CANADIAN LOCOMOTIVE SHOPS

The EMD Plant Officially Closed January 31st, 2012

In March 2012, Electro Motive Diesel had worked out an arrangement with its former workers and the local union. to complete assembly of 28 remaining locomotives at its former plant in London, ON, before permanently shutting it down, expected in September 2012.

On March 16^th, Geoff Williams shot UP SD70ACe 8764 on the test track at the London plant.  He noted UP 8773 at the end of the assembly line and the EMD and KCS units still sitting at the rear of the building.

Ian Platt visited the plant on March 10th and noted the "strike" fence gone the gates over the tracks at Oxford Street were open and one of the doors over the tracks into the plant was half open. There were several long hoods and several fuel tanks lined up along the east side of the building.  Confirmed at the plant are  eight leased locomotives, all SD70ACe’s for EMDX, CSX or  KCS, and two SD70ACe’s in primer one of which was UP 8765, and located at the back of the plant. 

On March 13th Stefan Guy photographed completed Vale SD80ACe  CVRD 107 on a heavy duty flatcar at Willowbrook Yard, Mimico, Ontario.  This is one of five Vale EMD-London built locomotives contract painted at CRCR for export to Brazil. As well, IRSI in Moncton, NB painted CVRD 104 and 105 in March. The VALE units arrived at Pier 27 at Halifax Ocean Terminal (HOT) March 22^nd for loading on the JumboShip STELLANOVA, due in Halifax on the 25^th.   

Paul Donovan caught Vale Mining SD80ACe 107 sans trucks moves eastbound on CN at Ste. Anne de Madawaska, NB, on March 17^th headed for Halifax for sea shipment to Brazil. VALE 107 was joined by nos.102 and 106, all riding on KRL flats with cribbing in place of the trucks.   Vale Mining is Brazil’s largest exporter.

CAD Railway Services (Lachine, QC) are continuing their contract to overhaul 14 SOO SD60’s and one SD60M to Tier 0+ compliance, equip them with AESS (Locomotive Automatic Engine Start/Stop) to conserve fuel, and repaint and renumber to CP 6200-series.   

In Service:

CP SD60 6245 (ex-SOO 6045) released March 6^th

CP SD60 6242 (ex-SOO 6042) released on March 1st

CP SD60M 6260 (ex-SOO 6060) released January 13th

CP SD60 6228 (ex-SOO 6028) released December 16th

CP SD60 6225 (ex-SOO 6025) released December 1st

CP SD60 6241 (ex-SOO 6041) released November

CP SD60 6240 (ex-SOO 6040) released October

CP SD60 6250 (ex-SOO 6050) released October

At Cadrail:

SOO SD60 6052 arrived at Cadrail March 19th

SOO SD60 6034 arrived at Cadrail March 19th

SOO SD60 6055  arrived at Cadrail on March 9th

SOO SD60 6029 arrived on January 9th.

SOO SD60 6043 arrived on January 9th.

SOO SD60 6054 arrived on January 9th.

Update: in Mid-March, three more SD60’s were coming to CAD. SOO 6034, 6052, and 6057.  The only one still to arrive is SOO 6057 enroute from St. Paul. MN.

Richard Marchi snapped one of the new CAD releases, CP SD60 6245 in Montreal on March 11^th.

Kris Rumbut caught CAD releases 6225 and 6260 at Blue Island, IL. March 10^th.

The VIA Rail F40PH-2’s at CAD Railway Services for rebuild and listed in their expected order of release:

VIA 6421, 6420, 6424, 6414 (Loto Quebec), and 6445 (Coors Light).  

Rebuilt VIA F40PH-3 6428 and 6413 were released from CAD in early March, and VIA 6446 was released in late-January.

Currently, there are only seven VIA F40PH-2’s left “in service” wearing the old paint scheme.  The numbers are 6408, 6415, 6427, 6435,  6440, 6451, and 6453.

CP SD9043MAC 9142 is at CADRAIL for traction motor application,  CP SD9043MAC 9157 is still stored at St-Luc awaiting an engine change out at Cadrail.  

On March 10^th Michael Berry noted new arrival VIA Sleeper “Grant Manor” outside CAD. On July 6^th 2010, this VIA car was damaged in Jasper, Alberta when CN SD70M-2 8904 rolled into the side of “The Canadian”.  The car had been stored at MMC for an opening at CAD.   As well, the two ex-MEC U18B's are no longer on the dead line track where they've been for years, but we are unsure if they were sold or scrapped, or simply moved inside.

On March 24^th Michael passed by CAD and noted  the following units: ex-GO F59PH RBRX 18537 visibly missing parts;  ex-UP CITX  SD40-2  2804; soon to be released CP SD60 6254; and CP SD9043MAC 9142 hidden in the back.

Guy-Pascal Arcouette snapped the remains of former LRC-2 Locomotive 6908, that had been transformed to a test bed, and  now stored in the CAD-Lachine dead line at on March 12^th.  This was the spot the two MEC U18B’s were previously stored.

In March primer painted VALE SD80ACe’s 104 and 105 (Rolling as EMDX 3004 and 3005) were both inside the IRSI Shop in Moncton, NB for painting and additional work. 

Refurbished LRC work at IRSI was temporarily on hold in March because of structural problems found under some LRC cars (corroded or  rusting steel).  The VIA contract may have to be revised for any additional costs required to refurbish the cars.

Rebuilt VIA RDC-4’s 6250 and 6251 are still in Moncton, NB, to repair an overheating  problem.

VIA RDC-1 6135 is currently stored unserviceable in Sudbury, ON,

The other VIA RDC-1 6148, is fully operational but had also arrived from Toronto with major coolant leaks, which are now repaired.  It may be while on Vancouver Island or while stored in Vancouver, these Budd cars were not drained properly.  VIA RDC-1 6135 is now on the storage track at Sudbury, ON and may become a source for parts.   

© CRO April 2012