Comments on: This photograph is a follow-up to James Knott’s recent photo taken at the former Robin Hood Flour Mill. This shot does not have the same artistic balance, but it was unusual to find GP40′s on swithcing duties at this location (CN had only 16 of these units on the roster). These movements were still coming out of the Fort Erie yard, and that day 9302 worked the Canada Starch facility (CASCSO) as well. The flour milling operation ran till the mid-2000′s. At the time Port Colborne was Canada’s second largest flour milling center behind Montreal and the town can trace its flour milling legacy back to the 1780′s when the Upper Canada’s 3rd grist mill was established for flour production the shores of Lake Erie by Pennsylvania loyalists http://www.railpictures.ca The BEST Canadian photos on the Internet, eh? Wed, 27 May 2026 00:50:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Klaucker http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=41034#comment-39113 Klaucker Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:04:24 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Robin-Hood-PC.jpg#comment-39113 Thrilled to hear this, I was surprised myself when I saw it pull into the yard, and the Engineer let me ride in the cab while they spent an hour switching the plant, I wish I was smart enough to catch a few shots from the cab! Thrilled to hear this, I was surprised myself when I saw it pull into the yard, and the Engineer let me ride in the cab while they spent an hour switching the plant, I wish I was smart enough to catch a few shots from the cab!

]]> By: Noe http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=41034#comment-39107 Noe Tue, 21 Apr 2020 18:51:04 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Robin-Hood-PC.jpg#comment-39107 Wow...that's unreal. You don't see many photos of standard cab CN GP40's on locals in Ontario from that time period. Very neat photograph Michael. Wow…that’s unreal. You don’t see many photos of standard cab CN GP40′s on locals in Ontario from that time period. Very neat photograph Michael.

]]> By: Klaucker http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=41034#comment-39088 Klaucker Tue, 21 Apr 2020 13:21:41 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Robin-Hood-PC.jpg#comment-39088 Thanks Jakob, that is an excellent explanation Thanks Jakob, that is an excellent explanation

]]> By: Jakob Mueller http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=41034#comment-39080 Jakob Mueller Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:44:32 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Robin-Hood-PC.jpg#comment-39080 That pilot is because this is a DRF-class unit (road freight), not a DRS-class (road switcher). The GP40s were only intended to lead trains - forward - not operate in both directions like this. That's another reason catching this on a switching assignment is unusual. I don't know if CN ever did anything similar, but in 1980-1981, CP converted its C424s, GP30s, and GP35s to road switchers by adding a rear pilot and dual rear headlights. They were then used to substitute for RS18s and GP9s pulled from locals for the rebuilding programs. That pilot is because this is a DRF-class unit (road freight), not a DRS-class (road switcher). The GP40s were only intended to lead trains – forward – not operate in both directions like this. That’s another reason catching this on a switching assignment is unusual.

I don’t know if CN ever did anything similar, but in 1980-1981, CP converted its C424s, GP30s, and GP35s to road switchers by adding a rear pilot and dual rear headlights. They were then used to substitute for RS18s and GP9s pulled from locals for the rebuilding programs.

]]> By: Klaucker http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=41034#comment-39077 Klaucker Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:13:27 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Robin-Hood-PC.jpg#comment-39077 Yes it was pretty cool to find GP40's on this assignment, you could almost be guaranteed to get GP9's. As far as the rear pilot configuration, ya, that did look a bit weird. Yes it was pretty cool to find GP40′s on this assignment, you could almost be guaranteed to get GP9′s. As far as the rear pilot configuration, ya, that did look a bit weird.

]]> By: BradKetchen http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=41034#comment-39075 BradKetchen Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:53:08 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Robin-Hood-PC.jpg#comment-39075 Does the rear pilot look weird to you not passing the bottom of the coupler? Does the rear pilot look weird to you not passing the bottom of the coupler?

]]> By: jknott86 http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=41034#comment-39062 jknott86 Mon, 20 Apr 2020 21:28:55 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Robin-Hood-PC.jpg#comment-39062 Very cool to see CN GP40s there indeed! Very cool to see CN GP40s there indeed!

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