Canadian National Railways

Early diesels

The first road diesel in Canada. Twin units both numbered 9000. Built 11,12/1928 by Canadian Locomotive Company with Commonwealth Steel Company cast steel underframes powered by twin 1330 hp Beardmore V-12 diesel engines and Canadian Westinghouse electrical equipment. Rated at 70 mph, 42,000 lbs. contineous tractive effort and weighing 335 tons.

V-1-a diagram... data sheet ... clearance chart Don Mc.Queen Collection

Charles M. Brooks, C.N.R. Chief of Motive Power took delivery of this diesel locomotive on November 20, 1928.
Here he is making a trial run from Kingston to Brockville and on to Montreal.

Special train for publicity photographs after which it powered a Second section
of the International Limited from Montreal to Toronto on August 26, 1929.
The locomotive was immediately put on display at the Canadian National Exhibition.

9001 with short passenger train at Danforth station in east Toronto. Joseph Testagrose Collection

9000 armoured modification including re-engined 1944 with EMD 16-567A 1440 hp diesel. Weight 163 tons.
Canadian National/Joseph Testagrose Collection

diagram armoured Don Mc.Queen Collection

9000 with short passenger train at St.Foy, Quebec. Joseph Testagrose Collection

Two views of 70 ton Westinghouse Visibility Cab 400 hp Beardmore diesel. CLC 1861 5/1929
It was sent to Canadian Westinghouse in Hamilton for electrical work and delivered to CNR 5/17/1930.
The above view shows leading end at the right! Yes, the engineer was on this side.

diagram Don Mc.Queen Collection

7700 was re-numbered 77 in 12/1950. It was re-engined in 1953 with Caterpillar D-397 380 hp diesel.

diagram 77

77 with B/A Oil tank car. July 1, 1955 Paul Mc.Grane Collection

GTW 73 (ex 7730) one-of-a-kind Brill 80-ton 500 hp Cummins diesel boxcab Brill 23152 6/1934

(built with 2-250hp Brill-Westinghouse gas engines, converted to diesel 5/1939)

Date, location and credit missing.

7750 CNR PSC-CGE-Canadian Ingersoll Rand 600 hp (2 x 300hp) 117 ton 1644 8/1932

Turcott yard circa 1940 Larry Russell/Joseph Testgrose Collection

diagram

Read more about early CNR diesels