Canadian Railroads > QNS&L Saturday

Quebec, North Shore & Labrador GMD SD40 220.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
November, 1987.

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I see a modification typical of locomotives used in very cold and windy places, including Newfoundland. Notice the piece of plywood over the lower half of the cab window.

Conventional cab SD40's didn't have much insulation, and the aluminum frame windows were draughty. Sometimes large cardboard boxes were wetted so they would freeze to the cab walls, but quite often, plywood would be placed inside the cab windows to keep the draught out.

There were many ex-CN Newfoundland area operating employees on the QNS&L, so it may have been an idea imported from the Rock.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/19 21:20 by eminence_grise.

eminence_grise Wrote:
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> I see a modification typical of locomotives used
> in very cold and windy places, including
> Newfoundland. Notice the piece of plywood over the
> lower half of the cab window.
>
> Conventional cab SD40's didn't have much
> insulation, and the aluminum frame windows were
> draughty. Sometimes large cardboard boxes were
> wetted so they would freeze to the cab walls, but
> quite often, plywood wood be placed inside the cab
> windows to keep the draught out.
>
> There were many ex-CN Newfoundland area operating
> employees on the QNS&L, so it may have been an
> idea imported from the Rock.

Never ceases to amaze me what I can learn on TO.  Thanks as usual Phil.

At the time shown, would that engine have been on its way to its new identity as a CP engine?

toledopatch Wrote:
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> At the time shown, would that engine have been on
> its way to its new identity as a CP engine?

CP 5400-5414 were ex-QNS&L 204-218, so 220 never ended up as a CP unit. According to the Trackside Guide 220 ended up rebuilt as KCS SD40-2 695, in 1995. Must have been on lease in this shot. These were great looking units, with the snow shield and big, 4000 Imperial-gallon fuel tanks (normal capacity was 3340 Imperial gallons/4000 US gallons on the SD40/40-2).
Fred