Comments on: Here is a photo of QNSL GP-9 #147, one of the group of Quebec North Shore and Labrador locomotives found in downtown Toronto, near Union Station, in July of 1982. Quite a surprise indeed for the teenaged railfan from “south of the border.” I would later visit the QNSL property as a member of the railway supply community.

By: mercer

mercer — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:28:39 +0000

MrDan, I would agree that some swapping took place between QNSL 129 and 147. I show 5 engines to ONR North Bay, originally to be rebuilds for commuter use ( ahem, that would be Extensive rebuilds!). Of these, 147 was scrapped and the other 4 found new owners such as NorAmPac at Red Rock Ont; NBSR 3700-3701 and Barrie Collingwood 1000.

By: Noe

Noe — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:20:52 +0000

Neat photo Cameron.

I remember photographing these in 1994 in the ONR deadline in North Bay as Dan mentioned. There were 3-4 of them if I remember correctly.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:25:14 +0000

This 147 is an odd duck, it has lots of early and later spotting features (like two styles of handrails, an early style GP9 hood that 147 wasn’t built with), improper cab numbers for the paint scheme, and a somewhat bent frame.

There’s also photos out there of the proper 147 painted in the later solid grey with yellow stripe scheme. This unit is in the early paint. Some photos of this unit at ONR North Bay show a different number, 129, peeping from under 147′s numerals. I haven’t found any sources for this, but all the evidence suggests one or both units got involved in a wreck, and one good unit was rebuilt from the frame and carbody of 129 (and maybe bits of 147) and renumbered as a new 147. IIRC, this one was never resold and was likely scrapped in North Bay.