CN 436x-series Passenger Geeps

Canadian National bought 434 General Motors GP9's, with 85 going to its US lines: GTW, GT and CV. Among its lightweight GP9's (235,000 pounds, 10 tons lighter than the heavyweights) were 1957-built class GR-17p CN GP9’s 4100-4133. Equipped with 58:19 gear ratio for 89-mph high-speed operation on passenger/express freight trains and Flexicoil trucks. CN replaced the Flexicoils with Blomberg trucks by 1974. 

Through steam lines were added to the 'passenger Geeps' by CN by 1961, not at the time of manufacturing. The through steam lines allowed those units to be marshalled behind steam generator-equipped units in a locomotive consist. Reportedly, CN president Norman MacMillan had complained about seeing GP9's leading sleek F-units on the Super Continental!  Most of the 4100's were re-geared with a standard GP9 62:15 gear ratio, maximum 65 mph, also by 1974. The through steam-lines were not maintained or used on CN 4107 and above. CN kept 4100-4106 equipped for passenger service;  4107 was wrecked in 1974.

Between 1981 and 1994, CN remanufactured 310 of their GP9's into GP9RM's at Pointe St. Charles shops with modernized electrical and mechanical components. CN’s modernization program also included completely new cabs, chopped short hoods, new carbody air filters where the dynamic brake sections once were and much more. The 4000/4100-series were rebuilt as road units, the 7000-series as switchers and the 7200/200-series as mother-slug pairs. As a result of the new 4000/4100-series rebuilds, the passenger Geeps were renumbered from 4100-4106 to 4360-4366 in 1984 and leased by VIA Rail Canada until 1986.

CN's passenger Geeps 4360-4366 were fodder for the rebuild program, being rebuilt respectively to 7254 (1990), 4137 ('91), slug 223 ('87), 4104:2 ('84), slug 240 ('88), 7033 ('91) and 7262 ('90).

The only Corridor consists with 436x-series passenger Geeps that I noted in 1984-85-86; note one or more F9B in each of the following photographs: 

• Apr 8/84 1926 WB: CN 4362-CN 4105-15459-616-3217-5576-5569-3215-752-Hunter Manor-Kokanee Park.
• Aug 17/84 1958 WB: 6777-CN 4360-617-5650-5467-755-5482-107-3210-Bell Manor-Chateau Argenson.
• Aug 26/84 1216 WB: CN 4361-6632-602-5458-3217-5594-5487-5595-3202-Union Club (below and top photo):

• Dec 21/84 1203 EB: CN 4362-6624-Tweedsmuir Park reversed-612-Boulevard Club-3210-5495-5541-759-117-3200-Chateau Laval-CN 95:

• Dec 21/84 1205 WB: CN 4360-6623-6616-9653-3226-4886-5455-5627-3241 Club Laurier:

• April 27/85 EB: 4366-6624-9653-5452-5618-750-Club Richelieu-3226-5617:

• May 10/85 1925 WB No 1/55: CN 4364-6631-9670-5581-5441-750-116-3248-Elgin-Elcott.*
• May 20/85 1915 EB No 56: CN 4362-6870-5618-3206-5647-3221-9636.*
• June 2/85 1931 WB: CN 4361-5646-3220-5519-3222-600.
• Feb 2/86 1955 EB No 56: CN 3122-CN 4365-15429-9668-3253-101-102-103-CN 96.*
• Feb 16/86 1935 WB No 55: CN 4365-15460-5468-5467-3230-5448-601.*

*consists recorded by L.C. Gagnon

None of my photos show the 436x GP9's in rescue service! Rescues involving these CN Geeps, both as rescuing unit and and as rescued unit:

• Jan 10/85: CN 4401 rescued No 37 CN 4361, between Coteau and Ottawa.
• Apr 22/85: CN 3119 rescued No 37 and its failed CN 4362.
• Dec 19/85: CN 4365 from Ottawa’s Walkley Yard rescued No 43.

Retired CN engineer Steve Lucas commented on my recently-published rescue post, to say that he was personally involved in two Geep rescues while working on VIA Rail trains in the Corridor. I'll include them in this post, as they form the inspiration for this post:

"I was a trainman at VIA Toronto South from May 1988 to January 1990. During that time I was involved in two rescues using CN power. In the summer of 1988 I was working VIA No 73 at Brantford. We stopped on the north track at the station for our work and could not get moving again. I recall the loco being ex-CP 6557. We "borrowed" (with permission) a CN GP9 in the yard, came onto the north track at the crossover at the west end of the yard. I had to get permission to break the seal on the electric lock from the train dispatcher so we could come out and couple to our train. At 65 mph maximum, it was a longer trip to Windsor. Same for the way back to Toronto. At Eastwood (now called Blain) we had trouble with the GP9. After a few minutes, wed were able to depart. We arrived Toronto over an hour late, with No 58 waiting for us at Union Station across the platform.

My second experience was while braking on VIA No 58 at Brockville, probably early-1989. The fuel filter on our VIA FPA-4 blew up. We took another GP9 from Brockville Yard. Neither engineer had a reverser handle, so one was fashioned from a cotter pin. It was a cold ride on the footboards out to our train. Fortunately the steam jenny still worked on the FPA-4. At 65 mph maximum with the GP9 again, we arrived into Montreal Central Station an hour late."

Additional consists with CN 436x-series passenger Geeps, from Southwest Ontario and elsewhere, in the same time period as my observations: 

• Mar 10/85 No 72: 6506‐CN 4366‐15424.
• Mar 24/85 No 73: 6764‐CN 4364‐15455.
• May 5/85 No 75: CN 4364‐6861‐6631.
• May 19/85 No 75: CN 4364‐6867‐6861.
• Aug 10/85 Moncton NB No 15: CN 4360-6787-6622-6628-9632-5532-3222-5576-5709-5744-1358-Fitzwilliam-Greenshields-Green Hill-Chateau Closse-Hudson Bay. (from V3)
• Aug 25/85 No 75: 6786‐6630‐CN 4364-14 cars.

Lots o' links:

• Glenn Courtney photo of CN 4366 in freight service in September, 1985.

Running extra...

Faithful Trackside Treasure reader, loyal correspondent, bird-dog extraordinaire and fine example of American citizenry Bill Staiger kindly sent me this amazing link to the Ira Silverman Railroad Menu Collection, hosted by Northwestern University Digital Collections. Yes, waiter, I'd like to order the 'scan of every dining car menu' (245 total!) with a side order of VIA.

Looking horribly out of place*, I photographed this trackside building near the U-P Weston station during my Union-Pearson Express 'Avioner' trip from Toronto Union Station to Pearson Airport on October 29, 2015. Turns out it was Kodak Building Nine, a recreation building built in 1939 as part of the company's large industrial campus in the Weston area northwest of downtown. 

The entire 5,000,000-pound structure was moved 180 feet and back in 2016-17 to make way for, then become, the new Eglinton Light Rail Transit line's Mount Dennis intermodal terminal. Western Mechanical pushed the derelict Kodak building 180 feet out of the way, before it could be reused as a new subway stop, adjacent to the Eglinton Maintenance & Storage Facility. Here's the Youtube link showing the slow and steady move.

*after I typed that, I realized that I was the one was horribly out of place. I was riding a train-plane link but had no intention of flying anywhere (except flying back to Kingston that evening aboard VIA No 48). I got off the U-P, walked about 500 feet looking like an 'Avioner' in the Air Canada TV commercial, turned around and boarded the next U-P back to Union!