During its formation, VIA Rail inherited a fleet of locomotives from CN and CP Rail. Most of these locomotives were “F-units”, some of the the first diesel-electric locomotives built in mass quantities.
The name “F-unit” came from the model designations used by GM’s Electro-Motive Division. The first was the “FT”, followed by the F2, F3, F7, and the first model with an extended frame for a larger water tank, the FP7. The F9, and its sister units the passenger FP9 and the electric/diesel FL9, were the last of the F series.
These were sometimes known as “covered wagons” due to the curved shape of their roof resembling covered wagons used in the westward expansion of the USA, but they are generally called “cab units”.
VIA also inherited a collection of similar-looking locomotives built by Montreal Locomotive Works, to be discussed in a future article.
These locomotives came in two varieties: “A” and “B” units. The “A” units had windowed cabs for the crew to operate from, while “B” units had no cabs and were always intended to be paired with a crewed locomotive. The “B” units were less expensive to build, but provided the same tractive effort for the train, and were sometimes called “booster” units.
Depending on how much power was required to pull the train, the locomotives might be connected in an A-A, A-B, A-B-A or even an A-B-B-A or A-B-B-B configuration.
The majority of these locomotives were acquired from CN. These units were already a couple of decades when they passed into VIA’s control.
- 2 E8A (ex CP 1800, 1802)
- 15 FP7A (ex CP, 1400-1404, 1416-1432, 4066-4069 series)
- 43 FP9A (ex CN 6500-6542 series; ex CP 1405-1414 series)
- 37 F9B (ex CN 6600-6637 series, ex CP 1961-1965)
Most of these locomotives retained their last CN or CP numbers for the remainder of their working lives, but a few of the ex-CP units were renumbered during their VIA career. For example, 1800 and 1802 were renumbered to 1898 and 1899 while working for VIA.
VIA leased F7Au locomotives from CN at times, to work on remote trains like the Hudson Bay, Skeena, and the Capreol-Winnipeg train. These remained CN locomotives in CN paint.
VIA contracted with CN to rebuild 15 FP9A locomotives to FP9Au (possibly also known as FP9ARM “ReManufactured”) standards in 1983. This included replacing the power assemblies of the GM 567 engine with 645 assemblies, increasing the engine horsepower slightly. These locomotives were renumbered during this process, with the Pointe St. Charles shops producing 6300-6311 and the Moncton shops producing 6312 to 6314. In 1997, seven of these locomotives received Head End Power (HEP) packages to provide electric power to the train: VIA 6300, 6302, 6304, 6307, 6308, 6311 and 6313.
Recognizing that these locomotives would not last forever, VIA acquired a total of 59 F40PH-2 locomotives from GM’s Electro-Motive Division, many of which are still powering VIA Rail trains today. As the F40 locomotives were delivered to VIA starting in December 1986, the F units were phased out. Much of VIA’s passenger fleet was still steam-heated, so during this transitional period, ex CN steam generator cars were matched with F40 units to provide heat, or covered wagons were included in trains (but not leading) for the same function.
The 6300 series were the last F units on VIA’s roster, working in northern Quebec and Manitoba until 2002. The last unit in regular service was VIA 6307, but 6300 soldiered on in shop service at the Vancouver Maintenance Centre until 2011.
Today there are no cab units on VIA’s roster. Most of the locomotives were scrapped, but some were sold to tourist railways like the Napa Valley Wine Train, in museums, or even in freight service on the Ontario Southland Railway. Two locomotives on Canadian Pacific’s business train are actually F units that are ex VIA, ex CN locomotives!
References
- People Moving People, Kevin Holland
- A Trackside Guide to Canadian Railway Motive Power, 1983, Roberts, Churcher & Smith
- Canadian Trackside Guide 2003, Bytown Railway Society
- Trackside with VIA, The First 35 Years and Research and Recollections, Eric Gagnon
