#4508
GMD GF6C
🇨🇦 Canada ·built by General Motors Diesel· from 1983· class of 7 Canadian electric locomotives
1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. BC Rail GF6C 6001: Alasdair McLellan· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The GF6C was an electric locomotive for freight duties built by General Motors Diesel in collaboration with ASEA of Sweden. Seven of these locomotives were built in 1983 and 1984, for use on the BC Rail's electrified Tumbler Ridge subdivision. Similar to EMD's GM6C testbed locomotive, the GF6C used a frame and running gear that was identical to that of EMD's popular SD40-2 diesel-electric locomotive, but had a wide cab and carbody similar to that of GMD's SD40-2F. BC Rail chose electrification for the Tumbler Subdivision because the line had long, non-ventilated tunnels, as well as steep grades and sharp curves.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 43 years ago, in 1983.
- 4.5 MW is about 53 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 30 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 20.7 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 17 years (1983–2000).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1983–1984
- in service from
- 1983
- retired
- 2000
- status
- preserved
- number built
- 7
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- builders
- General Motors Diesel
- operators
- BC Rail
- top speed
- —
- power
- 4.5 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 50 kV AC Catenary
- wheel arrangement
- Co′Co′
- length
- 20.7 m
- weight
- 180 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q5513748, Wikipedia: GMD GF6C (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.