Throwback Thursday - Not a Railfan Photo

The CN shop tracks at Rectory St. in London were still in use at the time this photo was taken in the late 1980s.

By Peter Mumby.

Today's photo features CN GP40-2LW number 9575.  It was built as a member of CN class GF -430c by General Motors Diesel in 1972.  In this late 1980s view it is resting in the shop area at Rectory St. in London, Ontario.

Railfan locomotive photos tend to be front 3/4 wedge shots.  This one definitely does not fit that classification.  I would, however, think of this as a modeller's shot because of all the interesting details that are apparent on the rear of the locomotive.  Note the flat rear pilot and the striping arrangement of its paint work.  The position of the re-rail frog and the style of coupler cut lever show up well in the photo.  As well, a number of details help distinguish this GMD-built unit from its EMD-built counterparts.  The shape of the step handrails is dictated by the vertical, rather than sloped, steps.  Number boards are lacking, and the back-up light is definitely not of the familiar double horizontal type found on most US-built GM products of the era.  The GP40-2 units built in London for CN featured this single back-up light, although units 9668-9677, purchased used from GO Transit, had been built with double vertical lights.