Caption: 1950's durability teams up with 2000's tech: Canadian Pacific GP9u's 8239 and 8215 bracket nearly new NRE 3GS21B Genset locos 2100 and 2101, slamming Davenport Diamond eastbound on the North Toronto Sub with the usual transfer run #T56 (the Lambton-Agincourt Yard transfer run) and a sizable train on the drawbar. I was in the area enjoying an overcast and slightly rainy day and saw the train off in West Toronto Yard waiting to depart. I figured it was a pair or trio of SD40-2's, so expectations weren't really high. But sure enough, half an hour later the crossing gates go off and a pair of surprises show up trailing. This was shot from the old private crossing between the former Canadian General Electric Royce Works and Davenport Works plants that were under redevelopment at the time (and even though the crossing roadway was ripped up, the gates and signals were still perfectly functional).

CP was trying out a variety of different options to replace their aging fleet of 1950's 4-axle Geeps in the 2000's. First was the ill-fated "Green Goat" battery powered units made from rebuilt Geeps (they were a big flop). Next was this pair of "Genset" locomotives from National Railway Equipment that operated in local and transfer service (equipped with three small diesel engines instead of one larger one). While other roads seem to be happy with theirs, they failed to meet CP's performance expectations and were stored and returned to NRE with little fanfare. In the end, CP opted for the EMD GP20C-ECO program that saw hoards of their old GP9u's "rebuilt on paper" (meaning sent for scrap with truck frames, compressors, etc re-manufactured and used in the construction of new GP20C-ECO units built on new frames). A few lucky GP9 units including 8239 and 8215 managed to last long enough in local service to escape the trade-in program, and were instead declared surplus and sold off to shortlines, industrial operators and leasers.

But, the old gals did manage to outlast those newfangled Gensets.