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Caption: CN 5390, an Ontario Hydro owned SD40-2 formerly assigned to CP Rail, is one of 11 passed to CN along with O.H.'s coal hauling business. My source indicates CN 5390 was formerly CP 5781. Traces of a multimark can be seen around the radiator intake grilles.
It is resting outside the Symington Yard Diesel Shop in eastern Winnipeg, sandwiched between Conrail units CR 6662 and CR 6453. It could be used on any train systemwide. CP re-acquired 10 of them in year 2000.
For a while after privatization, it was sometimes still possible to obtain permission to visit CN facilities and take photographs. Sincere thanks to the people who authorized me, I hope there were no downsides for you.
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I saw one of these on 324 when I lived in Vermont in St. Albans. When I did, me and my now ex wife were out and I started laughing my ass off. I siad to her “Guess some contract changed hands”.
Where did these Ontario Hydro units end up (today?).
I saw them a few times. I’m also curious to what they were intended for being owned by Hydro..
Up-to-date Cdn Trackside Guide should say.
A recommendable online resource to find out some history of individual CP locomotives: http://www.mountainrailway.com/Diesel%20Roster%20Page.htm
For example cp5390, ex cn5390: Retired (3/2006). Sold to Progress Rail, Birmingham AL. (8/2007).
About your second curiosity – Ont. Hydro needed coal transported to their power station(s). If they provided their own railcars, they should get a better deal on transportation costs. It appears to me that buying locomotives for these trains is an extension of that model. The locos don’t actually have to always work those coal trains, they offset whatever power is used. (Just my speculation.)
I knew what the unit was for and who owned it. The fact that it was an ex CP locomotive, is why I was laughing. You saw some weird doodie down there. First off every CN train for the NECR was powered by either GP40-2WL’s or SD40-2′s Then came the SD50F’s, 60F’s and 75I’s after 2002. After 2003, we reguarly saw the GE’s. First was the C44-9W, then the C40-8M’s in both CN and BCR paint. Then came down the ES44DC and SD70M-2′s in about 2005-2007. Some of those SD70M-2′s had probably less than 1000 miles on the odometer, and in addition, I watched some of them being built at the former GMD plant on a tour in 2007.
Lucky still, 8 times out of 10, you’d see CSX or NS power trailing. Weird to see a CSX SD70MAC on 324. But I have photographic evidence of it. Usually it was NS D9-40CW’s