GP40-2L #706 leads a train of bilevels through this wintery scene.

By Daniel Garcia and James Bow..

These were the second new engines bought by GO Transit. Eleven were delivered between 1973 and 1975. They, like every engine bought before the F59PH's, featured a 3000hp engine and don't have dynamic brakes. Unlike the GP40TC's, these locomotives did have a safety cab and Dash 2 electronics. They were not equipped with HEP generators, requiring GO Transit to buy rebuilt APCU's and APU's. The GP40-2L series diesels were designated classes GCE-430b, -430c and -430d. They were numbered 9808-9814 when delivered, and were changed to 700-710 before 1982. They were still numbered in this sequence when they were removed from service.

We speculate that these engines were shipped without HEP generators as the order was too small to allow sufficient customization. GO Transit needed new equipment quickly to handle a surge in demand, and chose to purchase new engines rather than lease them from other railroads. At the time, GO was able to recoup some of its costs by renting its locomotives to CN and CP rail during the weekends when service was significantly lighter.

The GP40-2Ls were used until 1991, when 10 of them were sold to CN (9668-9677), where they fit in well with the 300 or so other GP40-2L's that CN owns. The other engine was sold, along with an APCU, to Tri-Rail that same year.

GP40-2L #710. Photo donated from the collection of Daniel Garcia.