Canadian Railroads > Switcher or Geep?

A pair of GP9RMs sit outside the Rockingham Yard office in Halifax on May 23, 1999.

CN rebuilt most of its GP9 fleet in the '80s and '90s as either light roadswitchers (4000s, 4100s), heavy switchers (7000s) or slug mothers (7200s).  They all got chopped noses and rebuilt cabs with angled front windows similar to the 6000s (or an Alco Century).  Dynamic brakes were also removed and the space was used for carbody air filters instead.  And they all got new 645 power assemblies (although kept the original 567C blocks), resulting in an 1800 HP rating.

With a CN classification of GS-418, the 7000s were most definitely switchers.

GTD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/20 17:14 by cn6218.

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When new, the CN GP9's operated long hood first. When they were rebuilt, the CN moved the control stand over to the other side of the cab on the rebuilds intended to be used as freight locomotives, but didn't on the ones rebuilt to be switch engines.

At least one unit got a custom set of cardboard sunshades too! Train 534 usually returned home from Chilliwack to Thornton yard in the afternoon; I don't know if the shades remained in place as the crew rolled into the yard or not. Even though they typically ran short hood first out in BC, the long hood remained designated as the front.

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

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