Eastern Railroad Discussion > Question about Alstom..?

I have noticed out west...a few of these units...painted in gray...lettered for CN...but sublettered for GTW or WC...usually over the battery boxes...it says something like...owned by Alstom...

Anyone have anymore definitive information...? I did a search..and didn't see specific info..thanks

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Mike,
Alstom rebuilt a large nuber of ex CN SD40's at their plant in Montreal. I got the following blurb from one of those Railfan.net forums.
Steve B.

All of Alstom's SD40-3's started their service lives as CN SD40's. CN had 241 SD40's from 5000 -- 5240 During the late 1980's and a good part of the 1990's many of them were sold to Alstom in Montreal and were rebuilt to the following number series

CN 6000 -- 6028 [ 6026 was recently retired in December 2005 ]

GCFX 6030 -- 6080 [ now WC 6900 -- 6949 ]

BNSF 7300 -- 7339 [ Still with BNSF ]

KCS 6600 -- 6639 [ 6621 -- 6639 went to the GTW as 5938 -- 5958 ]

A total of 160 locomotive were sold to Alstom and were rebuilt to SD40-3 specifications. CN agreed to buy back about 75 of them and reassigned them to the GTW and the WC due to the shortage and retirement of Several GTW SD40's and SD40-2 and the retirement of approximately 80 SD45's from the WC. The KCS still has 6600 -- 6620, and the BNSF has 7300 -- 7339, however these units are leased to CN about 6 months of the year. It is unlikely CN will ever buy back these Locomotives due to the recent purchase of 25 SD70M-2 and 50 ES44DC's.

NscaleMike Wrote:
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> I have noticed out west...a few of these
> units...painted in gray...lettered for CN...but
> sublettered for GTW or WC...usually over the
> battery boxes...it says something like...owned by
> Alstom...
>
> Anyone have anymore definitive information...? I
> did a search..and didn't see specific info..thanks


The units sublettered WC are the 6900 series SD40-3's whcih had been on long term lease from GEC Alstom. These units had been GCFX #6030-6079. These were purchased outright after the aquisition of the WC and they are assigned to the WC. As they are renumbered and relttered into the CN fleet they are also sublettered WC as they are assignedd to the WC.
Then there are the #5938 series SD40-3's sublettered GTW. CN has 19 of these units. Originally these were part of a 40 units group rebuilt and painted for the KCS and numbered in the 6600 series. They were on a 6 month split lease with the CN, with each railroad getting the 40 units for 6 months of each year. CN wished to disolve this lease agreement (as well as a similar agreement that covered the former LMS C40-8W's) so CN ended up with 19 of the units and will retain these units fulltime until the lease eventually expires or they are. Likewise KCS will keep its portion of the units fulltime. This group of locomotives is assigned to the GTW and therefore is sublettered GTW and they are numbered following the GTW SD40-2's.
The 40 BNSF SD40-2 rebuilds (not SD40-3's) mentioned in the previous thread have never been included on a lease with the CN. These have been BNSF units fulltime since they were aquired by the BNSF several years ago.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

Spotted #6049 in 2002 at Aldershot, Ontario lettered for GEC Alsthom with GCFX reporting marks. Can't say I like the livery...

Although Alstom seems to be the prevailing choice in pronouncing the name, it does say 'Alsthom' on the locomotive. Is this a mis-spelling or are they two different companies?

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The company changed its name from Alsthom to Alstom. It is a large French transportation manufacturer. TGVs etc. The "h" was silent in the pronounciation and the name was frequently misspelled.

SOO6617 Wrote:
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> The company changed its name from Alsthom to
> Alstom. It is a large French transportation
> manufacturer. TGVs etc. The "h" was silent in the
> pronounciation and the name was frequently
> misspelled.

Thanks for the clarification.

The old name "Alsthom" was also derived from the very first name of the company, "Alsace-Thompson", as the company originally started in eastern France (the Alsace region, around Mulhouse) early in the 20th century as a joint venture with Thompson Electric, hence it became "Alsthom". You're right, the "h" was supposed to be silent in pronunciation but frerquently wasn't kept silent.

Alstom still has a large factory in Mulhouse, France ... where the TGV power cars have all been assembled.

greendot Wrote:
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>
> You're right, the "h" was supposed to be silent in
> pronunciation but frerquently wasn't kept silent.
>
The H is, almost without exception, always silent in French pronunciation.

Elizabeth

greendot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The old name "Alsthom" was also derived from the
> very first name of the company, "Alsace-Thompson",
> as the company originally started in eastern
> France (the Alsace region, around Mulhouse) early
> in the 20th century as a joint venture with
> Thompson Electric, hence it became "Alsthom".
> You're right, the "h" was supposed to be silent in
> pronunciation but frerquently wasn't kept silent.
>
> Alstom still has a large factory in Mulhouse,
> France ... where the TGV power cars have all been
> assembled.

Your close Greendot. The two predecessors that merged in 1928 to form Alsthom were
Société Alsacienne de Construction Mécanique and
Compagnie Française Thompson Houston

Their factory is at Belfort, France, not too far from Mulhouse.

And if I'm not mistaken, the company is now owned by Alcatel.

Er in a word, no. The companies have an intertwined history but currently have no connection. Alstom is in Power Generation Equipment and Transportation Equipment. Alcatel is in Telecomunications. The two companies jointly owned Alcatel Alstom (railroad signalling) and Alcatel owned 24% of Alstom. But Alcatel now owns, and has renamed the signalling company, and has sold its interest in Alstom.