Caption: Not just for branchline work, the little GMD SW1200RS was a versatile model used in mainline freight, branchline, yard switching, hump, local, and even passenger service: CP 8131 is seen with two Canadian Vickers gallery cars on the "Yo-Yo" (the all-day back-and-forth Montreal commuter train) unloading at Montreal West Station. Typical consist was two cars with one unit was assigned, and often it was an SW1200RS. According to the late Bruce Chapman it was typically an 8131-8171 series unit equipped with 24RL brakes. Since the Canadian Vickers cars had their own onboard HEP generators, using a freight unit such as an RS18 or SW1200RS wasn't a problem.

Many crews tended to prefer those 24RL equipped units over the earlier 6SL brake setups still on 8100-8130. According to Bruce, one time an earlier 8100-8130 series unit was assigned to that run, and the engineer (who was "a tad portly") had a fit about running it, as the larger 6SL brake handle setup interfered with his girth.

As part of the SW rebuild program, most of the upgraded SW1200RSu units in the 1200-series received modern 26LUM brakes.

Original photographer unknown (duplicate slide), Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.