by Keith MacCauley
Rapido Trains recently delivered a very authentic CN GP40. Given relatively long lives, as details change, locomotives tend to become very ‘snowflake like’; i.e. no two alike. Thus, the Rapido CN 9316 is accurate within a certain finite time frame. As example, photos from 1988 show a dynamic brake fan whereas photos from 1990 show no dynamic brake fan.
We were fortunate enough to acquire some locomotives from Peter’s collection including GP40 CN 9316. As shown, Peter created a very accurate CN 9316 using an Atlas GP40. Incredibly, the second Atlas GP40 offering has been in production from late 1999 until present; updated in 2017 with DCC/sound. Modifications were fairly extensive and included snow shields, split air tanks, rock pilot, and ditch lights. Peter also relocated the bell and horns, changed the nose mounted hand brake from ratchet to hand wheel, but left the dynamic brake fan in place. I believe Peter started with an Atlas factory decorated CN unit and paint touched up areas as needed. Some delicate weathering completed the transformation.
CN 9316 was constructed by GMD London as CN 4016 in October of 1967. Retired in November of 1996, the unit would be rebuilt into a GP38-2 equivalent and acquired by the Roberval and Saguenay Railway as RS 65.
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| Atlas model Oct. 2007. |
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