#c44-9wl

[railwayhistorical]

On the Grand Trunk

Here’s an eastbound train on the former Grand Trunk Railway, now Canadian National. The location is at Knight Street, east of Marcellus, Michigan, at milepost 138 (from Chicago). The second locomotive is interesting: a BC Rail GE C44-9WL, which is nearly 28 years old now. There was a DPU of the CN in this train as well.

Six images by Richard Koenig; taken January 21st 2023.

[trainmaniac]

Battling the winter by Charlie Whipp Via Flickr: CN C44-9WL 2517 is entering main 1 East Durand after running through the single track section from West Flint with a late train M399. He had a heavy train and was fighting the heavy snow that was falling accompanied by high winds. Of all of the Dash 9s out there, these are my favorites with the four windowed cab and roof mounted bells. 11-26-2018

[airmanisr]

Big switchers by Robby Gragg Via Flickr: CN C44-9WL 2501 switches IHB's Blue Island Yard. Riverdale, IL

[guerrerense]

Canadian Cab por conrail6809 Por Flickr: A C44-9WL and an IC C40-8W are hauling ass westbound through Duffield with M399 on a cold winter day in 2011.

[maxm2317]

Academy & Eastern Railroad Roster

Diesel Locomotive Roster: (As a side-note, I have imagined the freight diesels in the Brunswick Green paint of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Maroon Red paint of the Norfolk & Western Railway on the two ex-Amtrak P40DC passenger diesels, and most of the diesels will be sporting ex-BC Rail Nathan K5H locomotive horns. The ex-BC Rail RDCs get two ex-BC Rail K5H horns, and both ex-New Jersey Transit Comet IV cab cars each get a Leslie RS5T-RF air horn. As for the ex-New Jersey Transit F40PH-2CATs, expect them to have Nathan P3 horns on them. All ES44ACs will have first generation Nathan K5HL horns mounted on them. The 2 P40DCs get old cast Nathan P5A horns. The 2 SD9043MACs get Leslie S3L horns. Our four ex-New South Wales Government Railways ALCO-Goodwin Class 44s received Leslie Supertyfon S5T horns and bells. As for the ALCO and MLW power, expect BC Rail K5H horns.) 4 ex-Norfolk Southern SW1500 road switchers (equipped with EMD "Flexicoil" trucks for operation at speeds up to 60 miles per hour; NS cab signals; 3rd generation K5LA horns; and ditch lights) 4 ex-Norfolk Southern MP15DC diesel road switchers (equipped with EMD Blomberg B trucks for operation at speeds up to 60 miles per hour; NS cab signals; 3rd generation K5LA horns; and ditch lights) 4 ex-BC Rail C40-8M "Cowl Units" (equipped with original BC Rail K5H horns; NS cab signals; and original 4 ditch light arrangement on both front and rear pilots) 4 ex-BC Rail C44-9Ws that have since been converted into AC traction AC44C6Ms while retaining their original cabs, horns, and 4 ditch light arrangement on the front and rear pilots (fitted with NS cab signals during the AC traction conversion) 4 ex-BC Rail C44-9WLs that received the same conversions as the C44-9Ws while retaining their original cabs, horns, and 4 ditch light arrangement on both the front and rear pilots (fitted with NS cab signals; reclassified as AC44C6MLs) 2 ex-Amtrak Surfliner EMD F59PHI passenger diesels for use on the "Academy Flyer" commuter train (recently repainted into A&E Tuscan Red with gold pinstripes; equipped with Norfolk Southern-compliant cab signals for the station stops in Altoona and Tyrone on Norfolk Southern's Pittsburgh Line: Both carry their Amtrak horns and bells.) 4 ex-New South Wales Government Railways ALCO-Goodwin Class 44 dual cab diesels (reconfigured for right side cab operation; buffers removed; equipped with bells, ditch lights, air brakes, snowplows, and Norfolk Southern cab signals) 2 ex-Union Pacific EMD SD9043MACs (Both have "Academy & Eastern" patches on their mid-sections. Their Union Pacific lettering has been painted over thanks to the patch jobs at Juniata Shops. The patch jobs are temporary, but they'll retain their numbers permanently.) 4 ex-CSX General Electric AC4400CW diesel locomotives equipped with GE's steerable trucks (All are lettered for "Academy & Eastern Railroad, but they still retain their original road numbers and CSX paint. This is only temporary until space in the shops at Milepost 0.0 is cleared for them as there are other high-priority projects.) 4 recently rebuilt ex-CSX General Electric AC6000CW diesel locomotives equipped with GE's steerable trucks (These monsters have been reclassified as ES60AC's with General Electric's GEVO-16 diesel engine. They were repainted into Brunswick Green at Juniata Shops in Altoona prior to their arrival on Academy & Eastern rails.) 4 General Electric ES44AC's built to CSX specifications equipped with GE's steerable trucks (These brutes were painted into Brunswick Green at the GE locomotive factory in Erie prior to their arrival on Academy & Eastern rails.) 2 American Locomotive Company (ALCO) RS3 road switcher diesel locomotives 2 Montreal Locomotive Works (ALCO's Canadian subsidiary) RS3 road switcher diesel locomotives 2 ALCO C630 main line freight locomotives 2 MLW M630 main line freight locomotives 2 ex-Amtrak General Electric P40DC passenger locomotives (painted into Maroon Red at Juniata Shops in Altoona before their arrival) *2 Pennsylvania Railroad Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) E8A cab unit diesels #5711 & #5809 2 ex-New Jersey Transit EMD F40PH-2CAT diesels painted in the N&W's Maroon Red paint (These two brutes are powered by Caterpillar diesel engines, and they'll push/pull the Comet IV cars in commuter service when the RDCs are unavailable. They too were repainted into Maroon Red at Juniata Shops in Altoona before their arrival.) Steam Locomotive Roster: (The "*" means the locomotive(s)/car(s) is/are on long-term lease to the Academy & Eastern Railroad. All CPR steamers are equipped with NS cab signals. As a side-note, the Academy & Eastern had expressed interest in purchasing the late Jack Showalter's ex-Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 G5 Pacifics 1238 and 1286, but they were being prepared to move to Winnipeg, Manitoba before we could buy them up from the Showalter Estate. This also takes place in an alternate timeline where eight ex-Reading Company G Class 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives and 10 semi-streamlined Canadian Pacific Railway G3g 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives were saved. Their numbers and classifications will be listed below, and they've all received roller bearings on all engine and tender axles.) 10 former Canadian Pacific Railway G3g 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives (#2380-2389; all equipped with 12-wheel coal tenders; purchased directly from Canadian Pacific in 2015; all were restored to working order in 10 months; 2380-2384 have been fitted with Reading 6 Chime whistles just ahead of their cabs; 2385-2389 were given the same treatment but with Southern Pacific 6 Chime whistles; fitted with cab signals, cab radios, and roller bearings on ALL engine and tender axles) Reading Company G1sa #108 (recently brought to the A&E after being stored at the East Strasburg shops for the past 60-ish years; fully restored to operation in its semi-streamlined appearance of 1935 with the air pumps hidden in their hiding spot in the tender; wears a Reading 6 Chime whistle and a Reading Company steam locomotive bell; equipped with a radio and Norfolk Southern-compatible cab signals) Reading Company G1sa #117 & #118 (both recently brought to the A&E after being stored at the East Strasburg shops for 60-ish years; fully restored to operation in their post-Crusader non-streamlined forms; both wear Reading 6 Chime whistles and Reading Company steam locomotive bells; received plaques inside their cabs honoring their duties as the primary power for the Crusader trains; also received a radio in each cab and Norfolk Southern-compatible cab signals) Reading Company G1sb #200 & #204 (both recently brought to the A&E after being stored at the East Strasburg shops for 60-ish years; fully restored to operation; both wear Reading 6 Chime whistles and Reading Company steam locomotive bells; received plaques honoring their significance as the first (#200) & last (#204) G1sb locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1925; received cab radios and Norfolk Southern-compatible cab signals) Reading Company G2sa #178 (recently brought to the A&E after being stored at the East Strasburg shops for 60-ish years; fully restored to operation in the same semi-streamlined appearance as G1sa #108; same hiding place for the air pumps being moved to the tender; wears a Southern Pacific 6 Chime whistle and a Canadian Pacific Railway Royal Hudson bell; received a cab radio and Norfolk Southern-compatible cab signals) Reading Company G3 #210 & #219 (both recently brought to the A&E after being stored at the East Strasburg shops for 60-ish years; fully restored to operation; both wear Reading 6 Chime whistles and Reading Company steam locomotive bells; received plaques honoring their significance as the first (#210) & last (#219) G3 locomotives built by the Reading Locomotive Shops in Reading, Pennsylvania back in 1948; both received cab radios and Norfolk Southern-compatible cab signals) *St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco, for short) 4-8-2 Mountain #1522 (on long term loan to us from the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri; completely overhauled and upgraded to meet current Federal Railroad Administration regulations; equipped with Norfolk Southern cab signals) *Ohio Railroad Museum's former Norfolk & Western 4-6-2 Pacific #578 (on long-term loan to the Academy & Eastern from the Ohio Railroad Museum; recently rebuilt and refitted with Timken roller bearings on all engine and tender axles; equipped with Norfolk Southern-compatible cab signals) *San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society's Santa Fe 4-8-4 Northern #3751 (on long-term loan to us from the SBRHS; equipped with NS-compatible cab signals) *Steamtown's ex-Canadian Pacific Railway 4-6-2 Pacific #2317 (has had her tender rebuilt to 12-wheel specifications and fitted with NS cab signals) ex-Canadian Pacific Railway 4-6-4 Hudson "Empress" #2816 (purchased from Canadian Pacific Railway; ditch lights removed; air-actuated whistle removed; received NS cab signals; Canadian Pacific 6 Chime whistle replaced with Reading Company G-2sa 4-6-2 Pacific #178's Reading 6 Chime whistle) Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 Royal Hudson #2839 (recently converted to oil-firing; received air-actuated Canadian Pacific "Mountain" 5 Chime whistle behind smokestack, radio, and NS cab signals) *Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 Royal Hudson #2860 (on long-term loan to us from the West Coast Railway Association of Squamish, British Columbia; ditch lights removed; repainted in full Canadian Pacific Railway livery; received NS cab signals; mystery 6 chime whistle replaced with a replica of Reading Company G-2sa 4-6-2 Pacific #178's Reading 6 Chime whistle) *Canadian Pacific Railway G5 4-6-2 Pacific #1278 (on permanent loan to us from the Age of Steam Roundhouse near Sugarcreak, Ohio; received NS cab signals and radio) Canadian Pacific Railway G5 4-6-2 Pacific #1246 (received NS cab signals and radio) *Canadian Pacific Railway G5 4-6-2 Pacific #1293 (also on long-term loan to us from the Age of Steam Roundhouse; received NS cab signals) *Norfolk & Western Railway 4-8-4 Northern Class J #611 (stored here during excursions on ex-PRR lines; equipped with cab signals) ex-Reading Company 4-8-4 Northern T-1 Class #2100 (on long-term loan to us from the American Steam Railroad; equipped with cab signals and roller bearings on ALL axles; reconverted to coal-firing; ditch lights removed) *ex-Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 Northern S-3 Class #261 (Mars light removed and bell centered. She's stored here during excursions on ex-PRR lines in the Northeast and is also equipped with cab signals.) *ex-Chesapeake & Ohio 4-8-4 Greenbriar (another name for a Northern) J-3A #614 (stored here by Ross Rowland's High Iron Enterprises) *ex-Pennsylvania Railroad 4-6-2 Pacific K4s #1361 (equipped with roller bearings on ALL axles and updated cab signals) ex-Iowa Interstate Chinese 2-10-2 QJ #6988 (de-Americanized and reconfigured for right-hand cab operation; wears a Boston & Maine Steptop 6 Chime Whistle on her auxiliary whistle valve; also wears a Leslie A-200 air horn where her old Chinese horn used to be) ex-Iowa Interstate Chinese 2-10-2 QJ #7081 (reconfigured for right-hand cab operation; wears a Southern Long Bell 3 Chime Whistle on her auxiliary whistle valve; also wears a Leslie A-200 air horn where her old Chinese horn used to be) 4 ex-China Railways SY Class 2-8-2 Mikados (numbered SY1-SY4; all four have had their tenders made perfectly square and roller bearings applied on all axles and engineer's seats on right side of cab; equipped with NS cab signals and radios) 4 ex-China Railways JS Class 2-8-2 Mikados (numbered JS5-JS8; all have roller bearings and engineer's seats on right side of cab; equipped with NS cab signals and radios) *NKP (Nickel Plate Road) S-2 2-8-4 Berkshire #759 (on permanent loan to the A&E from Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA; Mars light removed; received roller bearings on all axles during preparation work for her ferry move to her new home; received a second whistle valve during the remainder of the overhaul at the A&E shops; also wears a replica of sister 765's bell from the '80s and '90s: NKP 765 was brought to Steamtown from Fort Wayne, Indiana with her ex-L&N "Big Emma" auxiliary tender, the FWRHS tool car, two Academy & Eastern coaches, and an NKP caboose to tow her dormant sister to the Academy & Eastern Railroad's interchange with Norfolk Southern at Milepost 242, aka, Horseshoe Curve.) Passenger Car Roster: 18 Nippon Sharyo-built (from Alstom's pre-existing Amtrak Surfliner intercity car design) dual-level intercity passenger cars (10 coaches; 2 business class cars; 2 coach/baggage cars; 2 Café cars; and 2 coach/baggage/cab cars. The cab cars are equipped with Norfolk Southern-compliant cab signals for the station stops in Altoona and Tyrone on Norfolk Southern's Pittsburgh Line. All are painted in the classic N&W Tuscan Red with gold pinstripes and "Academy & Eastern" in N&W-style lettering. Both cab cars are equipped with Amtrak-standard K5LA horns and electronic bells.) 10 stainless steel ATSF passenger cars for use with the 3751 *the entire Milwaukee Road-painted fleet of 261's excursion consist (stored here when the 261 is running excursions in the Northeast) 10 ex-British Columbia Railway (BC Rail) Budd Rail Diesel Car (RDC) self-propelled passenger cars painted in the N&W's beautiful Maroon Red paint with N&W-style lettering and gold pinstripes 10 ex-New Jersey Transit Comet IV coaches and 2 ex-New Jersey Transit Comet IV cab cars painted in N&W Maroon Red paint with N&W-style lettering and gold pinstripes *ex-Pennsylvania Railroad Observation Cars "Tower View" & "Mountain View" (both painted in N&W Maroon Red paint with N&W-style lettering and gold pinstripes) ex-Norfolk Southern (nee-N&W) private car #200 "Lamberts Point" painted in N&W Maroon Red with gold pinstripes & lettered for Academy & Eastern in N&W-style lettering (purchased from the Friends of the 261) *10 Roanoke Chapter NRHS (National Railway Historical Society) excursion coaches painted in N&W Maroon Red paint with N&W-style lettering and gold pinstripes *8 Norfolk & Western coaches and 2 dining cars 2 ex-Amtrak baggage cars converted into head-end power generator/crew dorm/tool cars; painted in N&W Maroon Red paint with "Academy & Eastern" in N&W-style lettering and gold pinstripes 1 ex-Pennsylvania Railroad N5b cabin car (caboose) equipped with modern-day appliances and a high speed frame along with roller bearings Freight Cars/Miscellaneous Rolling Stock Roster: 1 ex-ATSF caboose 20 ex-Amtrak Express Boxcars (painted in N&W Maroon Red paint) 20 ex-Amtrak Roadrailer Trailers (painted in N&W Maroon Red paint) and a few bogies 3 flat cars 1 ex-Union Pacific refrigerated boxcar 4 auxiliary water tenders based on the design of the L&N "Big Emma" tenders *PRR 1361's auxiliary water tender ex-Reading & Northern 425A auxiliary water tender *ex-Reading 4-8-4 Northern T-1 #2100's Vanderbilt auxiliary water tender CP 4-6-4 "Empress" #2816's auxiliary water tender (bought from Canadian Pacific Railway) *CP 4-6-4 Royal Hudson #2860's auxiliary water tender (on long-term loan to us from the British Columbia Provincial Museum; lettered for Canadian Pacific) 3 ex-Union Pacific auxiliary water tenders painted black with the Academy & Eastern Railroad's logo in a keystone on both sides of the tenders *NKP 759's auxiliary water tender (converted to roller bearings; on permanent loan to the A&E from Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA; has "Iron Horse Enterprises" painted on the sides in NKP-style lettering) 2 ex-Southern Pacific diesel-powered rotary snow plows along with two cabless EMD F7B booster units that supply the plows with power to operate the giant fans in front of the units (These giants are used when the snowfall exceeds 2 feet.) 2 Jordan Spreaders (These big guys are used when the snowfall exceeds 2 feet.) *2 Ohio Central auxiliary water tenders (on long-term loan from the Age of Steam Roundhouse) Miscellaneous Vehicle Roster: Helicopters: 1 ex-USAF MH-53J "Pave Low" 4 Heavy-Lift helicopter (Maintains USAF paint, but lettered for "Mahora Academy." The same can be said for our ex-USMC CH-53E "Super Stallion," another heavy-lift chopper, but it's lettered for "Yokai Academy.") 1 ex-USMC CH-53E "Super Stallion" heavy-lift helicopter 2 ex-US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters (one lettered for "Yokai Academy," and the other lettered for "Mahora Academy") Truck/Buses/Trailer/Humvee: 1 black 1995 Freightliner FLD120 "Flattop" semi tractor 1 20-foot container semi-trailer 2 International school buses (One is lettered for Yokai Academy, and the other is lettered for Mahora Academy.) 1 ex-US Army Humvee

[railwayhistorical]

Sangamon River Bridge

This is where the original Illinois Central Railroad, the charter line, crossed the Sangamon River south of Decatur, Illinois. The line is now owned by the Canadian National, and therefore we have the pleasure of seeing BC Rail C44-9WL on the point.

The Pennsylvania Railroad also gained access to Decatur via the same bridge. Their line from Paris, Illinois, came due west and merged up with the Illinois Central at Hervey City, and thence into town over the same line.

Four images by Richard Koenig; taken February 8th 2018.