The End of CP 8131

The end has come for ex-CP SW1200 #8131 in Winnipeg. If you recall, it arrived in Winnipeg in mid October 2009. The photo above shows it in Symington Yard. It ended up along Chevrier Boulevard near the old Manitoba Sugar building. It has been moved a couple of times but always in the same area near Manitoba Hydro.

I shot it in early September and it looked intact and essentially undisturbed after almost a year in Winnipeg.




I drove on Chevrier Boulevard on Wednesday morning and I saw that the engine had been moved. I took a bit closer look and I could see that people were working on it, and I saw the front and side panels were off the engine. There were sparks coming from the nose.

I came back a while later with my camera and took this one shot with my long lens. It has been moved back and it is not as accessible as it was last month.

As you can see, pieces have been removed from the engine. The horn, plow, MU hoses, and some handrails are gone, and obviously the panels are off. It looks very much like the other engines that were scrapped at this location in the summer of 2009. Too bad.

Dead Line

This is a sad sight. W.A. Gleason caught this scene on slide on August 12, 1997 in Moncton. A dead line of MLW M420 units. I count 6 or 7 units, all apparently missing their prime movers. The closest ones were CN 3527, 3520 and 3525. My 1997 Trackside Guide says those three units were retired in 1996.

CN's M-420s were built by MLW between 1973 and 1976. CN had 80 of them at one point. The units were originally numbered in the 2500 series, but in 1986-7 their sand and fuel capacity were reduced to bring their weight down by 12,000 lbs. and they were renumbered to the 3500 series. In late 1994 some were renumbered back to the 2500 series and the reductions were reversed.

Another SOO 4203 Update

I mentioned back in early October that SOO 4203 was saved from the scrapper, to be renumbered to SVGX 8625 and sold to the Savage Rail Services Group. Well, it was renumbered but it is still in Winnipeg, two months later.

Note the painted-over 4203.

A few weeks after I talked about 4203's new life, I saw SW1200RS CP 8131 in CN's Symington Yard in Winnipeg. In late October it was moved over to Chevrier Boulevard and coupled up to SVGX 8625.

Since then, they have been moved a few times along the former Manitoba Sugar spur but they are still there today. I wonder why they haven't been shipped out?

On a related note, I found a few photos of the same units I was watching the scrappers dismantle all summer, here.

NBEC Power Update

NBEC 1867 in Miramichi, NB on September 14, 2004.

Canadian Railway Observations is reporting that ex-CFMG SD40 units 6902, 6903, and 6906-6910, as well as RS-18s ex-OCRR 1838, ex-NBEC 1857 and 1867 are all going to Alabama to be parted out and scrapped.

The last time I saw 1867 was on November 7, 2006 in Miramichi, in the middle of our War Bride train chase.

By the way, if you haven't read Canadian Railway Observations yet, you should really check it out.

SOO 4203 Update

SOO 4203, Winnipeg, October 5 2009

Geoff Sockett has discovered that SOO 4203 (mentioned here) has been saved from the scrapper, and purchased by the Savage Rail Services Group. It will be renumbered to SVGX 8625. Savage is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Here is some roster information on SOO 4203. She was a GP9, built for the New York Central as NYC 5949, renumbered to Penn Central 7349, then Conrail 7349. CP acquired and rebuilt her in March 1991 and she became SOO 4203.

NBSR 3735

NBSR 3735 in McAdam, November 2, 1996. Photo by Danny McCracken.

Someone passed along a link showing the scrapping of former NB Southern Railway GP9 3735.

NBSR 3735 started life in December 1956 as a GP9. It was built for the Texas and New Orleans Railroad as TNO 439. It became SP 3561 then in 1972 it was renumbered to 3735. In 1995 it was sold to the NB Southern Railway. They disposed of it in 2001.

It was delivered to Action Metals in Kelowna, BC at the beginning of March 2003, and was down to the frame by the end of the same month.

View the scrapping

CP Units at the Scrappers Update

The scrappers have been very busy since my last update on September 17.

I looked on September 23 and SOO 4201, CP 1551 and CP 1504 were down to the frames.

I looked again Tuesday morning (September 29) and there were only five units left. CP 1558, SOO 4202, SOO 4204 and CP 1556 were down to the frames and cabs, and SOO 420x was still intact. It might be SOO 4203.

On Thursday morning (October 1) I had a quick glance as I drove by. SOO 4204 and CP 1556 are down to their frames, and the mysterious SOO unit is still intact. The SOO on the nose is painted over, and the numbers on the side of the cab appear to be missing. It was clearly a SOO unit, though. There was a crane parked next to the unit so I couldn't see any more details.

EDIT: I had a quick look at the mystery unit this morning (October 2) and it was definitely 4203. The numbers on the engineer side were painted over but are still somewhat visible.

CP Units at the Scrapper Update

I took a quick look Wednesday afternoon at the CP units being scrapped in Winnipeg off Chevrier Boulevard. These are the units:

5753 and 5398 were actively being scrapped. 5398's prime mover was still aboard but 5753's was gone. By this evening, 5398's engine was gone too.

Next to be scrapped:
SOO 4203
SOO 4201
CP 1551
CP 1504
CP 1558
SOO 4202
SOO 4204
CP 1556

CP Units at the Scrapper Update

I had a good look Friday at the CP units being scrapped in Winnipeg off Chevrier Boulevard. These are the units:

5688 and 1593 were actively being scrapped. By Saturday they were pretty much gone.

In order of "next to be scrapped" on:

CP 5716
CP 5829
CP 5753
CP 5398
SOO 4203
SOO 4201
CP 1551
CP 1504
CP 1558
SOO 4202
SOO 4204
CP 1556

In the September 2009 Branchline, I read this note: "RETIRED UNITS SOLD: To Rail & Motor International (components to be salvaged and remains scrapped): CP Hump Comptroller 1151; GP9u 1561, 1593; SD40-2 5398; SD40M-2 5496; SD40-2 5679, 5688, 5701, 5716, 5753, 5829" I haven't seen some of those units yet but some are here now.

I was looking through my notes and I see I shot CP 5398 in Winnipeg back on October 11, 2005. In fact, I even blogged about it although I didn't put a photo of 5398 here. This is the best one I have, of 5398 and 5773 working the yard.


I see in that October 2005 blog post that I shot a northbound CP freight at the diamond at St. James Junction. The power for that CP freight? CP 3028 and 1128, exactly the same power I saw yesterday. Interesting.

More For The Scrapper

The scrapper here in Winnipeg is still busy with ex-Canadian Pacific units. I mentioned back in June that Rail & Motor International was scrapping a series of CP SD40, GP7s and GP9s off Chevrier Boulevard in Winnipeg.

I looked there today and there are "new" units being scrapped. From left to right, I saw 5679, 5688, 1593, 5716, 5829, 5753, 1506, 1613, 5398. The cabs of 5701 and 5496 are stacked to the left, still with number boards. 1506 and 1613 are still there from June.

The July-August 2009 Branchline reports that 22 units stored in Winnipeg and Calgary were sold to Rail & Motor International: CP GP7u 1504, 1506; CP GP9u 1524, 1537, 1551, 1556, 1558, 1584, 1586, 1613 and 1693; SOO GP9u 4201-4204; CP SD40-2 5392, 5419, 5640, 5666, 5707 and 5712; CP SW1200RS 8131. I have struck out the ones already scrapped and bolded the ones I have seen so far.

It is hard to get close to those units, given their location. These are the best shots I have across the field from the car dealers off Waverley.

CP Units Being Scrapped

En route to looking at houses on Wednesday, I noticed a line of CP engines near Waverley in Winnipeg. It seemed strange to me to see them there, and when I looked closer I could see that one was in the process of being scrapped. I went back later that day and took a few photos to try to identify the units.

CP 5666 had its hood off, obviously in the process of being scrapped. The other units were: 5707, 5392, 5712, ????, 1584, 1537, 1613, 1506, 1593?, 1524.

On Friday 5666 and 5707 both had their engines removed. Basically all that was left was the cab, a center pillar, and the back end.

EDIT: "13 units sold by CP to Rail & Motor International and moved to an industrial spur at Universal Reload for parts salvage and scrapping. Units as follows: CP 1506, 1524, 1537, 1584, 1586, 1613, 1693, 5392, 5419, 5640, 5666, 5707 and 5712. CP 5419 and 5640 have already been scrapped; stripped to cab and frame are 5666 and 5707."