Throwback Thursday - B&M Heritage

CP 4652/4655 still wear their patched ex-Guilford paint on September 25, 2002.  They are occupying the shop track at Quebec St Yard in London, Ontario.

By Peter Mumby. 

CN acquired well over 250 GP40-2 locomotives from GMD, and for more than twenty years these served as the line's premier freight haulers.  CP, on the other hand, purchased no new GP40-2 units, preferring to standardize on 6-axle power.  CP inherited some GP40s of SOO/MILW lineage, but, as of 2000, its  only GP40-2 units were the 4650-4657 group purchased in 1999 through Helm Financial.  These engines arrived on the property wearing heavily patched Guilford paint with HATX markings.  In various locations patches of blue showed through and hinted at the B&M origins of the locomotives.  Today's images illustrate half of the units in the group, and their background is as follows:

CP 4652 arrived as HATX 506 and was ex-GTI/BM 310

CP 4655 had been HATX 511 after GTI/BM 302

CP 4656 had been HATX 513 after GTI/BM 301

CP 4657 had been HATX 514 after GTI/BM 306. 

CP 4656/4657 are wearing a relatively fresh coat of the company colours on January 08/01.