Engines

Locomotives of the ACR

Here are photos of the different diesel engines the ACR used from the start of dieselization to the Wisconsin Central buyout.

New and/or re-scanned photos have cells with a pale yellow colour background.

Would you like prints of most any of these slides? Go to Desert-Rails.com for details!

	140 - This is one of 2 SW8's operated by the ACR, the other being #141. These yard engines spent all of their time working Steelton yard, and did not have any MU capability. This photo was taken on October 6, 1973 at Steelton yard (Sault Ste Marie). Even back then, the CNR borg was circling in for the kill !
	141 - This photo was taken on December 16, 1973 at Steelton yard.
	141 - Many years (21!) later the 141 is stored dead at Steelton missing several parts. June 14, 1994.
	150 - This is one of 21 GP7's bought by the ACR during the early 1950's. These units (numbered 150-170) served the ACR quite well, and allowed the ACR to be one of the first Canadian roads to be fully dieselized. Here the class unit, No. 150, is at Steelton on Jan. 2, 1972. Sold to DAWX in Iowa in the early 1980's along with the 151.
	151 - Here is the 151 enjoying a sunny March afternoon at Hawk Jct. - March 19, 1977.
	151 - Steelton November 20, 1978.
	151 - Here is the 151 still working after 60+ years at a grain company in Saginaw, Texas. Somewhat the worse for wear - note the bell is gone, some handrails have been bent and the horn has been moved from its original position and covered to prevent theft. Photo © 2011 by Randy Faris - used with his permission.

	152 - Taken May 30, 1981 stored at Steelton after the new GP38-2's were placed into service.
	153 - The 153 at Steelton Dec. 15, 1974 is another example of the early phase of the GP7.
	154 - Stored at Steelton after the arrival of the GP38-2's. July 10, 1981.
	156 - Here is what I think is No. 9's power getting onto his train late in the afternoon on April 24, 1972 at Steelton.
	156 - This was the very first ACR slide I took with my new Canon AE-1...it was quite the improvement from the Miranda G I had been using. The 156 is at Steelton October13, 1976. This was also one of my first Kodachrome 25 slides after using Kodachrome II until this point.
	157 - The Steelton shops did most all of the repair and rebuild work on the diesels, with the exception of traction motor work. Here the 157 awaits a new prime mover at Steelton on May 21, 1972. I took this photo from the vestibule while heading to Canyon on the tour train. Freshly painted 159 just needs to be lettered before returning to service. Later this unit was rebuilt by the CNR and it is now the WC 1505.
	157 - Soon after rebuilding by the CNR the 157 is at Steelton on June 29, 1980. Still has those bogus fake CNR style numberboards ;).
	158 - This engine would later become one of the "Winnipeg" rebuild units (done by the CNR at their Transcona [Winnipeg] shops in 1979. Shown here at Hawk Jct. March 7, 1977.
	158 - Soon after rebuilding by the CNR the 158 is at Steelton on March 19, 1980. Still has those bogus fake CNR style numberboards ;).
	158 - Inside Steelton Roundhouse on June 24, 1981.
	158 - Looks to be stored bad order at Steelton June 14, 1994.
	159 - Steelton July 22, 1980. It was one of the first GP7's to be retired and used for parts, as shown below.
	159 - Steelton - November 15, 1980. It has lost its short hood to the 158, damaged in a collision with a large truck at 6th Line crossing earlier in the year.
	159 - Steelton - April 9, 1981. Slowly rotting away.....
	160 - Here is the 160 at Hawk Jct. on a cold February 1, 1977.
	160 - Shown at Steelton November 22, 1978.
	161 - Here is the 161 just minutes out of the paint shop at Steelton. This unit was painted by a high school student after classes over a 3 week period. This photo was rejected by Trains magazine account the paint was "too fresh" and would not print well in the magazine! Taken on May 4, 1973.
	161 - Four years later the paint has weathered enough that Trains ought to be happy :). At Hawk Jct. March 19, 1977.
	162 - Here is the 162 at Bruce Street station early in the morning in August of 1966. The crew has just pulled the passenger train from Steelton yards to the downtown station and will now run around their train and get ready to run to Hearst. Note there is no unit number on the long hood - this was added later during the early to mid sixties. This unit was later rebuilt to the 100, and is now the WC 1501. I think the CNR scrapped this engine after buying out the WC, along with the other GP7's.
	163 - Steelton September 9, 1979.
	164 - Steelton November 15, 1980. This engine was rebuilt after hitting a small rock slide with a CPR style "rock pilot".
	166 - Its a cold morning on the first day of February 1977 at Hawk Jct. as the 166 tries to keep warm...
	167 - Here is the 167 with Train No. 2 coming to a stop at Lunar so we could board and return to the Sault after a day of boating on Lake Achigan. August 23, 1972.
	167 - A few years later the 167 was wrecked near Ogidaki if I remember right....it was rebuilt by the CNR in 1979 (see next photo below). Shown here August 7, 1978.
	167 - Steelton July 27, 1980. The CNR rebuilt this engine, along with 3 others, in 1979. Compare to the above photo - the CNR did a great job with the sheet metal repairs.
	168 - The 168 Steelton August 7, 1978.
	170 - This is one of 4 GP7's rebuilt by the Canadian National at Winnipeg in 1979. The others were the 157, 158 and the 167. While the 100 series rebuilds by GMDD were quite successful, they were too busy building fleets of SD40-2's for the CPR to do any more GP7 rebuilding. Therefore the ACR contracted with the CNR to do these four GP7's. Unlike the upgrading of the 100 series, these were really "brand new 30 year old units" to quote the road foreman. Steelton Aug. 19, 1979. Was WC 1508, now ?.
	171 -Steelton April 16, 1979. The next to last GP9 ever built (Aug. of 1963), this unit and the 172 were never really liked by the ACR engineers account they had a different braking system, and rarely were in the lead. These were the first units to be sold off after the GP38-2's arrived. This one went to the Maine Central as its #450, and was scrapped about 1996. Photo on April 16, 1979 at Steelton.
	172 - The 172 was the very last GP9 built - note the GP20 style frame, fuel tanks, etc. The ACR needed a couple of more GP units for the increased Agawa Canyon Tour business, but they did not want to deal with turbocharged power. GMDD was able to assemble these 2 GP9's from leftover parts. This engine was sold to the Essex Terminal Railway in Windsor and is still in service there, although with a chopped short hood. At Steelton May 27, 1974.
	172 - A few years later the 172 is still running well....Steelton June 23, 1978.

	100 - In 1978 the ACR had GMDD in London completely rebuild and upgrade 5 GP7's with 645 power assemblies, -2 electricals, and so on. The 5 units were stripped and then rebuilt using various parts from the stockpile, so no unit-for-unit renumbering was possible, however for bookkeeping reasons a unit-for-unit order was set up. Here is the class unit 100 (ex 162, now WC 1501) at Steelton on Aug 19, 1979.
	101 - Steelton August 11, 1979.
	102 - Steelton August 12, 1979. Scrapped after wreck at Mile 111 in 1994.
	103 - Here is the 103 on the day it was delivered at Steelton....June 23, 1978 It was the 155, and is now the WC 1503..
	103 - It is a cold December 1, 1978 at Steelton.
	103 - This is the 103 at Steelton April 17, 1979.
	104 - Steelton August 12, 1979.
	180 - With the ever increasing iron ore traffic, the GP7's were proving to be too small (and they were better suited for passenger service) and therefore in Oct. of 1971 the ACR took delivery of 3 SD40's, numbered 180, 181, and 182 (originally they were supposed to be numbered 177, 178, 179). The 3 SD's could haul the same tonnage up Tabor and Frater hills nearly twice as fast as 5 GP7's, and so were well liked by the crews. However, the sectionmen had to replace a lot more gauge rods ("a boxcar load a month" according to one of them)! Steelton May 27, 1974.
	181 - Photo taken at Steelton on July 14, 1974. This is the only surviving SD40, and is now WC 6001.
	181 - It is a brilliant (and very cold) winter morning at Steelton on January 9, 1981.
	182 - This is the 182, the last of the SD40's enjoying some springtime sunshine after its first northern Ontario winter at Steelton on April 25, 1972. This unit was wrecked twice, and was scrapped around 1990 after its second trip into the bush just north of Wabos. See here for its history on the ACR...
	183 - The ACR so liked the SD40's that 2 years later they bought 6 more SD40-2's on the tail end of an order for the CNR, and so were built to CNR specs. The 183 is at Steelton on November 30, 1973 still with the small CNR style numberboards.
	184 - Steelton April 25, 1981. This engine would later be wrecked and scrapped at Mile 111 in 1994.
	185 - brand new - Sault Ste Marie, Ontario - October 4, 1973.
	185 - Here the 185 is at Hawk Jct. on Feb. 15, 1977. This unit was the WC 6003, now ?
	186 - Here is the 186 the day it was delivered (Oct. 4, 1973) in the Canadian Pacific yard at the Sault. Note the small CNR style numberboards - these were changed out later on, along with a few other minor modifications. Was the WC 6004, now?
	186 - Nearly 5 years later the 186's paint is holding up well, and the numberboards have been changed out for the real style ones. Steelton August 10, 1979.
	187 - Steelton October 24, 1980.
	188 - This was the highest numbered SD40-2 on the ACR. Here it is on Dec 16, 1973 at Steelton. It still has the small CNR style numberboards. Was WC 6006, now ?
	188 - By this time the bogus CNR style numberboards have been replaced with the correct ACR style ones...Steelton April 16, 1978.
	May 6 1981 at Steelton Shops - the last 4 of the new GP38-2's have just arrived.
	200 - Around 1980, with further rebuilding of the remaining GP7's not practical, the ACR ordered 6 GP38-2's for passenger service. They were equipped with 2 aux generators, and a small control stand was added for controlling the steam generator cars. Here is the class unit 200 at Steelton the day it was delivered on May 6, 1981. This is now the WC 2001.
	201 - Steelton May 31, 1981.
	202 - Steelton July 5, 1981.
	203 - Brand new Steelton May 6, 1981.
	203 - Night scene at Steelton June 24, 1981.
	204 - Modeller's take note! Steelton May 6, 1981.
	204 - Steelton May 31, 1981.
	205 - A year later the engines are getting dirty...and note the safety stripes on the handrails. Steelton May 18, 1982.
	190 - In mid-1994 the ACR got what were to be their last new units - actually two ex Soo Line, nee Milwaukee GP40's that had been upgraded to Dash 2 specs by the Soo Line. This is the 190 at Steelton shops on Sept. 21, 1994. These wore real ACR colours for less than a year, and are now WC 3026 and 3027. The WC has repainted these two into commemorative paint schemes.
	190 - For whatever reason, the US style rear headlight (2 smaller lights) was not replaced with the usual Canadian style single large headlight. Steelton June 21, 1994.
	190 - Modellers take note! Here is a roof detail view of the 190. Note the dust bin cover, fan shrouds, etc are black but the roof itself is gray. Steelton June 21, 1994.
	191 - The other ex Milwaukee GP40 - Steelton June 23, 1994.
	191 - Steelton June 23, 1994.

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