The London & Port Stanley Railway was the only major electric railway line in Southern Ontario where a diesel was lettered for the electric line it operated on. The Grand River and Lake Erie & Northern were dieselized with locomotives lettered for owner, Canadian Pacific. The Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto, the Oshawa Railway, as well as the Cornwall Street Railway, were all dieselized with Canadian National, or CN lettering on the locomotives.

L4 was delivered to the L&PS on September 15, 1955 at a cost of $175,000.00. It carried serial number A831. A second diesel, numbered L5, was delivered in July 1957 and carried serial A1324. Both locomotives were 1310 hp, model G-12, built by General Motors Diesel at London, Ontario. Shortly after the Canadian National took possession of the L&PS, these two diesels were renumbered 991 and 992 respectively. Within a few years they were transferred to Vancouver Island. 991 and 992 were later moved down to Newfoundland but it is unknown to me whether they ever operated there. One report has them being used as a parts source for the G8's.

L4 is seen here switching at Port Stanley in April of 1957.

View of CN 991 & 992 courtesy of Dan Howlett's web page Deerholme on the Tidewater Subdivision CN's Last Stand in the Cowichan Valley.