Canadian Railroads > MLW M420W

Did the MLW M 420 have dynamic brakes?

Mike Root
Madras, OR

Apparently the CN did not have dynamic brakes but the BCR did have dynamic brakes, no info about the other owners. Note that the only cab available was the Canadian style wide nose / wide cab so the the ' W ' designation was not used, they all had ' wide cabs '. My understanding is they all met Canadian requirements so they could have been designated as Canadian Cabs.

Don't have a detailed guide to ALCO's or MLW's so here's what we have on the web these days:

https://rapidotrains.com/master-classes/mlw-m420-master-class

and these guys:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLW_M-420

None of the CN four motor power purchased in that time frame had dynamics; that would include the GP40-2W's and the GP38-2 and GP38-2W's.

CN didn't believe in dynamic brakes, they were just an unneeded, expensive option.

After the CN took over operating the BC Rail, a fatal derailment occurred on 29 June, 2006 near Lillooet, BC. CN had assigned a GP40-2L (no Dynamic Brakes)  #9606 as the "Exeter Switcher."  BC Rail had normally assigned a locomotive equipped with dynamic brakes. I happen to vacation the area shortly after the accident and was surprised to find a Wisconsin Central painted GP38-2 #2002  at the Lillooet yard. I was unaware of the the earlier accident at the time..Here is a link to Transportation Safety Board of Canada report.

https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2006/r06v0136/r06v0136.html


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