Railroad Trains for the Soul: GE Cowls
Look at this rare site of a General Electric DASH 8-40CM cowl diesel locomotive hauling the Triple Crown RoadRailer train. It is inevitable that Canadian National, once preferring cowl units, may be retiring its own fleet as well as the former BC Rail fleet of the C40-8M, the only active freight-duty cowl model left in a North American Class I railroad. CN previously purged the Electro-Motive SD50F and SD60F locomotives that were built by General Motors Diesel (GMD) in London, Ontario. Also from GMD was the Canadian Pacific SD40-2F, which was eliminated from its namesake railroad a few years ago. Ironically, some of the so-called “Red Barn” SD40’s were sold to the Central Maine & Quebec Railway, which was later acquired by CP. As a tribute to the GE C40-8M, Trains Magazine will be offering the annual Locomotive 2021 issue, including an article about this unique locomotive that may be fading into history.
Photo credit: John Allen
