Caption: Three brand new GO Transit GP40-2W's cut through the Winter gloom near the end of January 1974, on what is likely their first break-in run in service. Freshly-minted at the nearby GMD plant two days earlier, GO 9808, 9809, and 9811 sail around the curve past the signals at Mile 71.9 on the Dundas Sub just east of London, on the approach to Dorchester with a good-sized extra CN freight tacked on the drawbar. The location of this train wasn't noted on the slide, but the signal mileage, powerlines and some thorough aerial research pinpointed the location to just east of London near a farm where the Ukraina Banquet Hall and Conference Center is today (probably a bit of a walk-in shot from the nearby farm access road by Waubuno Creek bridge).

These three units were part of GO's first GP40-2W order of four units, 9808-9811 (stamped as built in December 1973, but outshopped at the end of January 1974) and purchased for the opening of the Georgetown line in April 1974. They were GO's first purchase of conventional non-passenger power, intended to be used with rebuilt Ontario Northland F-units converted into cab control/HEP cars (the 9850/60-series APCU's, later 900's) to provide electrical power to the passenger cars. They were also delivered before CN received its first 9400-series GP40-2L(W) units, making GO's the first GP40-2 production units equipped with the Canadian Safety Cab. Two more orders of GP40-2W's would follow in 1974 and 1975 before GO opted for the more conventional F40PH model in 1978, followed by some rebuilt ex-Rock Island GP40's in 1982.

This would be the first freight of many they would pull, as over the years CN and CP would both lease GO units for freight service, often over weekends when the power would have been idle until Monday morning. GO's eclectic fleet of GP40's and F40's were eventually replaced with the swarm of new F59PH's that flooded the roster the late 80's-early 90's, and the GP40-2W's were eventually sold to CN in 1991 (except 9811/703 that was sold to Tri-Rail). The ex-GO -2W units were renumbered into the high 9668-9677 group, and most continue to soldier on under CN ownership.

Gord Taylor photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection with some editing & location reconnaissance.