Throwback Thursday - GP40 9312

Canadian National GP40 CN 9312

by Keith MacCauley 

Canadian National’s EMD’s GP40’s have long been my favourite locomotives. However, duplicating one accurately in model form has been long been problematic. The first available H.O. scale GP40, from half a century ago (1975 - Yikes!), was the Atlas/Roco imported model. While it featured a scale width hood and a smooth running mechanism, details such as the handrails and fuel tank shape were relatively crude. No CN decorated version was offered. This was followed several years later by Athearn’s GP40-2; close, but no cigar. The second GP40 effort by Atlas was very much improved with prototype accurate details. Nonetheless, the under walkway air tanks were not split (CN insisted on a central fuel tank filler), and the step geometry was incorrect (not vertical). While an air tank/fuel filler modification is relatively simple, step modification is not. Finally, from Rapido, in classic ‘do over’ form, recently arrived a very authentic CN GP40. Judging by the attached photos, very well done!

CN 9312 emerged from GMD London in October of 1967 as CN 4012. Retired in 1995 the unit would be rebuilt into a GP38-2 equivalent and acquired by the Roberval and Saguenay Railway as RS 60. Note the lack of a dynamic brake fan. Most of the CN GP40’s had their dynamic brake function disabled with the fan blanked off or simply disabled.