Volume 13 Number 2 January 26, 1983

Railway Takes Delivery
of 50 New Locomotives

New Units: George Nutkins, London Division superintendent, looks out of the cab window as he tries the first of CP Rail's 50 new locomotives. On the front running board is Tom Baxter, a locomotive tester with General Motors.

London Ontario - CP Rail has taken delivery of the first of 50 new diesel locomotives, valued at about $70 million, from the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada Limited here.

The units, 30 SD40-2 main line freight locomotives and 20 GP38-2 lighter weight road switchers, will increase the railway's main line fleet as well as provide motive power for secondary and branch lines in Western Canada.

"We know that ever increasing volumes of bulk traffic, including grain, are forecast to be shipped from Western Canada," said R.S. Allison, executive vice-president. "These locomotives will help us meet anticipated traffic requirements in 1983."

The SD40-2 locomotives are rated at 3,000 horsepower, have six axles, are 70 feet (21 metres) long and weigh 195 tons (177 metric tons).

The smaller 2,000 horsepower GP38-2s have four axles, are 59 feet (18 metres) long and weigh 130 tons (118 metric tons).