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Caption: BC Rail C630M 701, the first of their fleet of modern 3000hp MLW 6-axle locomotives, is a little bit far from home as she trails CN train #333 as it works Port Robinson, Ontario. Two CN GP40-2W units lead BCOL 730 (M630W) and 701, both heading stateside to GE's Erie PA plant as trade-in fodder for brand new 4600-series C40-8M's.
BC Rail was big into Alco/MLW power since dieselization, operating RS3/RSC3, RS10, RS18 models, plus secondhand C420 and C425 units acquired from the US.MLW C630M units 701-704 were built in June 1969 for BC Rail predecessor Pacific Great Eastern. Follow-up orders were placed for successor M630 (705-722) and M630W (723-730) models in the 1970's, and 4-axle M420W's were also purchased.
With the closing down of Alco, and MLW becoming Bombardier and struggling with their new offerings, BC Rail turned to GMD in the 1980's for new SD40-2's (and used ones from the states). By the late 80's the winds of change were blowing, and BC Rail traded in their entire roster of aging MLW C630M, M630 and M630W units to GE on brand new C40-8M locomotives (minus the 711 wrecked at Seton Lake). The new C40-8M's headed west, while the old traded-in MLWs such as 701 and 730 were being sent east and forwarded down to GE during 1990/1991.
GE had visions of upgrading them into "Super 7" units (and completed one unit), but alas, there were no takers for MLW Super 7's. Most of the ex-BC Rail M's were resold to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (FMN), and ran into the mid-late 90's. The 701's disposition is unknown, but GE retained two units (Super 7 demo 3000 (ex-705) and 706), that hung around Erie PA for years until being sold off to the Delaware Lackawanna RR.
Reg Button photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.
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The way the story goes, so I heard, someone at GE convinced BC Rail to trade in all of their MLW 6 axles for C40-8M’s. Probably why those and CN’s fleet rode on the Dofasco MLW trucks, rather than those GSC trucks the Dash 8 had. Probably why they were so happy with those, that they also got C44-9WL’s as well. At least GE had a proper test track. MLW didn’t due to a very sharp curve that could not handle 6 axle locomotives (the last time I checked a satellite image of what was the plant, you could make out where this was).
I think 706 still had the 251, but Dash 7 electricals. Same with the 705. The first AC4400CW ever built rode on Dofasco MLW trucks (unknown who the donor was for that), while the rest of them either rolled on self steering or HiAd’s. That unit still exists over at Erie.
705 and 706 were engaged in testing at GE Erie, until they were sold to the DLW. From what I heard, GE test track employees loved using them.
Our resident BC Rail employee could fill in some more details.
Driver8666, sounds about right. Curious though that most of the BC Rail units were resold, rather than being scrapped and having their trucks reused.
I know some of the CN units had reused/refurbished MLW trucks (likely from their own units), perhaps some new castings of the Dofasco 5650 trucks were made, or trucks from ex-CN units were used on the BC Rails.
Maybe because it was MLW, but who knows. I do know that the C630′s were ordered to be scrapped, with the trucks being sent to GE for use under the now scrapped C40-8M’s.
BC Rail’s MLW fleet all made the journey to Erie so the trucks could be reused for the 8M order (with spares just in case). I doubt different castings were made for the 5650, as you just recondition them, slap on a new coat of paint and call it a day.
Since the wheelbase of the 5650 is pretty short compared to the GSC truck, maybe it was to fit a larger fuel tank in with that prominent sag we’ve all seen.
Great question here is how did QNSL get 5650′s rolled under their order of 8M’s?
The problem with the BC Rail truck reuse idea is it doesn’t work out logistically.
Most of the BC Rail 6-axle MLW fleet traded in were resold by GE to FNM in Mexico and operated down there, except for about 6 units (including 705 & 706), so there wouldn’t have been nearly enough trucks from the BC Rail units to reuse on the new 4600′s.
And, photos show the new BC Rail C40-8M’s were shipped from GE in April and May 1990, about 1-2 months before the MLW’s started heading east to GE in Erie as trade-ins, so the trucks under the new C40-8M’s came from another source, either CN trade-ins, a scrapyard (from CN or CP units?), or as new castings from Dofasco.
Methinks GE probably had a pool of spare/scrap trucks bought from sources, and a “trade-in” would get whatever trucks were being shopped for use at the time.
You might be right on that one, with the trucks coming from another source.
Methinks you might be right with your hypothesis.