An axle driving apparatus including a hydrostatic transmission disposed in a housing, with at least one axle extending from a side of the housing and an input shaft extending into the housing to drive the hydrostatic transmission, an output shaft engaged to and driven by the hydrostatic transmission and having one end external to the housing, a brake mechanism engaged to the external end of the output shaft, a trunnion engaged to the hydrostatic transmission and having one end extending from the housing, and a bypass actuator engaged to the hydrostatic transmission and having one end extending from the housing, wherein each of the axle, output shaft, trunnion, and bypass actuator are oriented generally perpendicular to the input shaft, and each of the output shaft, trunnion and bypass actuator extend from the same side of the housing.