Just shy of two years after the CPKC merger, the Class I railroad has purchased its first “new” locomotives. The eight General Electric ET44ACs were originally an order for Baffinland Iron Mines located on Baffin Island in Canada. The new-build mine project to haul iron ore to seaport via rail has been delayed many times, and the company decided to terminate the lease in September 2023 on the eight units.
The locomotives wore red paint with Baffinland colors and BMIR road numbers 7001-7008. The units were selected from a group of ET44ACs in GE’s fleet, numbered GECX Nos. 2025, 2028, 2030-2032, 2020-2022, respectively. As built, GECX 2020-2022 were Tier 4 pre-production, field-test units built in 2013 and 2014 while GECX Nos. 2025, 2028, 2030-2032 were production field-test units built in 2014.
Following the purchase by Baffinland, GE upgraded the units for service high above the Arctic Circle, where they would be operating in the harsh winter climate. The model was changed from ET44AC to ET44ACAT, with the AT denoting arctic modifications that were made.
After CPKCs purchase, the units were moved to Wabtec’s Albia, Iowa, facility for modifications prior to delivery. This included removal of arctic modifications, removal of the hump above the prime mover on the long hood, and a coat of fresh paint. The locomotives now have CP reporting marks and carry Nos. 7430-7437.
The first two ET44ACs released from Albia made their first revenue trip in late November when CP Nos. 7431 and 7433 were in the consist of train 253 from Kansas City to Chicago.
Prior to the merger, Kansas City Southern last purchased new locomotives in 2019 and Canadian Pacific in 2012.
Anyone manage to snag any photos of these ET44ACAT units before they were reverted to standard configuration? Would be interesting to see, both the appearance of the units themselves and the BMIR paint scheme.
Not pictures but a Wabtec video of the units in before and after painting (Baffinisland RR) on the Erie test track in testing with other loco’s in dynamic braking… Its not really a hump in the normal sense of the word… more like a 4″-6″ center “cab” (in GE parlance) height extension so that whatever the arctic upgrades are could be fully encased inside the unit. Hope this helps… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L5klZ-Y-mc
Not pictures but a Wabtec video of the units in before and after painting (Baffinisland RR) on the Erie test track in testing with other loco’s in dynamic braking… Its not really a hump in the normal sense of the word… more like a 4″-6″ center “cab” (in GE parlance) height extension so that whatever the arctic upgrades are could be fully encased inside the unit. Hope this helps… youtube.com/watch?v=1L5klZ-Y-mc
Like wow, a major railroad had bought no new locomotives in 12 years. Sounds like no one wants the latest and greatest pollution control.