Images by jeparnell

JEParnell — Thu, 07 May 2026 16:37:23 +0000

The sun is low in the sky, so either a morning eastbound, or an evening westbound.

A single GP38-2 powered Triple Crown trains in a number of John Parnell photos from the first half of the 1990's.
Submitted exactly 29 years to the day since the image was taken.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	1991-07-08
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 8 Favourites

Behind it are an as-built GP9 CN 4385, GP9rm CN 4129, an SW1200RS, and yard GP9rm CN 7034.

At the left can be seen CN Dundas sub signal 765N.
On the right side are some double-door boxcars, including CN 73421 (re-numbered for non-revenue service).

Submitted during a summer heat wave in Ontario, inspired by the question: "Why can't it snow in July when we need it?" ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	1992-01-19
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 10 Favourites

Both originally built for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, as BO 3801 and BO 3802.
Numbered by B&O for their EMD model, their CSX number series matches their 2000 horsepower.

CSXT 2002 in Chessie System colours has a unique title: Trains Magazine's "All American Diesel" 1982
It wears this identification on the box ahead of the cab-side unit number.
BO 3801 was in the B&O blue scheme in 1985, so it likely wore those colours into the CSXT merger.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	CSX Transportation
Date:	07/19/92
Location:	Sarnia
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 14 Favourites

Location has been mapped to Adelaide St at the west end of Quebec Street yard.
If that is right, the industrial buildings have since been demolished, replaced by a Self-Storage facility.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	1991-08-30
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 11 Favourites

John Parnell was out in this January snowstorm with his camera.

GP9 CN 4377 was remanufactured into GP9rm CN 7080 in 1993 by AMF (the former CN Pointe-St-Charles shops), according to the 1994 Canadian Trackside Guide.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	1992-01-24
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 12 Favourites

At least one new GMDD F59phi is alongside, CDTX 2002 in the Amtrak California colour scheme.
The Esso tank truck could be delivering diesel fuel; it is close to the fueling area. ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	October 1994
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 14 Favourites

New JT42HCW locomotives 217 and 218 for Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) are pictured outside the GM Diesel Division Plant in London ON. As of 2019 this class of locomotives was the newest and most powerful in Ireland.
Note the taller green-primer domestic units behind this export pair.

The railways of Ireland have a track gauge of 5' 3", wider than international standard gauge which is 4' 8-1/2". Dissatisfied with previous diesel locomotives sourced from England, Irish Rail ordered their "201 class" of new locomotives from EMD / GM Diesel Division. They were built in 1994 and early 1995 with unit numbers from 201-234, including 2 built for Northern Ireland Railways.

JT42HCW locomotives are powered by an EMD V 12-710G3B diesel engine of 3200 gross HP (2970 HP for traction). These locomotives had the capability of using the prime mover to provide Head End Power for passenger coaches, but problems experienced with this system have ended its use. Instead a 4000 series "Driving Van Trailer" is normally placed at the other end of intercity passenger trains, equipped with a diesel generator set for coach lighting and HVAC, and a control cab for push-pull operation.

In recent years the majority of Irish intercity passenger trains are operated by diesel multiple units, an exception being Cork-Dublin services which are generally locomotive powered. I saw several 201-class locomotives on passenger trains at Cork station in 2015, in a different colour scheme. JT42HCW locomotives also power freight trains in Ireland.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Other
Date:	February 1995
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 8 Favourites

Less than half the usual GO train length and a long way west of their usual GTA commuter routes.
However it is heading for Toronto Union station, just like many morning GO trains.

Apparently this is a scheduled VIA train operating with borrowed GO Transit equipment, during a period when VIA's LRC coach fleet was "grounded" for axle replacement.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	1992-03-20
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 15 Favourites

All but one of GO Transit's GP40-2W's were acquired by CN in 1991, GOT 706 becoming CN 9673.
On CN the ex-GO locomotives retained green & white paint for a while, minus the white GO plates from the handrails.

Beyond the fence are CN Oakville sub main lines, then VIA yard tracks with LRC coaches (in service), and quite a fleet of VIA Budd RDC's behind them (many stored/retired pending disposal). ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	April 1991
Location:	Mimico
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 21 Favourites

Photograph taken on a day when it was in CP's Quebec Street Yard in London ON.

Renumbering to CP 91 occurred late in 1978; a lot of CP's passenger equipment transferred to VIA Rail around that time.
It remained in service with CP Rail until 1996, then was stored at Calgary.
In 2008 it was donated to the Alberta Central Railway Museum in Wetaskiwin

Most information from trainweb.org oldtimetrains. ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	circa 1993
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 14 Favourites

The 265-H engine had far more problems than anticipated, so over 400 more SD90MAC locomotives were built with the 710G3B engine, becoming known as "SD9043MAC". Original customers were UP, CP, and CEFX.
None of the SD9043MAC units were ever converted to the 6000 HP engine by a railroad, because production SD90MAC-H locomotives with the 265-H engine were so unsuccessful.

Over 100 ex-UP and ex-CEFX SD9043MAC locomotives have been remanufactured to SD70ACU for Norfolk Southern.
Canadian Pacific is getting the same thing done with their SD9043MAC fleet. ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Union Pacific
Date:	October 1995
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 15 Favourites

Built 1956 by GMD London, it was getting close to retirement, off the roster by 1994 or earlier.
Powered by a 567C V-12 diesel, the exhaust from the front cylinders is smokier than the rear.

My recollection is that the lower-numbered SW1200RS units were not only older, but equipped with an incompatible airbrake system, hence earlier retirement.
According to CNCyclopedia, CN 1211's cab was used to repair fire damaged CN 1362. ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	1991-12-04
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

8 Comments | 18 Favourites

Apparently the diesel engines of the other units are running better/cleaner. In other images taken at same place same day, CP 4566 did not have visible smoke.

The engines are at the east end of CP Quebec Street Yard just east of the namesake overpass, leading an eastbound train.
The trailing unit has been modified by addition of numerous car body air filters; its appearance matches M636 CP 4716 in this timeframe. ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	1991-06-27
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 15 Favourites

It appears to be proceeding forward on the main after a signal stop that allowed an eastbound past on Nissouri siding.
Part of the eastbound train can be seen at the right, beyond the piggyback train. ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	1991-09-07
Location:	east of London
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 12 Favourites

CN Dorchester was a location east of London ON that had a hand-throw switch siding; it last appeared in the Dundas Sub timetable of 1995. CN 2308 was among the M636's retired in 1995.

Another image of this incident shows 2 leaning box cars and 2 leaning covered hoppers at the short hood end of CN 2308 - giving the impression that CN 2308 was the trailing unit.
Date and Location mapped are approximate.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	circa 1994
Location:	Dorchester
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 14 Favourites

The crewman boarding the engine looks cheerful.
Note the reflection of the diagonal stripes on the right rail near the switch point.
The front of the engine of another train can be seen further down the siding.

CP did not show the mileage on the back side of this signal, so location wasn't easy to determine.
Guided by Mr. Noe's comment and online map tools - this is a westbound train on the Galt Sub exiting the west end of Nissouri siding, as seen from Purple Hill Road grade crossing.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	1991-09-30
Location:	east of London
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 21 Favourites

I am reasonably confident that the diamond is "Melrose" where CP's Windsor Sub crosses the CN Strathroy Sub, west of Komoka ON. Anyone who recognizes the spot circa 1995 is invited to comment.
Maps show the tracks at Melrose cross at about a 20 degree angle, though it looks wider - comparing ties on both lines better shows the crossing angle. I believe the CP train is en route between Windsor and London, heading east-north-east at this point. The road crossing at far right was a puzzle; I reckon it is Melrose Drive - which appears to have been re-aligned, it no longer crosses the tracks.' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	John Parnell photo,…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	Summer 1995
Location:	Komoka
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 23 Favourites

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Images by jeparnell