SD60 Central

I always like seeing the "older" power on CN trains. On June 4 I saw two different trains with "old" EMD SD60 units leading.

First I saw this train heading into Winnipeg. I shot CN 5506 just east of the mile 10 hotbox detector. My son and I were out of the car, giving it a rollby inspection on the south side.


The engineer gave us a wave and a toot as they rolled by.


Later in the day, we were heading back home when I spotted CN 532 heading south on the CN Letellier subdivision. A quick exit at Pembina Highway and we were ready to shoot. Here is CN 5553 passing under the Perimeter Highway.


CN's SD60F units were built by GM's Electromotive Division (EMD) in two lots, four in 1985 and the rest in 1989. I may be wrong but I think they were the last CN units built with the "Draper taper" to enhance rearward visibility. The first four units were initially called SD50AF and numbered CN 9900-9903, but were renumbered to CN 5500-5503 in 1988. The units built in 1989 were numbered 5504-5563. The cab is slightly different on the later units, and the later engines weigh about 6 tons less.

They are equipped with a 16-cylinder 710 engine, a departure from the 645 engine used in the SD40s and SD50s. The 710 has been upgraded several times over the past 26 years and is powering the new SD70M-2 units.

Out of the 63 surviving units (CN 5514 was lost in 1993), I have seen 27 of them. I often saw them in Saint John on CN 305, and occasionally on CN 308 such as this shot from Deersdale, NB.


I find it interesting that some of them still have the road number painted above the front windows. All of them now have number boards on the nose, under the classification lights. I wonder why the number boards weren't mounted above the windows? Maybe there wasn't enough room for the lights and the number boards.


Let's hope these old Draper Tapers keep working for many years to come.