Caption: While 110 SD40-2 units were available on CP in 1974, it was not unusual to see a high-priority train like number 965 powered by a pair of plain SD40s out of the fleet total of 65 units. Here, on Tuesday 1974-10-01 on my first Saskatchewan road trip, 5509 + 5503 are eight years old as they scoot by the elevators at Tompkins, 50 miles west of the previous crew change point at Swift Current.

Regard that glorious Saskatchewan sky. Combine that with the friendly people there, and it is no wonder this west coast kid gained a strong appreciation for prairie railroading. CP management folks were rather surprised when I happily accepted a temporary winter assignment to work there (based out of Moose Jaw) twenty years later. Little did they know!