Caption: CP Rail GP9's 8517, 8526, 8817 and 8511 sit parked outside the Alyth Yard diesel shop in Calgary awaiting attention from shop forces. Two sport the newer "Action Red" livery with end stripes and large multimark, while the other two retain their 1960's maroon & grey "Script" livery.

Most of CP's GP9 fleet was based out west, specifically assigned out of Alyth, Winnipeg, and later Nelson. The three 8500's here were Alyth-assigned dual freight/passenger units, part of a group equipped with steam generators (8501-8529) for use as passenger protection power on The Canadian and other passenger trains CP operated. Dynamic brakes enabled them to be used west of Calgary on the mountain grades, and the split 800/800gal fuel & water tanks underneath necessitated the air tanks (or "torpedo tubes") to be mounted on the long hood behind the cab (see here). Among the differences, 8517 and 8511 sport the Pyle single beam "barrel style" headlight earlier units were delivered with, while 8526 and 8817 feature the later Pyle dual sealed-beam headlights.

Many of these units lasted into the 80's as passenger protection power for VIA's Canadian, but were slowly cycled into the rebuild program, emerging as chop-nose GP9u units without steam generators for yard and roadswitcher work.

Reg Button photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.