Comments on: To augment stationary generating capacity as demand increased, BC Hydro & Power Authority had a small fleet of generator boxcars, like these three 1000 kW examples numbers 85, 89, and 88, at McBride on Friday 1977-09-16. Their EMD 567 engines sounded just like locomotives, and the sound baffled me when standing at the CN depot just 0.3 mile east — there must be one heavy eastward freight approaching!

By: MrDan

MrDan — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 05:58:56 +0000

Interesting, I had heard they were all GMD-built, but could be wrong. It wouldn’t surprise me if the “G-” serial units are GMD-built.

M-16 stood for Mobile, 16 cylinders. There’s a brief mention about them here (the “boxcar” enclosed ones): https://utahrails.net/ajkristopans/EMDORDERNUMBERS.htm

It looks like Speno also acquired about 3 M-16′s from somewhere for their railgrinding trains too (SRGX 100, 200, 300, in addition to some that look home-built). One, RMSX 700, is now at a museum in Dallas TX. Iowa Electric Light & Power Company appears to be another original owner of one.

Apparently, 5-6 still exist at a rural generating station in Hawaii too.

By: Ken Perry

Ken Perry — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 19:17:41 +0000

AAR built dates are 7-55 for 89 and 11-62 for 85 (nothing recorded by me for 88).

Builder plates do not mention location, just General Motors EMD.

Plate on 85 shows new 11-62, model M 16, and serial G 1032.

Plate thought to be on 88 shows new 12-53, model XM-16, serial EMD 100.

Photos available, Ken_Perry@icloud.com.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 14:29:06 +0000

When were these made? Very neat

There’s still some EMD backup generators still in service , the power plant in Sarnia uses one for backup power, still maintained to this day. Not sure if it’s one of these or not.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 05:13:01 +0000

IIRC, these were GMD-built generators made in London, Ontario. BC Hydro, Manitoba Hydro, QCM and Empresas Electricas (Mexico) owned some of them.