CALGARY, Alberta — The Locomotive & Railway Historical Society of Western Canada is seeking homes for three Fairbanks-Morse locomotives that will become homeless later this year.
The locomotives are Canadian Pacific FM H16-44 No. 8554, part of Canadian Pacific’s former historical collection, and a pair of Canadian Pacific FM CPB16-4 B units built as CP Nos. 4455-4456. All three were built by Canadian Locomotive Company in Kingston, Ontario, which was the licensee of Fairbanks-Morse in Canada.
While only a handful of H16-44s exist, the two CPB16-4s are the last two surviving examples of approximately 50 built for service across North America. Canadian Pacific rostered 16 CPA16-4 and 12 CPB16-4 locomotives built in the early 1950s. The B units were paired with the C-Liner A units in both freight and passenger service on Canadian Pacific.
All three are currently in storage southeast of Calgary at a gas plant that is being dismantled this year. Efforts to secure a home in Canada have so far been unsuccessful and the society is looking south for a potential home in the United States to save these rare locomotives from the scrapper’s torch. Interested parties can contact Jim Lanigan, president of the society, at (403) 265-9227.
Doesn’t IRM roster a set of F-M’s in their collection? Hard to believe, but US nuclear subs still have a diesel backup generator made by you guessed it, Fairbanks-Morse.
It should also be noted that the two B-units are just shells, they were gutted internally and converted into Locotrol I radio receivers, also known as ‘Robot Cars’.
It would be a shame if these rail Canadian Pacific Rwy FM locos weren’t saved. Hop e they find a good home ….
Are there any Canadian Pacific C-Line cab units remaining/preserved?
Yes, there are two surviving A units from the C-Liner line. CPR #4065 at the Canadian Museum of Science & Technology in Ottawa and CPR #4104 stored in Nelson BC.
Would be great to see these get paired up with a matching B unit.
I rode behind a FM loco at the National RR Museum in Green Bay. It was a quiet
and smooth ride. I know parts are rare but these locos need a home.