EMD LONDON VIGNETTE: 

Brand new Canadian National Railways GMD1 1010 sits outside the London plant in fresh paint in August 1957.   (Jim Parker photo) 

 

AMF Technotransport was a locomotive and railway rolling stock maintenance facility in Pointe St-Charles, QC, an area south of downtown of Montreal.  It was originally built as the Canadian Nation Railways Pointe St-Charles Shops and became a separate subsidiary in 1993 under the name AMF Technotransport.   In 1995, CN awarded a contract to manage AMF to GEC-ALSTHOM, In 1996, CN sold AMF  GEC ALSTHOM and subsequently changed their name to ALSTOM their international name.  By 1998, Alstom had dropped the AMF name completely and identified the facility as Alstom's Montreal remanufacturing centre or its Montreal rail centre.  Your editor had many contacts at AMF and ALSTOM and had the chance to visit often.  As the shop was contracted to repair, build and overhaul locomotives and cars from other railroads and leasing companies, there was always a plethora of  interesting locomotives on site. 

 

Some of the locomotive contracts included CALTRAIN, CEFX, FURX, BNSF, KCS, NBEC, APACHE RAILWAY, VIA RAIL,DART, VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS, GO TRANSIT, MBTA, AMT, STM (Montreal Metro), and many others.  The GEC-ALSTHOM SD40-3’s, CN SD40u’s, 17 7300-series CN SW1200RS’s SW1200RSm’s  and many others.  The great looking CN MLW’s at Expo Rail were also done at AMF. AMF also did international orders to Venezuela (Two GP38-2’s) and locomotives for other countries.

The AMF dead lines were equally impressive, with scores of damaged and stored CN units like GMd1u’s, the last M636, GP9’s, SD40’s, F-units, Two AMF owned BN F45’s, and retired VIA FPA4’s,  Your editor had the chance to walk among these many times in the 1980-1990 era, and I took hundreds of prints I  still need to scan for CRO.  Thankfully my buddy Pierre Fournier took many shots as well and he kindly shared these this month, and we will add more again soon.   

CN POINTE ST-CHARLES SHOP VIGNETTE:

Pierre Fournier snapped these photos at the CN PSC Shop were during busy times, locos were often "jammed" together in the storage tracks beside the shop three tracks deep!  The switching moves were handled by CN GP9RM’s and these switchers.  One of the best know locomotives to be overhauled at the shop were the ex-CN SD40-3’in GEC-Alsthom paint.  Many survive today on shortlines and some still in service on CN. 

AMF SW1200RS 1251 (ex-CN 1251)

AMF O1

GCFX SD40-3 6043

Not available.

CAD Railway Industries in Lachine, QC has been contracted to overhaul and repaint and upgrade several CP GP38-2 and GP38AC locomotives to Tier 0+ compliance, upgrading  with AESS (Automatic Engine Start/Stop), and repainting them into CP livery as NRE-Silvis has been doing for CP.    The first two units are already well underway. 

GP38-2’s released from CADRAIL:

Nil

CP GP38-2’s for overhaul at CADRAIL:

CP GP38-2 3130 (Arrived in August)
CP GP38-2 3027 (Arrived in June)

Richard Marchi photographed CP GP38-2 3027 being prepared for overhaul at Cadrail on July 24th. 

On June 28th, 2013 CP announced they were seeking expressions of interest and bids for all (or part) of their 42 unit SOO LINE SD6o/SD60M Fleet including some of the CADRAIL rebuilt CP SD60/SD60M’s are stored with stacks capped.  All  SOO SD60’s  serviceable, and unserviceable stored on the railway are all for sale “As is”.  CP will consider sale or lease with a buyout option for the fleet.  The SD60’s were delivered new from EMD Lagrange, IL  to the SOO LINE back in 1987-89 and interested parties can contact CP ASSETT DISPOSAL (www.cpr.ca) and then submit a formal letter.

At this time CAD Railway Industries (Lachine, QC) is still contracted to overhaul the remaining units they have on their property to Tier 0+ compliance, equip them with AESS (Locomotive Automatic Engine Start/Stop) to conserve fuel, and to repaint and renumber them to the CP 6200-series.  None received any cab upgrades.  The rebuilt units receive (PTC) Positive Train Control modifications at the CP St-Luc Diesel Shop.

Completed CADRAIL unit tally as of September 1st:  

CP SD60 6226 (ex-6026) painted August 30th, 2013
CP SD60 6232 (ex-SOO 6032) painted and complete August 18th. 2013
CP SD60 6222 (ex-SOO 6022) painted and complete July 30th, 2013
CP SD60 6247 (ex-SOO 6047) released June 22nd. 2013
CP SOO 6248 (Ex-SOO 6048)  released June 15th, 2013
CP SD60M 6262 (ex-SOO 6062) released April 29th, 2013
CP SD60 6239 (ex-SOO 6039) released April 29th, 2013
CP SD60M 6259 (ex-SOO 6059) released in April 2013
CP SD60M 6258 (ex-SOO 6058) released in April 2013
CP SD60 6231 (ex-SOO 6031) released January 20th, 2013
CP SD60 6249 (ex-SOO 6049) released December 21st , 2012
CP SD60 6238 (ex-SOO 6038) released December 4th, 2012
CP SD60 6256 (ex-SOO 6056) released November 29, 2012
CP SD60 6246 (ex-SOO 6046) released November 20, 2012. 
CP SD60 6230 (ex-SOO 6030) released November 1st, 2012
CP SD60 6236 (ex-SOO 6036) released October 26th, 2012
CP SD60 6221 (ex-SOO 6021) released October 6th, 2012.
CP SD60 6223 (ex-SOO 6023) released September 20th, 2012
CP SD60 6257 (ex-SOO 6057) released August 31st. 2012
CP SD60 6234 (ex-SOO 6034) released August 15th, 2012
CP SD60 6252 (ex-SOO 6052) released July 25th, 2012   
CP SD60 6255 (ex-SOO 6055) released June 21st, 2012
CP SD60 6229 (ex-SOO 6029) released June 5th, 2012
CP SD60 6243 (ex-SOO 6043) released April 20th 2012
CP SD60 6254 (ex-SOO 6054) released March 29th 2012
CP SD60 6245 (ex-SOO 6045) released March 6th 2012
CP SD60 6242 (ex-SOO 6042) released March 1st 2012
CP SD60M 6260 (ex-SOO 6060) released January 13th 2012
CP SD60 6228 (ex-SOO 6028) released December 16th 2011
CP SD60 6225 (ex-SOO 6025) released December 1st 2011
CP SD60 6241 (ex-SOO 6041) released November 2011
CP SD60 6240 (ex-SOO 6040) released October 2011

Undergoing overhaul at Cadrail:

SOO SD60 6051 arrived in Montreal in April 19th
 
In early August, four of the CAD Railway Industries rebuilt CP SD60’s in storage on CP were activated, and leased out:   CP SD60M 6262, CP SD60 6251, and 6247 were in service on lease to Quebec-Gatineau  (QGRY),  In late-August CP 6247 departed the QGRY and is now in Expressway service for testing.  Francois Jolin snapped this terrific lash-up of three SD60s  (CP 6251, 6262, and 6247), leading an empty CP train over Quebec-Gatineau (QGRY) trackage rights on the Trois-Rivieres Subdivision  (Quebec City to  Montreal), on July 31st. 

CP 6262, 6251 and 6247, operated on several grain trains on the QGRY and were returned to Montreal as 4th, 5th and 6th units on a QGRY Windmill train.  They then departed on a CP Westbound and went all the way all the way to Thunder Bay repaying Horse power Hours owed by QGRY to CP.  The  trio returned to Montreal to back on the QGRY on the next grain train. The CP SD60M was never on the lead during the first half of the month, however when standard cab SD60 (CP 6047) was returned to CP, QGRY did use the SD60M as a leader.  As of August 30th, the pair had departed QGRY and the following four units CP 6247, 6248, 6251, and 6262 were working on the CP Expressway train for fuel and oil testing.  If anything goes wrong with them, they will be sent to CADRAIL for tweaking.  

CP used two SD60’s, CP 6248 first, and then CP 6247 at month end assigned to (MTL-TOR) Expressway Service. This was according to our sources for locomotive testing, and when complete will be returned to storage or lease.

The following locomotives were noted at CADRAIL

RBRX F59PH 18522 (was seen intact in August, outside the shop).
CP GP9u 1651 To be Cut Up
CP GP9u 1545 Was Cut up in August
CP GP9u 1564 To be Cut Up
GP GP9u 1688 To be Cut Up.
CP SD60 6232 (Completed and transferred to CP St-Luc Diesel Shop) 
CP SD60M 6259 (for warranty repair)
SOO SD60 6051 (Arrived in April for overhaul and CP repaint)
CP GP38-2 3130 (Arrived in August for overhaul)
CP GP38-2 3027 (Arrived in July for overhaul) 
CITX SW1500 1562, 1563, 1564 1565  (Overhauled and in fresh CITX paint)
CEFX  SW1500:  1561, and 1566. (Inside the shop undergoing overhaul)
CITX SD9043MAC 130 (Repainted CITX blue).
CSX SD70MAC 4685 “Spirit of Mulberry” (repairs in August)
CSX SD70MAC 4687  (repairs in September)
CP AC4400CW 9708, 9712, 9730, 9739, 9762, and 9775, (repairs)

On August 18th, Richard Marchi snapped CP GP9u’s 1651 and 1688 at Cadrail for stripping. A week later they had moved into storage for scrapping.   

CEFX  SW1500 1560, 1561, 1562, 1564, 1565 and 1566 are at CAD for overhaul and repaint into CITX blue.  CITX intends to lease to railroads in the USA.  These switchers  two of which were still wearing RF&P (Richmond Fredericksburg, and Potomac colors, are CITX owned and came from a US Steel Mill who wanted them of their property.  Richard Marchi snapped CITX SW1500 1564 in fresh blue paint after her overhaul at Cadrail on August 11th.

Previously stored at the old CN Pointe St-Charles Shop in Montreal, former Agence Metropolitaine de Transport (AMT) GP9u 1310, 1312, and 1313 were photographed by Richard Marchi in CN-Taschereau Yard August 4th.  This trio (of four GP9u’s) retired from the AMT roster, are lettered MVPX.   The fourth former AMT GP9u (AMT 1311), was donated to the (CRHA) Exporail museum in St-Constant, QC a few years back.   AMT GP9u 1310, 1312, and 1313 and CN GP9RM 7007 were sold to MVPX and all four geeps are now in Chicago, IL.  The units were shot in Transit at CN Taschereau Yard August 4th.

In total three GO Transit F59PH locomotives have been leased by Metrolink for a period of 6-8 months to get them through the downtime anticipated in installation of Positive Train Control on the existing locomotive fleet.
The units are RBRX 18520 18522 and 18533, (ex-GO 520, 522 and 533).

Richard Marchi clicked CITX SD40-2 3082, 3163, and 3172 at Cadrail in July.  

The following locomotives were released from CADRAIL:

RBRX 18520 18522 and 18533, (All Leased to Metro Link in Los Angeles)
CP SD60M 6262 (Completed and leased to QGRY)  
CP SD60 6247 (Completed and leased to QGRY)  
CP SD60 6222 (Completed and stored on CP)
CP SD60 6232 (Completed in August, transferred to CP St-Luc Diesel Shop) 
CP AC4400CW 9771 (repairs)
CP AC4400CW 9700 (repairs)
CP AC4400CW 9763 (repairs, and later received truck overhaul at St-Luc).  
CP AC4400CW 9784 (repairs)
CP AC4400CW 9771 (repairs)
CITX (CEFX) SD40-2 3071 (repairs) 
CITX (CEFX) SD40-2 3172 (repairs)
CITX (CEFX) SD40-2 3155 (repairs)
CITX (CEFX) SD40-2 3082 (repairs)
CP 9725 AC4400CW (repairs)
CP 9750 AC4400CW (repairs)
CP 9751 AC4400CW (repairs)
CP 9772 (AC4400CW (repairs)
CITX SD9043MAC 105 (to Vermont Railway)
CITX SD9043MAC 119 (to Indiana Railroad June 9th)
CEFX AC4400CW 1037 and 1029 (departed in June and July following repairs).

Refurbish work on the interiors of two VIA “Park” cars  and four “Chateau” sleepers  is nearing completion at CLN INDUSTRIES.  The Budd-built stainless steel cars are:  VIA  8206 (Chateau Denonville), 8213 (Chateau Lauzon) and 8709 (Laurentide Park). VIA 8207 (Chateau Dollard), 8226, (Chateau Salaberry), and 8708 (Kootenay Park).  CLN and Services Ferroviaires Julien are  contracted to complete the interior refurbishment, but the all the car exterior work will be done at another repair shop.

Correction:  VIA RDC-4 6251 (nee CP 9251) is not yet in service as previously reported.  She has yet to be released from IRSI.  The Budd car was out for a test run August 10th. 

DESX GP10 8308 (ex-IC nee-Mid South Rail) has been leased to the Great Western Railway for service.

DESX 5306 and 5309, both former CN SD40-2W's are seen in the DESX blue and black paint scheme at Diesel Electric Services in Sudbury, ON on July 13th
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/443290

Diesel Electric Services GMD1 (DESX) 1910 arrived at Cochrane for an overnight stay June 19th as she's hauled to Tembec's Kapuskasing Mill from Diesel Electric's Sudbury facility. She traveled the Ottawa Valley Railway from Sudbury to North Bay, was interchanged with ONR and hauled to Englehart via 113, then was hauled to Cochrane from Englehart on 213. Her trip will continue to Kapuskasing on June 20th via 313. This particular model of locomotive was built between 1958 and 1960 and has a power output of 1200 horsepower. (Photo by Mike Robin)

In August, DESX leased LTEX GP15-1 1450 from Larry’s Truck Electric, and thensub leased it to Richardson International, a large industry located in Saskatchewan.   

Units stored on DESX property include:  (DESX) SD40-2W 5308, 5310, 5311, 5312, 5313, and SD40-2 5391.

NRE/Alco Locomotive Shop Capreol, ON

Overhaul and repaint of Roberval - Saguenay GP38-3 (RS #62) is complete and on September 5th, Andre St-Amant was at St-Paulin, QC and caught ROBERVAL SAGUENAY ( RS) GP38-3 #62 in transit  on CN 368, heading home from rebuild in Capreol, ON at NRE.

Eleven NREX owned units are stored on the property and  listed  in number order;(NREX) GP9 208, RS3 307, GMD1m 1141, 1149, GP9 1602, 1684, GMD1 1911, SD40-2 5567, 5619, 5620, 5644, and 5771.

Lambton Diesel Services (LDSX) - Sarnia, ON

An oil industry located on the Alberta border on the Saskatchewan-based Great Plains Railway received an SW1200 from the USA, and renumbered to Locomotive Diesel Services (LDSX) 121. Ex-CN SW1200RS 1251 sold to Lambton Diesel Services, arrived in Sarnia, ON in June. This switcher had been used at Lake Ontario Steel in Whitby, ON for many years, and was lettered BMMX (for B&M Metals), an affiliated company. LDSX SW1200RS 1359 was renumbered Cando Contracting (CCGX) 1006, and moved in April from Lambton Diesel Services in Windsor, to London over CN, and then continued over CP to Terrace Bay Pulp and Paper company in Terrace Bay, ON where it is now leased.

Former Central Vermont Sw1200 1511 which worked for the Kodak Eastman Company plant for many years, was refurbished, repainted and has been sold to VIP (Vidal Street Industrial Park) of Sarnia to become their very first unit VIPX 1511. Almost one year ago Lambton Diesel Services (LDSX) purchased CN SW1200RS 1375, IC SW14 1501, and SW1200RSu 7316 from CN’s Auction Sale and former GMDD/Caterpillar Shop Switcher EMDX SW1001 #1.

© CRO September 2013