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Caption: CN 1506 had an interesting journey to get to the Niagara region. First sold to K&K in a CN auction in October 2020. Moved to Welland in early 2021 with a grab bag of other Dash 8 locomotives, they sat unprotected at the former Martech facility where nobody really kept the fence closed. Presumably they were for scrap, but K&K is also in the re-sale business. There were plans to re-sell locomotives overseas, but vandals would get to the locomotives and take out all the copper wiring and anything else of immediate scrap value rendering just about every locomotive stored in Niagara useless for re-sale. However, the three four axle units, 4100, 1504, 1506 while vandalized were kept around after all the Dash 8's were dismantled in 2021/2. Sold to Lambton Diesel who rose to the challenge, the units were completely rewired and rebuilt, even with new prime movers (replacing the B-C blocks with C blocks) 1506 was modified with new cut-in long hood windows to compliment the small portal windows to improve visibility. 1506 now toils in active service daily for the GIO Railway in Niagara, not too far from where it was stripped and left for dead, only to rise from the scrap heap to live another life. Great job to the LDSX folks for showing us how it can be done.
Pictured is the daily Flour Mill switcher heading back to the mill to switch some cars on the former CNR Dunville sub, with the Government Spur in the foreground.
Perhaps Dean or Arnold can tell us the story of how these lines kept their rail service in 1999/2000.
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Great story Steve, just a minor correction – This and other SW14′s would be “IC” 1400/1500′s, none were ever sublettered CN.
I don’t think CN ever sent any up to Canada for operations either, so this could be one of the few ever making it north of the 49th parallel.
Yup, you’re right. Just a slip of the fingers
Thanks Dano!!