Railroad Trains for the Soul: GM Locomotives in Canada
This video is a preview from GM Locomotives in Canada, produced by Green Frog Productions. It begins with a tour of the General Motors Diesel (GMD) locomotive factory in London, Ontario. GMD was a Canadian subsidiary of General Motors Electro-Motive Division, which had normally been assembling locomotives at its La Grange, Illinois plant since the mid 1930's.
Constructed in 1950, the London plant initially built locomotives mostly for Canadian railroads such as GO Transit, a commuter rail agency serving the Toronto area. However, after completing a fleet of F40PHM-2 diesels for Chicago's Metra commuter rail system in 1992, EMD effectively moved all locomotive assembly operations from La Grange to London; but the La Grange facility continued to be the company's headquarters as well as the manufacturing place for diesel engines and other locomotive parts. Interestingly, Metra is located in the same state as the La Grange facility while GO Transit is based in the same Canadian province as the London plant, giving an impression of building GM locomotives for a statewide neighbor.
In the GM Locomotives in Canada video, you will learn the history of EMD and its business expansion for the Canadian market. Take a tour of the London factory and watch the manufacturing of GO Transit F59PH diesels from the design phase to their final testing both at the plant and during GO's revenue services. These units were assembled in the late 1980's, not long before EMD's production shift. You'll also be treated to ride in the cab of an F59 pulling a commuter train and stopping at many stations within the Toronto area. This is an excellent video covering the London plant, which was now permanently closed by Caterpillar in 2012 as it moved locomotive production to its current facility in Muncie, Indiana. Yes, I have seen this video and I highly recommend it for EMD lovers!