The Resurrection of the MLW/Bombardier LRC
As mentioned in the previous blog post, the MLW/Bombardier LRC diesel locomotive wins the Gold Medal of ALCO Passenger Power. This model was designed to pull high-speed passenger cars of the same profile (also built by Bombardier) but can be easily uncoupled for maintenance. All LRC locomotives and coaches have standard knuckle couplers instead of a semi-permanent coupling system used on a lot of high-speed trains worldwide.
VIA Rail Canada was the only permanent owner of these unique ALCO-powered sets, but the first two of the 3,725-hp units were rented by Amtrak as part of a two-year lease agreement beginning in 1980. The LRC was one of Amtrak’s high-speed train experiments performed in the United States. Afterwards, the two sets augmented VIA Rail’s 31 locomotives, which were newly delivered between 1982 and 1983.
In 2001, all LRC diesels were replaced by the 21 General Electric P42DC’s, which have been seen pulling the LRC passenger cars that still remain on the roster. However, since Siemens introduced the Charger series of diesel locomotives, VIA Rail placed an order for its 32 SCV-42 units and their strings of Venture passenger cars from the same builder. Therefore, these are expected to supplant the aging GE P42’s as well as the LRC coaches by 2024.
While most of the LRC locomotives were scrapped, a VIA Rail unit number 6917 was chosen to be restored by the volunteers of the Toronto Railway Historical Association (TRHA). It successfully came back to life in 2014, 13 years after its retirement. Check out the two videos illustrating the restoration and test run of the LRC, an example of the final ALCO-powered diesel locomotives built for North America.