Throwback Thursday - CP B

CP SD40-2 5476 waits for a clearance at the east end of London's Quebec St yard on May 08/93.  Ahead of it in the consist is SD40 #5533.

By Peter Mumby.

For many years CP was basically an SD40/SD40-2 railroad.  The first such locomotive purchased new was the 5500, and further acquisitions carried the series right through to the high 6000s.  In the 1980s and 1990s more of these six axle units were procured off the used locomotive market.  These additions to the roster were numbered in the 5400 series.  The subject of today's photo fits into this latter category.

Wearing a solid black paint scheme, this locomotive started working for CP in 1991 as lease unit GATX 3250.  This is the same number it wore as first a Southern and then an NS locomotive.  It was purchased by CP in 1992 and operated for a while as CP 3250 with CP Rail lettering added to the black carbody.  It was renumbered to 5476 in 1993.  Somewhere along the way it was repainted in CP's candy apple red colour scheme and had its cab windows covered, effectively converting it to B unit status.  This is the way it appeared when photographed on May 08, 1993.