Caption: Across the field and far away. Sitting in the deadline behind the diesel shop, two retired relics of days past linger together on a November evening. CN M636 2338 once hauled heavy transcontinental freights with its 3600 horsepower engine roaring in notch 8. Retired in the late 1990's, she survived the scrapper as the backup Y2K power unit for the shops and has been here ever since, awaiting possible preservation or possible scrapping. SW1200RSm 7316, built in the 1950's for local and roadswitcher service, was upgraded and rebuilt by CN in the 80's, but eventually succumbed to a seized crankshaft that was then cut out. As of late she's been a parts unit for the nearby steel transfer facility's switcher RT-110.

Fast forward a few years: 2338 survived on long enough to be purchased by the WNY&P and transported to the US as RPRX 2338, although CN held her up from moving suspiciously long enough for someone to get a photo with the "new" CN 2338 (GE ES44DC) posed side-by-side (methinks there was a railfan in the diesel shop that held it up until then...). 7316 was sold to LDS in Sarnia, where their capable shop will evaluate her for possible rebuild and resale.

Both have eluded the scrapper's torch, for now.