View allAll Photos Tagged DC_Power
A westbound BNSF 9445 leads empty coal as it splits the signals at MP 18.0 on the KO Sub near Mapleton, ND.
I never caught many wagon wheel MACs in North Dakota, so it was nice to catch one leading. Catching AC-powered motors was still a rarity on northern plains coal at this stage of the game, but it would not be too much longer before the DC-powered motors would be pushed out of the Glendive power pool.
I always liked being out along the KO Sub west of Fargo; it was always quiet and peaceful yet the trains were screaming.
The early February sky isn't doing much to help the lighting at Bobolink road bridge, as Canadian Pacific's westbound train 471, climbs out of the Reeseville Marsh basin. The leading locomotive is carrying a yellow "thoroughbred" mane, indicating this locomotive has been rebuilt from a DC powered unit to AC, making it more suitable for heavy tonnage.
CP 471
NS 1800, DPU NS 7532
Reeseville, WI.
February 10, 2022
A new'ish SD70ACe leads a westbound empty Clay Boswell empty on the Grand Forks Sub near Mallory, MN.
This shot is a nice illustration of the changes that were taking place in the northern plains with regards to coal power. The prominence of DC-powered coal like the SD75M yielded to the MAC which would eventually yield to the ACe. As with most things, the ACe looked good when new/clean. These days? Meh. But, it's not like they're going anywhere soon. It's going on 15 years since this shot was taken, and it's not like the SD70ACe-T4 lit the railroad industry ablaze...
The lily pads and green of summer have been replaced by the brown and ice along Highway 210 here back in November 2006. Back in 2006 the DC power on coal trains hadn't been replaced yet though. Oakways, BNSF SD60Ms & SD75s were still the most common power on the Northern Corridor coal trains into Superior.
Shot this easbound behind BNSF 8215 and 9261 approaching Tamarack, MN before work heading to McGregor on what looks like will be a mostly cloudy day. Miss those BNSF DC coal trains rolling across the Northern Corridor to Superior.
Fog looms over Bruner’s Cut as loaded Catawba coal train 744 descends Old Fort Mountain with some older DC power on the point.
BNSF 8207 is leading a westbound Clay Boswell coal empty as it makes its way down the siding for a meet with a grain train with a pair of un-renumbered SD60Ms (www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/49928252677/).
But, yeah, Warbonnets on northern plains coal. Seems like a lifetime ago. Their days were coming to a close as MACs would make the move to Glendive and push out the DC-powered coal units.
I looked at the notes from this particular day, and, while I have no recollection of it, I was quite sick and had just gotten a prescription for a chest cold in addition to taking the day off of work. I also had lost my voice. So what better way to recoup than to head out in the ambient -5F temps and chase Warbonnets and ex-BN SD60Ms?!
Sydney's Olympic (Accor) Stadium at sunset.
The AC DC 'Power Up' Concert.
November, 2025. Sydney.
Here's AC DC with 'Highway To Hell':
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikFFVfObwss
So I attended the AC DC 'Power Up' concert at the Sydney (Accor) Olympic Stadium, at Homebush in western Sydney, last Friday 21st November, 2025, and then again on Monday, 25th November, 2025.
It was VERY loud but amazingly energetic. My two daughters were NOT at all impressed, arguing that Taylor Swift is far better and more popular. "Well," I argued back, "let's see who has sold more tickets, and which tickets sold the fastest?" So we looked at the Ticketek website and guess what? AC DC destroyed Taylor Swift for sales!!! "OMG," declared Miss 18, "there must be SO many old people in Sydney." See what I live with.
A mobile phone photograph of dubious quality, lol.
Processed, to some extent, in Adobe Lightroom.
Back in 2007 I made a trip to North Dakota to shoot the coal route from Glendive to Dilworth. Here after a 4 hour wait this Cohasset, MN, to Spring Creek Mine, WY, empty is on an island as they roll over the Crystal Springs Lake.
The afternoon on the Jamestown seem to be very quiet today. In the 5 days I was out here, the trains seem to run steady all day, but today from 1pm to 5pm was a dead period for the Jamestown Sub. Hard to believe this DC power is either off the roster or demoted to local service.
Two BN SD60Ms and an old ex-Oakway SD60 lead a coal train over the Missouri River Bridge at Bismarck, ND, the morning in September 2004. This bridge links Mandan (crew change and service point) with the state capital of Bismarck on this ex-Northern Pacific main line which sees mainly coal trains. Back in 2004 DC power was still a strong hold as power. AC-DP power would eventually make it to this line, but would hold off for long time.
Scanned Slide from September 2004.
BNSF 7538 is on the tail end of a northbound coal empty as it passes into the Greenland Open Space near Spruce, CO.
It's somewhat odd to catch DC power on a coal train in this day and age, and even odder that I caught a DC unit from this angle before I've been able to catch an ACe here...and I've been trying on the ACe for a few years now!
The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway / Rheilffordd y Graig opened on 1 August 1896. It is a 778 feet (237 m) long funicular railway in Aberystwyth and is the second longest funicular railway in the British Isles, after the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Since November 1987, the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway has been a Grade II listed structure.
The Cliff Railway was developed as an element of Constitution Hill, a Victorian business venture by the Aberystwyth Improvement Company in the 1890s. The funicular took visitors to the top of the hill, where attractions such as a camera obscura were established. The cliff railway was originally a water balance system, but it was electrified during 1921
The cliff railway was originally a cable-drawn balanced system moving a pair of cars, with a maximum capacity of 30 passengers, permanently connected via a continuous cable.[1] When opened, it operated using a water balance system, which used a Worthington Corporation compound steam engine water pump housed in the lower station to move water to the upper station. Each passenger car had a tank in their chassis that could hold 4 tonnes of water. Water was added to the tank of the top car, which descended under gravity, hauling the lighter lower car on the parallel track to the top station.
The railway is straight, ascending about 430 feet (130 m) over a horizontal distance of 778 feet (237 m), a maximum gradient of more than 1:2 (50 per cent). The gauge is 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm), slightly narrower than standard gauge, and laid on timber sleepers.
In 1921, the railway was electrified using a 41 kW ATB AG [de] Morley DC motor. In 1934, after changes to the town’s electricity supply, a mercury arc rectifier and transformer were installed in the lower station to provide a 440V DC power output. The cars are moved using a high-tensile steel cable attached to both vehicles. It passes around a drum, mounted on a vertical axis between the tracks at the top. The motor drives the drum controlled by an automated cut-off which stops the motor and the cars when required.
Sydney's Olympic (Accor) Stadium in the early evening.
The AC DC 'Power Up' Concert.
November, 2025. Sydney.
Here's AC DC with 'Back in Black':
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vWNauaZAgg
Sydney's Olympic (Accor) Stadium at sunset.
The AC DC 'Power Up' Concert.
November, 2025. Sydney.
Here's AC DC with 'Highway To Hell':
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikFFVfObwss
So I attended the AC DC 'Power Up' concert at the Sydney (Accor) Olympic Stadium, at Homebush in western Sydney, last Friday 21st November, 2025, and then again on Monday, 25th November, 2025.
It was VERY loud but amazingly energetic. My two daughters were NOT at all impressed, arguing that Taylor Swift is far better and more popular. "Well," I argued back, "let's see who has sold more tickets, and which tickets sold the fastest?" So we looked at the Ticketek website and guess what? AC DC destroyed Taylor Swift for sales!!! "OMG," declared Miss 18, "there must be SO many old people in Sydney." See what I live with.
A mobile phone photograph of dubious quality, lol.
Processed, to some extent, in Adobe Lightroom.
Another empty coal train out of River Bank is heading back for loading in the PRB. It is amazing some of these trains are in the 140's already 5 months into the 2022 year. Coal and grain is moving heavy over the MRL the week we were out here. The train is eastbound on the 3rd sub and passing thru Avon, 60 miles east of Missoula. Crazy to see all the DC power on these trains.
UP SD60M 2260 and two C44-9W's fly up the river on a beautiful spring day with coke bucket train 805 I think.. or 801. I don't know. Pre PTC, Pre 1x1 everything, Pre purge of every DC road unit on the roster. Slightly better times at Donehower West..
CN SD70i no.5610 takes the lead of CN stack train Q14921 01 through Newtonville in some great afternoon light.
After hearing about the previous day's 148 being this pair of DC power, I set my sights on the Kingston Sub on this beautifully sunny 1st day of April. Historically, 148/149 would be a trio of SD75s/D8s/D9s + more almost every day, but as more GEVOs have flooded the CN roster it has become increasingly rare to find anything but a pair of ES44s or ET44s on the Kingston 148/149 loop. So when you get a pair like this these days, you gotta take advantage.
A rare solo-DC powered Train 920. This might be the first time I've seen a single DC lead a freight train in these parts in three and a half years living here. Albeit 'only just' a train - this was about it, with no coal on today.
This pice celebrate moving from level 4 to 3 in our local lockdown status overnight, but even so I walked.
28 April 2020 Train 920 DC 4346, Oamaru SIMT-NZ.
The sun is rising on a clear summer day as CN Z111 rolls over the Parry Sound trestle with an attractive duo of CN 5611 and BCOL 4646. The two DC powered units are doing their best to keep CNs highest priority intermodal moving, as they quickly get up to track speed after clearing CP Reynolds on the Parry Sound sub.
BNSF 9750 is on the spur track next to Main 1 on the Joint Line in Spruce, CO.
BNSF will park locomotives at various locations on the Joint Line between Denver and Palmer Lake to help out if a train stalls out climbing the grade. Traditionally, these units would be located in Castle Rock, here at Spruce, and Palmer Lake. I'm not sure if they park one in Castle Rock any more, and I can't remember the last time I saw one in Palmer Lake.
This is the first time I've seen a MACe serving in this role, and, with only 20-something of these on the BNSF roster, after this one leaves, it might be the last time. The H3 scheme looks good on these updated MACs, but I prefer the look of the H4 scheme that's on their DC-powered sister units. Hopefully BNSF turns more of their MACs in MACes, but I'm not holding my breath...
BNSF 8258 leads a SD60M and Clay Boswell empties south down the Hillsboro Sub in Merrifield, ND.
Not all SD75s kept their Warbonnet scheme, but it was still nice to catch DC-powered coal trains at the end of 2007.
I caught this train coming in to Grand Forks with an Oakway second out (www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/11356039513/), but that unit got left behind in the yard for a later train.
When I made a trip to North Dakota to shoot the Northern Coal Route, this route was just starting to change over to the AC-DP coal trains. For many years DC power will the strong hold for this route due to the smaller train sizes out of the PBR. Was kind of cool to see sets of ex-BN SD60M's, EMD SD60's, and ex-Santa Fe SD75M's muscling coal trains across this scenic piece of railroad.
Here a trio of BN SD60M's hammer west thru the swap area west of Steel, on the Mandan to Fargo section of this route.
A pair of veteran CN locomotives freshly into their second life, lead manifest M356 east up the shores of the North Thompson River at Louis Creek, BC.
Both 3409, and 8324 began their careers as DC traction locomotives. CN, having the lowest, and most level crossing of the continental divide, was a longtime holdout on AC traction technology for their locomotive fleet. They coveted the lower upfront purchase cost of DC power, and bought some of the last commercially available models of this technology from the two remaining manufacturers. Only after a resurgence of their coal business in 2013 did the railroad finally indulge in a small batch of ES44AC units.
A decade later, and the staunch DC advocates at CN had been converted. Not only had CN embraced AC power with multiple batches of evolution series GE's, but they had committed to 'DC to AC' rebuild programs with both Progress Rail, and Wabtec for some of their aging third generation fleet.
CN 3409 began life as BNSF 4974 in 1998. After the successful completion of the first 50 CN Dash 9 units to AC44C6m specs, Wabtec sought out cores from other roads to help feed CN's appetite for more units quicker. The 3409 is the last of the most current batch.
CN 8324 was formerly CN SD75I 5789, built in 1999. Now sporting 6 AC traction motors, it is classified as a SD75IACC. This model and series was long delayed by Progress Rail. CN's initial contract with them was for a much bigger order than the 50 units currently being delivered.
CN 322 has CN 5690, CN 2593 and 116 cars as it approaches MP 14 of CN's Kingston Sub on a sunny morning.
DC power and steel cars...You can definitely tell this isn't close to current BNSF coal train protocol. Back in the early 2000s, the northern coal route stayed a little old school with DC power moving PRB diamonds. Here, 2 Oakways and an SD75 roll east of Sanborn across the many small lakes and ponds that litter the Jamestown Sub.
Scanned slide from 9-02-04
Back in 2007 we see a loaded coal train down to a grind as they work upgrade between Sully Springs and Fryburg. The train has a Glendive helper on the back helping the train fight the grade. Back then DC power was the standard setup for these coal trains on the Northern Coal Route. This is a very scenic badlands area west of Dickinson towards Glendive.
Description 📄:
The autumn season attracts tourists from all around the globe to visit the canton of Grisons, not only for its mountains and breathtaking landscapes, but also for the colours of its trees. A large railway network known worldwide stretches across the fairytale landscapes coloured yellow and orange. This is the Rhaetian Railway, which runs through the Grisons Alps for almost 400 km of tracks, reaching as far as Italy. Today, the Bernina and Albula lines are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, not only for their spectacular landscapes, but also for iconic pieces of architecture such as the Landwasserviadukt or the Brusio spiral viaduct. The Rhaetian Railway network is powered entirely by 11 kV AC, except for the Bernina line. The Bernina line is powered by 1 kV DC. This is a limitation for many trains in the RhB fleet, but not for the ABe 8/12 multiple units, nicknamed “Allegra”. These are capable of running on both types of power supply and are therefore used for trains such as the Bernina Express, which connects Chur to Tirano.
The Allegra trains were produced in two different versions: the ABe 8/12 (as shown in the photo) are capable of operating on both AC and DC power, and thanks to their eight traction motors, they were designed for the most extreme sections of the network. Fifteen of these were produced by Stadler between 2009 and 2010. Over the next two years, another five Allegra trains were produced, but they were slightly different. They have four carriages instead of three and only four motors instead of eight. The "Allegra STZ" (StammnetzTriebZüge) trains were designed for the Chur S-Bahn service, which is why they needed more space and less power. With the arrival of the new “Capricorn” trains, the Allegra STZ trains have been operating between Pontresina and Scuol-Tarasp since 2022.
Information ℹ️:
Date 📅: 11.10.2025, 15:56
Place 📍: Pontresina, Switzerland
Train 🚄: ABe 8/12 3512
Train Company 🏢: Rhätische Bahn
Line 🔢: R19 4645
Start 🚩: St. Moritz
Destination 🏁: Tirano
©️The photo was taken and edited by Nathan Urriani. Use of the image by others is only allowed with my permission.
Due to some issues this past week that will remain nameless, a pair of DC units were pressed into service on 511/513 for a couple days. The usual AC duo made a couple round trips on 507/508 on both Monday and Tuesday, before going back to the "rightful owners" as gypsum power on Wednesday. On Monday however, it was a true throwback to a few years back when DC power was the kingpin on this train. Relic C44-9WL 2514, leads 8861 on the eastbound 511 with loaded gypsum from East Milford, as the train prepares to duck under Victoria Rd before arriving at the car's terminus at Wright's Cove.
A Westbound empty coal train is just west of Sully Spring, ND. These days are long gone, but back in 2007 the change over from DC power to AC power wasnt quite in full swing. DC powered coal trains was still somewhat the norm.
BNSF 9275 leads a trio of elephant-style SD60s south with Cohasset coal empties in Thompson, ND.
At the time, I assumed the leader was a re-painted SD75M, but when I got home, I realized it was actually a SD60M. I'm not sure how many dual-window SD60Ms had received the H2 scheme, but it was only a handful. My favorite locomotives to catch during my time in North Dakota were in fact the dual-window SD60Ms...in whiteface green. But this was still a worthwhile catch as all-DC-powered coal trains could still be caught on northern plains coal despite the ever-increasing numbers of AC-powered units...
BNSF 9243 leads an eastbound coal load up the grade near Dale, MN along the Staples Sub. This shot was taken from a small hill we nicknamed Mt. Muller after local railfan Christopher Muller.
Hard to think this shot is going on 14-years-old. 2007 would be about the last year we would consistently see DC-powered locomotives on coal trains. As a harbinger of things to come, I actually shot my first SD70ACe on this very same day:
www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/35205220541/
At least we knew we were in the waning days of this kind of power, and we were able to document it and appreciate it as best we could...
BNSF 8246 is on the point of an eastbound coal load as it waits on the east end of the Dilworth Yard in Dilworth, MN.
I've already shared a photo of this train previously:
www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/46990884232/
But this angle better shows off the grain structure that was prevalent in eastern North Dakota/western Minnesota when I lived up there.
DC-powered northern plains coal trains were always appreciated when I was out and about!
SLR Class :- M4
Manufactures Model :- MX 620
Introduction year :- 1975
No of Locos :- 14
Loco Nos :- 743 to 756
Builder :- Montreal Locomotive Works
State :- Canada
Prime Mover :- ALCO V12 25 1 C3
Mode of Power transmission :- Diesel Electric (AC to DC Power Transmission )
Power :- 1700 hp
rpm :- 1050
Weight :- 98 ton
Length :- 58' 3"
Wheel arrangement :- Co-Co
Brake system : - Air and Vacuum
Max speed :- 104 Km/h
Gauge : - 1676 mm
Type :- Locomotive
Purpose/Used line :- Main line Passenger and Freight train Presently not to run beyond Rambukkana.
M4 753,754,755 and 756 were Special designed with Dynamic Brake for Upcountry (Colombo to Badulla) Rail track.
M4 750 damaged due to Bomb blast at near Vavniya in 2000 back in service after repair.
M4 752 re painted Red and Yellow colours for use Jaffna Intercity. again Repainted Blue & Silver.
Upgraded with Air brake at C.M.E. Ratmalana.
M4 751used for Inaugural run “Yal Rani” Passenger Train Between Kankasantrei Murukandi in 11.07.2022
All Locomotives are presently on service.
M4s were named,
743 : Madu
744 : Sigiri
745 : Ruwanweli
746 : Namunukula
747 : Kelani
748 : Walawe
749 : Dunhida
750 : Isurumuni
751 : Diyaluma
752 : Point-Pedro
753 : Samanala
754 : Menik
755 : Mahaweli
756 : Luxapana
Information as at 19.12.2025
BNSF 8277, a beautifully adorned BNSFbonnet SD75I, snakes a coal train through the S-curve entering Lake Park, MN on the Staples Sub.
So this was northern plains coal power in the mid-2000s: SD75s, SD60s, and SD60Ms. The days of DC-powered coal are mostly a memory now. There were a few re-paints at the time, but it was pretty common to catch the red and silver, Oakway blue, and Cascade Green mixed up in some combination back then.
This was a day I had met up with Christopher Muller (aka railtalk) and we were treated to gloriousness beyond just this photo, such as Cascade Green leading stacks:
www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/36140423011/
Or a quartet of SD40-2s:
www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/10862937546/
And a 5-pack of Geeps hauling a manifest:
www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/35453406676/
Variety was the name of the game for BNSF trains in North Dakota and Minnesota in the mid-2000s...what a great time to have been out!
BNSF 8208 leads a Clay Boswell coal empty out of the yard and around the wye for the Hillsboro Sub as it departs Grand Forks, ND.
I had previously caught this train thundering west across the border in Minnesota:
www.flickr.com/photos/chris_paulhamus/40432108863/
This was typical power for northern plains coal trains in the mid-2000s (SD75s, Oakways, SD60Ms), but there was a period in 2007 that saw a glut of AC-power leading coal...a harbinger of things to come. Soon, the era of DC-powered coal trains would come to an end.
The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway / Rheilffordd y Graig opened on 1 August 1896. It is a 778 feet (237 m) long funicular railway in Aberystwyth and is the second longest funicular railway in the British Isles, after the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Since November 1987, the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway has been a Grade II listed structure.
The Cliff Railway was developed as an element of Constitution Hill, a Victorian business venture by the Aberystwyth Improvement Company in the 1890s. The funicular took visitors to the top of the hill, where attractions such as a camera obscura were established. The cliff railway was originally a water balance system, but it was electrified during 1921
The cliff railway was originally a cable-drawn balanced system moving a pair of cars, with a maximum capacity of 30 passengers, permanently connected via a continuous cable.[1] When opened, it operated using a water balance system, which used a Worthington Corporation compound steam engine water pump housed in the lower station to move water to the upper station. Each passenger car had a tank in their chassis that could hold 4 tonnes of water. Water was added to the tank of the top car, which descended under gravity, hauling the lighter lower car on the parallel track to the top station.
The railway is straight, ascending about 430 feet (130 m) over a horizontal distance of 778 feet (237 m), a maximum gradient of more than 1:2 (50 per cent). The gauge is 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm), slightly narrower than standard gauge, and laid on timber sleepers.
In 1921, the railway was electrified using a 41 kW ATB AG [de] Morley DC motor. In 1934, after changes to the town’s electricity supply, a mercury arc rectifier and transformer were installed in the lower station to provide a 440V DC power output. The cars are moved using a high-tensile steel cable attached to both vehicles. It passes around a drum, mounted on a vertical axis between the tracks at the top. The motor drives the drum controlled by an automated cut-off which stops the motor and the cars when required.
SLR Class :- S10
Introduction years :- 2008 to 2009
No of Sets :- 15
Power car Nos :- 879 to 893
Builder :- CSR Qingdao Sifang Co. Ltd
State :- China
Prime Mover :- MTU - V12 4000
Mode of Power transmission :- Diesel Electric (AC to DC Power Transmission)
Power :- 1950 hp
rpm :- 1800
Wheel arrangement :- Bo-Bo
Brake system :- Air and Dynamic
Max speed :- 120 Km/h
Gauge :- 1676 mm
Type :- Diesel Multiple Unit
Set Formation :- One power car,Four 3rd Class Compartment and 3rd Class dummy car
Purpose :- Suburban and Commuter service.
Information as at 24.07.2025
Sweeping around an elegant curve beside the Thompson River, Vancouver bound grain loads sprint West in last light under a DC powered consist.
The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway / Rheilffordd y Graig opened on 1 August 1896. It is a 778 feet (237 m) long funicular railway in Aberystwyth and is the second longest funicular railway in the British Isles, after the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Since November 1987, the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway has been a Grade II listed structure.
The Cliff Railway was developed as an element of Constitution Hill, a Victorian business venture by the Aberystwyth Improvement Company in the 1890s. The funicular took visitors to the top of the hill, where attractions such as a camera obscura were established. The cliff railway was originally a water balance system, but it was electrified during 1921
The cliff railway was originally a cable-drawn balanced system moving a pair of cars, with a maximum capacity of 30 passengers, permanently connected via a continuous cable.[1] When opened, it operated using a water balance system, which used a Worthington Corporation compound steam engine water pump housed in the lower station to move water to the upper station. Each passenger car had a tank in their chassis that could hold 4 tonnes of water. Water was added to the tank of the top car, which descended under gravity, hauling the lighter lower car on the parallel track to the top station.
The railway is straight, ascending about 430 feet (130 m) over a horizontal distance of 778 feet (237 m), a maximum gradient of more than 1:2 (50 per cent). The gauge is 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm), slightly narrower than standard gauge, and laid on timber sleepers.
In 1921, the railway was electrified using a 41 kW ATB AG [de] Morley DC motor. In 1934, after changes to the town’s electricity supply, a mercury arc rectifier and transformer were installed in the lower station to provide a 440V DC power output. The cars are moved using a high-tensile steel cable attached to both vehicles. It passes around a drum, mounted on a vertical axis between the tracks at the top. The motor drives the drum controlled by an automated cut-off which stops the motor and the cars when required.
SLR Class :- M4
Manufactures Model :- MX 620
Introduction year :- 1975
No of Locos :- 14
Loco Nos :- 743 to 756
Builder :- Montreal Locomotive Works
State :- Canada
Prime Mover :- ALCO V12 25 1 C3
Mode of Power transmission :- Diesel Electric (AC to DC Power Transmission )
Power :- 1700 hp
rpm :- 1050
Weight :- 98 ton
Length :- 58' 3"
Wheel arrangement :- Co-Co
Brake system : - Air and Vacuum
Max speed :- 104 Km/h
Gauge : - 1676 mm
Type :- Locomotive
Purpose/Used line :- Main line Passenger and Freight train Presently not to run beyond Rambukkana.
M4 753,754,755 and 756 were Special designed with Dynamic Brake for Upcountry (Colombo to Badulla) Rail track.
M4 750 damaged due to Bomb blast at near Vavniya in 2000 back in service after repair.
M4 752 re painted Red and Yellow colours for use Jaffna Intercity. again Repainted Blue & Silver.
Upgraded with Air brake at C.M.E. Ratmalana.
M4 751used for Inaugural run “Yal Rani” Passenger Train Between Kankasantrei Murukandi in 11.07.2022
All Locomotives are presently on service.
M4s were named,
743 : Madu
744 : Sigiri
745 : Ruwanweli
746 : Namunukula
747 : Kelani
748 : Walawe
749 : Dunhida
750 : Isurumuni
751 : Diyaluma
752 : Point-Pedro
753 : Samanala
754 : Menik
755 : Mahaweli
756 : Luxapana
Information as at 29.12.2025
An empty Red Rocks train with a variety of DC power is running on the single track North Platte Sub near the north shore of Lake McConaughy, NE. It would be 3 more months before Union Pacific would take delivery of 9997-9999, the first AC4400CW's for the railroad.
5-20-1994
SLR Class :- M4
Manufactures Model :- MX 620
Introduction year :- 1975
No of Locos :- 14
Loco Nos :- 743 to 756
Builder :- Montreal Locomotive Works
State :- Canada
Prime Mover :- ALCO V12 25 1 C3
Mode of Power transmission :- Diesel Electric (AC to DC Power Transmission )
Power :- 1700 hp
rpm :- 1050
Weight :- 98 ton
Length :- 58' 3"
Wheel arrangement :- Co-Co
Brake system : - Air and Vacuum
Max speed :- 104 Km/h
Gauge : - 1676 mm
Type :- Locomotive
Purpose/Used line :- Main line Passenger and Freight train Presently not to run beyond Rambukkana.
M4 753,754,755 and 756 were Special designed with Dynamic Brake for Upcountry (Colombo to Badulla) Rail track.
M4 750 damaged due to Bomb blast at near Vavniya in 2000 back in service after repair.
M4 752 re painted Red and Yellow colours for use Jaffna Intercity. again Repainted Blue & Silver.
Upgraded with Air brake at C.M.E. Ratmalana.
M4 751used for Inaugural run “Yal Rani” Passenger Train Between Kankasantrei Murukandi in 11.07.2022
All Locomotives are presently on service.
M4s were named,
743 : Madu
744 : Sigiri
745 : Ruwanweli
746 : Namunukula
747 : Kelani
748 : Walawe
749 : Dunhida
750 : Isurumuni
751 : Diyaluma
752 : Point-Pedro
753 : Samanala
754 : Menik
755 : Mahaweli
756 : Luxapana
Information as at 15.10.2025
SLR Class :- M2
Manufactures Model :- G12
Introduction years :- 1954 to 1966
No of Locos :- 14
Loco Nos : 569-573 M2
591-593 M2a
594 and 595 M2b
626 and 627 M2c
628 and 629 M2d
Builder :- General Motors (G.M.D.)
State :- Canada and America
Prime Mover :- General Motors - G M V12 567 12C
Mode of Power transmission :- Diesel Electric (AC - DC Power Transmission )
Power :- 1425 hp
rpm :- 800
Weight :- 79 ton
Length :- 46' 9"
Wheel arrangement :- A1A-A1A (M2,M2a,M2b and M2d)
Bo-Bo (M2c)
Brake system : - Vacuum and Dynamic
Max speed :- 112 Km/h
Gauge : - 1676 mm
Type :- Locomotive
Purpose/Used line :- Main line Passenger and Freight train Not to run Matale and Kelani Valley line.
Gift from Colombo Plan aid.
M2c special designed for Upcountry (Colombo to Badulla) Rail track.
SLR purchased 02 Locos in 1966 from EMD plant America for Cement Transport (M2d 628 and 629).
All locos fitted train light system and fitted W1 cowcatchers at CME in 80’.
M2 572 use for “Ruhunu Kumari” Train inaugural run in 1955.
M2 572 use for “Udarata Menike” Train inaugural run in 23 April1956.
M2 571 Destroyed due to Bomb blast at Mullipathan in 04.10.1985
M2 570 Trapped KKS in 1990. because of Civil war transported to C.M.E. Ratmalana by ship in 1997. Back in service after repair in July 1998.
M2d 629 use for “Meena Gaya” Train inaugural run in 23 December 2004.
M2 591 Damaged by Tsunami waves at Pereliya in 26.12.2004. Back in service after repair in 26.12.2008
13 Locomotives are presently on Service.
M2s were named,
569 : Ontario
570 : Alberta
571 : Saskatchewan
572 : British Columbia
573 : Quebec
591 : Manitoba
592 : Nova Scotia
593 : New Brunswick
594 : Prince Edward Island
595 : New Foundland
626 : Montreal
627 : Vancouver
628 : Kankesanturai
629 : Galle
Information as at 13.10.2025
BNSF 9530 and a sister MAC hustle Ardoch SUGX coal empties south along the Hillsboro Sub in Buxton, ND.
I was definitely short-timing it in North Dakota when I took this shot as I would be on to my next assignment at the Air Force Academy in Colorado about 3 months later.
The MACs were evidence that things had changed with regards to northern plains coal power. Starting sometime in 2007, the traditional DC-powered SD60Ms, SD75s, and Oakways were pushed out of Glendive, MT and the coal power pool to make way for the MACs who in turn were making way for the influx of GEVOs and ACes on BNSF's roster.
Scenery-wise, eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota didn't necessarily scream picturesque, but what the area lacked in scenery it made up for with interesting power. But the late-2000s saw DC-powered coal and SD40-2-led trains becoming more and more infrequent. So, it was a great time to have to move away from the area. I'm just grateful that I was there to document the "last hurrah" as that particular generation of railroading transitioned off the rails and into the history books...
Brand-new MRCE E193.647 and 648 have started on last week their revenue service being tested for double traction under DC power.
Used only between Verona and the Brenner pass by Mercitalia Rail, these are the very first Vectron to work together on the RFI network. (17/6/17)
Mixed AC and DC power combinations seem to be becoming more frequent on CN. Here train #Q148 approaches South Plympton Road, between Wyoming and Wanstead on CN's Strathroy sub., behind ES44AC 3806 and SD75I 5759.
L527 passes the elevator complex at Nampa Alberta with a soon to change in the future consist.
With the forst DC to AC rebuilt Dash 9's leaving the Watec factory (using Dash 9 cores from CN's fleet) and rumors of an SD70/75 rebuild program in the works consists such as this may look different in the future.
CN's Northern Alberta lines restrict the use of larger modern AC power due to weight restrictions on bridges, causing DC power to be the norm rather than the exception.
SLR Class :- S11
Introduction years :- 2011 to 2012
No of Sets :- 20
Power car Nos :- 894 to 913
Builder :- Integral Coach Factory
State :- India
Prime Mover :- Cummines - 16V KTA 50L
Mode of Power transmission :- Diesel Electric (AC to DC Power Transmission)
Power :- 1400 hp
rpm :- 1360
Weight :- 71 ton
Length :- 70’
Wheel arrangement :- Bo-Bo
Brake system :- Air
Max speed :- 120 km/h
Gauge :- 1676 mm
Type :- Diesel Multiple Unit
Set Formation :- One power car,Two 3rd Class Compartment, Two 2nd Class Compartment and 3rd Class dummy car
Purpose :- Suburban and Long distance passenger Train Service.
S11 899 Damaged due to accident at Alawwa in 2011 back in service after repair.
S11 902 Destroyed due to an accident at Pothuhera in 30.04.2014
Information as at 05.02.2025
SLR Class :- S12
Introduction years :- 2012 to 2013
No of Sets :- 13
Power car Nos :- 917 to 939
Builder :- CSR Qingdao Sifang Co. Ltd
State :- China
Prime Mover :- MTU 12V 4000 R41
Mode of Power transmission :- Diesel Electric (AC to DC Power Transmission)
Power :- 1950 hp
rpm :- 1800
Weight :- 74 ton
Length :- 50’
Wheel arrangement :- Bo-Bo
Brake system :- Air and Dynamic
Max speed :- 120 Km/h
Gauge :- 1676 mm
Type :- Diesel Multiple Unit
Purpose/Used line :-
4 sets for suburban service.
7 sets for up country service.
2 sets for Air-condition intercity service.
Set Formation :
Suburban sets : Power car, four 3rd class compartments and dummy car.
Up country sets : Two power cars, one 1st class Air-condition compartment, three 2nd class compartment, three 3rd class compartment and one 3rd class buffet unit.
Air-condition: Two power cars, Six 1st class Air-condition compartment and class Air-condition buffet unit.
S12 919 used for first testing run on Beliattha line.
S12 934 and 939 used for Inaugural run on Beliattha line in 02.11.2019
S12 927 and 935 used for Inaugural run No 1038 Kandy-Colombo train run in 22.11.2019
S12 933 used for Inaugural run “Kelani Valley Odyssey” Special Tourist train Colombo Fort to Waga in 15.01.2023
Information as at 14.11.2025