Comments on: While waiting for CP Rail #11 …. … the eclectic CP … CP Rail power lash ups circa 1978 – these type of scenes are what made us look for more ! two GMD 1960 built SW1200RS’S; a MLW 1958 built RS-10; a GMD 1950′s built FP7A 8156 – 81xx – 8564 – 40xx ‘Highballing’ North: daily CP Rail #955 near Kleinberg, August 26, 1978 Kodachrome by S.Danko interesting: 8158′s third stack is the watch man heater, essentially an engine block heater: fueled by oil (diesel). Only about twenty five (of 72) 8100′s were: “equipped with safety devices to operate in the lead position” and seems to me that this location is near the present day intermodal facility.

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 23:42:53 +0000

One note for clarification, the 8100s that were rebuilt into 1200s had a top operating speed of 35mph. They could be towed in a lashup at track speed though.

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 23:41:11 +0000

Brad, those units were common on the London Pickup out of Toronto before the assigned jobs that turned at Guelph Jct started in the late 1990s. Usually, the set of 3 was sent back to Toronto in the morning on the east pickup, train 50. Sometimes both of those pool jobs had as many as 80 cars. The westbound got smaller as he kept setting off enroute, and the eastbound kept getting bigger. One trip, I left Quebec Street eastward, with 3 units and the van, we ran by Woodstock and lifted a few cars at Galt & Guelph Jct and still manged to have about 40 cars by the time we reached Toronto.
Here’s a great photo of a bunch of “pups” on an eastbound. It wouldn’t have surprised me if that train had over 60 cars, perhaps more.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:32:19 +0000

Looks like northbound at the siding at Elder, approaching Major Mackenzie Dr., with McGillivray Rd. in the background.

By: BradKetchen

BradKetchen — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 09:33:45 +0000

1200′s on a through freight? Wow. Very nice.

By: Aitch

Aitch — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 01:06:58 +0000

What a catch !! Amazing to think this was the assigned power on a long distance freight. I believe 955 was a Toronto to Thunder Bay drag.

By: Marcus Stevens

Marcus Stevens — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 00:43:19 +0000

Now that’s a neat lash up!