Canadian Railroads > The Afternoon Train Out of Halifax

For a while in the late '90s, early 2000s, things were quite busy in Nova Scotia with freight trains.  There were three daily pairs of freights (148/149, 120/121 and 136/137), along with the eastbound and westbound Oceans, 6 days a week.  137 usually left Rockingham just as 14 (the Ocean) was arriving, and rolling meets on the double track were not uncommon.  This train also carried the Dartmouth traffic, which was brought over to Rockingham by transfer.  In some ways, that is similar to what will be happening again, with 407/408 (Moncton-Dartmouth) canceled, and any remaining traffic being tacked onto 120/121.

On September 23, 2000, SD60Fs 5501 and 5549 were spliced by SD40-2 5382 as they hauled their first cut of cars from Ocean Terminals past Fairview Jct. at 1500.  On the yard lead, a set of SD75Is and a GP38-2 (possibly 120's power) waits to go downtown with a transfer.

Two hours and 20 minutes later the train is making track speed west of Truro with the climb up Folly Mountain just ahead.  Junk cars from Rockingham and more containers from the Fairview Cove pier have been added to the head end.  5501 is one of 4 pre-production SD60Fs (called SD50AF at the time) delivered to CN in 1985 as 9900-9903.  They lacked the number boxes in the nose like the production units, and 5501 seems to have one homemade numberboard over the conductor's windshield.

GTD

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Great looking pictures !!!
At one time was the nickname of these units "Draper Taper" ?
Just wondering ???

Yes, these are "Draper Taper" cowls.  "Draper" for the CN assistant chief of motive power when the HR-616 was built, and "Taper" for the tapering of the carbody right behind the cab to provide some rearward vision for the crew.  I'm not sure the taper would be more effective than a rear view mirror (which I assume these locomotives had as well). The CP SD40-2Fs  (now CMQ) have it as well, so it wasn't specific to CN.

GTD