OKthePK - Last Call

Volume 13
Number 7
May 25, 1983

New Locomotives Enter Service

By Stephen Morris

On Stream: Number 3021 leads five other brand new GP38-2s out of Port McNicoll, Ontario, with a consist of empty grain cars destined for Western Canada, The six locomotive are among 20 new units CP Rail has purchased primjarily to haul grain products. At Fanneystelle, Manitoba, two of the new locomotives were greeted by a welcoming committee of grain industry officials, railway officers, and school children as they delivered empty cars to the elevator track there - Date unknown Maurice Quinn.

London Ontario - CP Rail has taken delivery of the first of 20 diesel locomotives valued at more than $20 million from the Diesel Division, General Motors of Canada Limited.

The lightweight GP 38-2 locomotives are part of the railway's program to upgrade service on secondary and branch lines in Western Canada and will be used primarily to haul grain products.

"This is the first time in more than a decade that CP Rail has allocated funds specifically for motive power to service branch or secondary lines on the Prairies," said Executive Vice-President R.S. Allison.

COMMITMENT

"These new locomotives are the most sophisticated of their kind in production today and illustrate our commitment to moving Western Canadian products to market."

The 2,000 horsepower engines have four axles, are 50 feet (15 metres) long, weigh 130 tons (118 metric tons) and have a maximum speed of 65 miles (105 kilometres) an hour. They are capable of pulling 75 cars of grain.

Their lightweight design and flexibility make the GP 38-2 one of the best locomotives for branchline type freight operations, as well as secondary and mainline service.

The engines, the first six went into service at Port McNicoll, Ontario, will be maintained at Winnipeg.

This CP Rail News article is copyright 1983 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.

Canadian Pacific number 3068 General Motors model GP38-2 built in 1985 - Apr 2006 Anonymous Photographer.