Still giv'ner!
CN SD40-2Q no.6019, SD40-2W no.5328, and hump booster slug no.247 throttle up around the bend on the pullback leads at the very north end of Mac Yard. Once they clear the switch for the hump, they will shove back over the crest to sort their cars into new cuts for outbounds departing later in the evening.
One of the interesting aspects of the CN is their roster of SD40 type rebuilds, out-shopped in the early 1990's for road freight service. As the 2000's waned and Hunter Harrison wreaked havoc on the railway's six-axle EMD supply, while simultaneously doubling consist length, SD's were harder to spot in the lead going into the next decade, replaced by much newer SD70M-2's and ES44DC's.
Take the 6000's-series for example: CN 6000-6028 are SD40u aka 'SD40-2Q' types, rebuilt from 5000's-series SD40's with spacious cabs, better seats, and QES onboard software for improved operation. Only a handful of the Q's operate in 2021, and I believe all of them have been outfitted with RC equipment for captive hump service in terminals like Winnipeg Transcona, Memphis Harrison, and Toronto MacMillan pictured here.
A better photo of the SD40's on the pullback:
Still giv'ner!
CN SD40-2Q no.6019, SD40-2W no.5328, and hump booster slug no.247 throttle up around the bend on the pullback leads at the very north end of Mac Yard. Once they clear the switch for the hump, they will shove back over the crest to sort their cars into new cuts for outbounds departing later in the evening.
One of the interesting aspects of the CN is their roster of SD40 type rebuilds, out-shopped in the early 1990's for road freight service. As the 2000's waned and Hunter Harrison wreaked havoc on the railway's six-axle EMD supply, while simultaneously doubling consist length, SD's were harder to spot in the lead going into the next decade, replaced by much newer SD70M-2's and ES44DC's.
Take the 6000's-series for example: CN 6000-6028 are SD40u aka 'SD40-2Q' types, rebuilt from 5000's-series SD40's with spacious cabs, better seats, and QES onboard software for improved operation. Only a handful of the Q's operate in 2021, and I believe all of them have been outfitted with RC equipment for captive hump service in terminals like Winnipeg Transcona, Memphis Harrison, and Toronto MacMillan pictured here.
A better photo of the SD40's on the pullback: