: why throw it away when you can bolt on a new engine, wire it up properly, and send it straight back to work?
| Loco | Build # | Date | Owner | Name | Ex 442 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GL101 | 84040-02/03-333 | Jun-03 | RFAM | Think Big | 44207 |
| GL102 | 84040-04/03-334 | Jul-03 | RFAM | Sunline | 44216 |
| GL103 | 84040-06/03-335 | Aug-03 | RFAM | Brew | 44228 |
| GL104 | 84040-07/03-336 | Nov-03 | RFAM | Jezabeel | 44230 |
| GL105 | 84040-08/03-337 | Dec-03 | RFAM | Lets Elope | 44201 |
| GL106 | 84040-09/03-338 | 1-Dec | RFAM | Subzero | 44218 |
| GL107 | 84040-10/03-339 | Jan-04 | RFAM | Rogan Josh | 44233 |
| GL108 | 84040-10/03-340 | Jan-04 | RFAM | Rain Lover | 44222 |
| GL109 | 84040-11/03-341 | Apr-04 | RFAM | Just a Dash | 44229 |
| GL110 | 84040-12/03-342 | Apr-04 | RFAM | Tawriffic | 44215 |
| GL111 | 84040-12/03-343 | Jun-04 | RFAM | Galilee | 44232 |
| GL112 | 84040-01/04-344 | Oct-04 | RFAM | Jeune | 44212 |
| Road Numbers | GL101 - GL112 |
|---|---|
| Builder | United Goninan Broadmeadow NSW |
| Model | CM30-Mmi |
| Engine | GE 7FDL-12 |
| Gauge | Standard |
| Wheels | Co-Co |
| Power | 3300HP (2460kW) |
| Length | 18670mm |
| Mass | 132t |
GL101
GL102
GL103
GL104
NOTE: It is GL104, not 109.
GL105
GL106
GL107
GL108
GL109
GL110
GL111
NOTE: It is GL111, not 103.
NOTE: It is GL111, not 112.
GL112
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Bernie Baker, Benjamin Bohle-Mitchell, Tony Cooper, Brad Coulter, Bradly Coulter, Jamie Fisher, Evan Jasper, Phil Melling, Brad Peadon, Chris Stratton, Brad White, and Edward White.
Interested in everything that we publish online?
A huge amount of locomotive content from the 80s till today can be found on our Link Tree site.
---------------------------------------------------------
SMALL.jpg)
Kids With Cancer Foundation Website.
Started to help the kids & their families.
$50,000+ raised.
Destroyed by a railfan.
No comments:
Post a Comment