Canadian Railroads > An Odd Duck in Dartmouth, NS

On May 20, 1998, a curious sight showed up in the Dartmouth Yard.  A candy apple red SD40-2 numbered 5389 was part of the power for 701 that day (others were SD40u 6007 and SD40-2W 5250).  The colour of the paint indicated CP Rail, but the number series and font suggested CN.  It turned out that 5389 was one of a group of SD40-2s owned by Ontario Hydro to power coal trains for the utility on CP.  When contracts changed, and CN got more of the business, the SDs moved with it.  Obviously, CN wasn't hauling coal for Ontario Hydro in Nova Scotia, but they seemed to be free to move locomotives around as long as the Hydro trains were always looked after.

Since the red SD40-2 would be leading on the return trip, I made sure I covered this rare event.  As it turned out, it was even rare than I thought.  5389 only had two seats, and there was a trainee conductor along that day.  As a result, he had to ride the middle unit, which probably meant the educational experience wasn't as good as it could have been.  As soon as the train was put away at Wrights Cove, the crew rearranged the power with 5389 in the middle, and that's the way it stayed for the rest of its time on the gypsum jobs.

On its only day leading in Nova Scotia, it's shown here near mile 25 beside Grand Lake on the Bedford Sub, and then winding down the hill in Burnside, between mile 8 and 9 of the Dartmouth Sub.

A few days later I caught the empty train 701 at Laurie Park, mile 24 of the Bedford Sub, with 5357 leading.

This group of SD40-2s, except for 5391, all went back to CP in 2000, where they kept the same numbers until they were retired a few years later.  5389 was sold to Progress Rail, and eventually wound up in Brazil.

GTD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/21 10:37 by cn6218.

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   Just another trivia tidbit regarding this equipment.

 A Robot Control car also belonged to Ontario Hydro, painted in the blue CP colours for such equipment, CPHX 1032.  I used to see it on occasion when I worked at CP's Alyth Yards in Calgary and asked someone about the "HX" initials and was told that it wasn't CP equipment.  The car itself was a converted box car, instead of the C-liner B-units that were the norm.

 I don't know what happened to it if / when it went to CN or if it ever came back to CP.  At some point later, the Locotrol equipment was fitted into the noses of new SD40-2s and all the robot cars were retired or disposed of, including one that was lettered for BN and another for BC Rail.

 Gee - it seems like all this was just yesterday and it must be over 40 years ago! "Old Codger-dom" seems to have sneaked up on me. :-)

Regards,

John