Algoma Central Railway Equipment Guide - Diesel Locomotives

Diesel Locomotives

Complete diesel locomotive roster with histories for every ACR diesel unit.

Model: SW8 GP7/GP7L-m GP9 SD40/SD40-2 GP38-2 FP9/FP7Au/F9B

The ACR's diesels were all standard GMDD products. Therefore, models could easily be made by adding some details to popular kits. Unfortunately, decals are a little hard to come by. Currently, the only useable decal set is the one from Herald King, but that company is out of business and the sets are no longer produced.

SW8 140-141

140 at Steelton Yard, 1991 ALEX SIMINS
141 at Steelton Yard, 1993 BLAIR SMITH

Algoma Central's SW8 units were purchased from General Motors Diesel Division (GMDD) in London, ON in 1951. They were obtained for the sole purpose of yard switching at Sault Ste. Marie, so they are not equipped with M.U. (multiple unit) capabilities. Eventually the SW8's were upgraded, with the exhaust stack shortened and fitted with a spark arrestor, and a orange flashing rotary beacon on the roof. Attesting to the versatility of GM's design, these units provided switching duties for over 40 years, and #140 still soldiers on under private ownership somewhere. No. 141 was retired in 1992, and for a couple years hung around behind the shops in bad condition and riding on shop trucks.
I have a photo of 141 dated 1993, that is clearly in storage, it rides on EMD geep trucks with brake components stripped off. A metal plate covers the top half of the radiator grill on the front of the engine. The horn is missing and several cab windows are broken.

Modelling: Life-Like (Proto2000) makes an SW8 model. This model is available in ACR colours (number 140).

Later these engines were slightly modified. The stack was cut down and a round spark arrestor installed. Also, an orange rotating beacon was installed on the roof. This flasher was mounted on a square braket just in front of the radio antenna.

GP7 150-170

153 still has the old bear logo. Later a white band was added around the outside and the size of the logo was shrunk slightly (see the photo below). Most of the GP7 and GP9 units had the logos changed, but some retained the old logo for some time. Steelton, Dec. 14, 1974 TED ELLIS
161 at Steelton, May 5, 1973 TED ELLIS

In 1950 the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors sent their F7 demonstrator set to Canada, and an F7A and F7B were tested on the Algoma Central. ACR management must have been impressed, for between 1951 and 1952 the ACR took delivery of 21 1500HP GP7 locomotives and two SW8 switchers. These dual-service (freight and passenger) units would form the backbone of the ACR fleet for many years, until the purchase of SD40 and SD40-2 units in the early 70's and GP38-2's ten years later.

In 1978 five units, nos. 155, 156, 162, 165, and 169 were rebuilt and renumbered as 100-104. (See below)
The following year, 1979, four more GP7 units, nos. 157, 158, 167 and 170, were rebuilt by CN in Winnipeg. These four were not renumbered. Some of the units were returned with differences in lettering on them. On Algoma Central engines, the bear logo (under the cab windows on ACR diesels) is printed with the bear facing the front of the engine on both sides. On the engines that were rebuilt by CN, the bears all face to the left, so the bear on the engineer's side of the engine actually faces the rear. After the CN rebuilds, it was decided that it was no longer economically feasible to keep rebuilding the GP7's, so the railway acquired GP38-2 units for the passenger trains and by the end of the 1980's, all of the un-rebuilt GP7's had been sold or scrapped, as well as the ACR's two GP9's.

Modelling: Algoma Central's GP7 units were early production units, so the best model to match would be the Atlas GP7 model without steam generators and with dynamic brakes. This model would only need minor details, such as proper horns and bells, sunshades, radio antenna on the cab roof, and multiple-unit electrical stands, as well as a speed recorder on the left front truck.
NOTE: units 150-154 have an earlier style winterization hatch with squared edges and a round opening, while the rest all use the later, more common hatch with rounded edges and a square fan opening. Also note that the GP7's were delivered with EMD's oval builder's plates below the cab. The units rebuilt by CN have no plates. Several of the CN rebuilds have some minor detail differences and lettering inconsistencies. Use prototype photos when modelling these units!

GP7L-m 100-104

100 at Steelton, Aug. 19, 1979 TED ELLIS
102 at Steelton, 1991 ALEX SIMINS

In 1978, five units, nos. 155, 156, 162, 165, and 169 were sent back to GMDD in London for rebuilding. Here they were completely stripped down and rebuilt from parts in the stockpile. The "brand-new thirty-year-old engines" were numbered 100-104 and designated as model GP7L-m (for London-modified).

Modelling: These rebuilt units have several details that differ from their original appearance. Note that the original 36" dynamic brake cooling fans have been replaced on most units by 48" fans, but the type of replacement fan varies between the units. Once again, prototype photos of the individual unit are key. Common to all five engines is a new electrical box installed behind the cab on the conductor's side, and the engineer's side of the cab has all-weather windows, while the conductor's side retains a simple sunshade. MU stands are also different. When painting, note that these units were returned with rectangular GMDD builder's plates below the cab.

GP9 171-172

172 at Steelton, May 27, 1974 TED ELLIS

In the early 60's the Algoma Central needed some more power, but did not want to deal with turbocharged engines, so two GP9's were ordered from GMDD in London, even though regular GP9 production ended four years before. These two engines were both sold in the early 1980's after the purchase of 6 GP38-2's.

Modelling: Life-Like P2K HO scale Phase III GP9 is almost perfect, but build a new full-length fuel tank and add air tanks to the sides, like later GMD/EMD models. These two units were the last GP9's ever built, and are built on GP20-style frames, hence the fuel tank reconstruction. Like the original GP7 units these GP9's have EMD oval builder's plates.

SD40 180-182

182 at Steelton, Apr. 25, 1972 TED ELLIS

Built by GMDD in 1971, these 3000-hp units were capable of hauling more tons of cargo in a shorter time than the older GP7 and GP9 units, despite a 35-mph speed limit. There has been concern about wheel and rail wear beacause of the long wheelbase of these large 6-axle units, but since the new units are very successful these concerns have been muted.

SD40-2 183-188

188 at Steelton, 1991 ALEX SIMINS

These units were acquired from GMDD in London in 1973 to add to the three SD40's. They were originally delivered with smaller CN-style font numbers in the numberboards but they were soon changed. Since the 1970's the railway has found it much more economical to lease rather than buy locomotives, to decrease long-term tie-up of capital.

GP38-2 200-205

GP40 190-191

190 at Steelton, Sept. 21, 1994 TED ELLIS

Algoma Central's two GP40 units are Milwaukee Road units that were purchased by SOO Line, where they were upgraded to dash-2 specifications. In 1994 they were obtained by the Algoma Central, making them the last diesels to be obtained before the Wisconsin Central takeover, and the first diesel engines acquired secondhand.

FP9 1750-1755

1753 at Sault Ste. Marie passenger station, 1995 DAN DAWDY

These units were built for CN and transferred to VIA Rail in 1978. They were acquired for use on the Algoma Central's passenger trains in 1995. Note that units 1750-1751 have large snow covers over the rear radiator fans. The rest have smaller covers over the last fan. Unit no. 1753 is equipped with a boiler.
When CN took over the WC, all of the F-units were taken out of service and put up for sale as surplus. CN engines now run the freights and passenger trains out of the Sault. Most of the retired F-units were purchased by Pioneer Rail Corporation and still run today. 1753 was donated to the Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton.

Modelling: Intermountain is coming out with an FP9 model that could be used as a basis for modelling one of these engines, and decals are available from Microscale.

 1750    FP9      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6502, ex-CN 6502; 48" radiator fans, large winter hatch, boiler equipped
 1751    FP9      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6506, ex-CN 6506; 48" radiator fans, large winter hatch, boiler equipped
 1752    FP9      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6511, ex-CN 6511; 36" radiator fans, no boiler
 1753    FP9      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6514, ex-CN 6514; 36" radiator fans, boiler equipped
 1754    FP9      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6525, ex-CN 6525; 36" radiator fans, boiler equipped
 1755    FP9      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6531, ex-CN 6531; 36" radiator fans,

FP7Au 1756

AC 1756 is an ex-Canadian Pacific FP7 with boiler and small winterization hatch. When this unit went to VIA Rail in 1978, it was upgraded to an FP7Au for passenger service and for compatability to the rest of VIA's mostly ex-Canadian National equipment. Acquired in 1995 with the FP9's. Retired in 2002 when CN acquired WC, this unit was donated to the West Coast Railway Association in Squamish, British Columbia.

 1756   FP7Au     1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6553, ex-VIA 1404, ex-CP 1404, nee-CP 4103; 36" radiator fans, boiler equipped, air piping on roof

F9B 1760-1761

Four ex-VIA Rail F9B units were purchased in 1995, and two were reconditioned and relettered for the ACR in 1997. After retirement by CN in 2002, 1762 was donated along with FP9 1753 to the Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton. 1751 was bought by Pioneer Rail Corporation. The other two are presumed to be parted out and scrapped.

 1761    F9B      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6613, ex-CN 6613
 1762    F9B      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6614, ex-CN 6614
[6602]   F9B      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6602, ex-CN 6602 (never refurbished - probably acquired for parts)
[6606]   F9B      1500      GMD        1995      ex-VIA 6606, ex-CN 6606 (never refurbished - probably acquried for parts)

This page �2001 Chris VanderHeide

Home - Equipment Guide Main