Canadian Railroads > Two Noteworthy F40s on the Ocean

Here is VIA 15, the Ocean, leaving the Halifax station on March 25, 2009.  The lead F40, 6403 was wrapped in 2003 to observe the 50th anniversary of CBC Television (the CBC itself actually goes back to 1936 when it replaced the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, which in turn grew out of Canadian National Railways' on-train radio service).  The wrap lasted until 6403 was rebuilt c. 2010.  6403 was featured on the Canadian $10 banknote, and the real 6403 was renumbered to 6459.  There must be some sort of superstition in play there.

The second F40 is 6400, the prototype for VIA's F40 rebuilding program.  It ran around for quite a few years before any of the others were done, and it wound up being an orphan because the subsequent rebuilds had a separate generator rather than using the prime mover for HEP, like traditional F40s.  It was wrecked less than a year after this photo, when the head end crew missed some signals and went into the siding at Saint-Charles-de-Bellechase at over 60 mph.  The incident bent the frame, and it was retired some time later that year.  Here is the TSB report: Railway Investigation Report R10Q0011 - Transportation Safety Board of Canada (tsb.gc.ca)

GTD

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