So, formerly CP and CN use model designations specific to them, and I used to know how to decode them, but I don’t remember anymore. Anyone mind giving me a refresher on this? (Note, if any of the pictures don’t have a watermark on them, I still don’t own any of them) So for the below picture of CN SD70M-2 8952, the unique designation CN gave it is “GF-643h”. Now I don’t know about any other parts of this designation, but I do know the M-2 has 4,300 horsepower, so I would assume the “43” part has something to do with that.
In this picture of a CN ET44AC, the same re-classification principle seems to apply here, as it has a “44” in the custom designation, “EF-644t”. Seeing as both of these locomotives are six axles and both have a “6” before what seems to be the horsepower number, divided by 100, so maybe the “6” is for the number of axles?
And the same principle appears to happpen with the horsepower here too, with CP SD70ACu 6644; 4,300 horsepower, “43” in the designation, “DRF-43”. So anyone know how to decode CP and CN designations? They do seem to be different though…
For CN:
1st letter is the manufacturer - G for GM (EMD) and E for GE (General Electric). Sounds backwards, but that’s how CN does it.
2nd letter is type of service. Your examples are both Freight (F) motors.
First numeric digit is the number of (powered, I believe) axles.
Next digits (usually two - I don’t think they have any diesel boxcabs any more!) are the HP in hundreds. So 43 is 4300 HP.
Final letter is the order for that model under which the motor was built.
So “GF-643h” is an EMD, 6-axle, 4300HP motor and is part of the 7th (h) order for that model.
Someone else will need to chime in for the CP/CPKC scheme(s).
Actually, many railroads over the years have used their own designations for their diesels, it’s not just a CN/CP thing. In fact, I’d say it was rare for a railroad to use the builder’s designation for their diesels.
For example, the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range bought their SD-9s from EMD in batches. Each batch had it’s own designation: RS-1 (1955-56), RS-2 (1957), RS-3 (1958), RS-4 (1959). RS-5s were Alco DL-600Bs (that’s what Alco called them; most of us know them as RSD-7s). RS-6s were SD-18s, RS-7s were SD-38s.
RS of course meant “Road Switcher”. Their SW-9s from 1953 were all class DS-1 (Diesel Switcher).
Ah, ok. I guess in this day and age, being “new” (ish) to this, given how young I am relative to some of you guys here, they don’t really do it like that anymore then…
I suspect some still do have their own system. Plus, the builder’s designation for a model sometimes wasn’t the name railfans (or even railroads) called them - like Alco “DL” engines. Then there’s the whole switching of the ‘dash’ deal, where a GE C44-9W (pronounced “See forty-four dash nine W”) became a “Dash 9-44CW”…
