Canadian National Class O-18-a

CN O-18-a is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotives formerly owned by Canadian National Railways. They were switchers built by the Grand Trunk Railway's Point St. Charles Shops. Canadian National used the letter O to designate 0-6-0s.

CN O-18-a
CN No. 7470 at the Conway Scenic Railroad
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Grand Trunk Railway's Point St. Charles Shops Build date 1919-1921 Total produced Fifty
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0  • UIC C Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 51 in (1.295 m) Loco weight 174,000 lb (78.9 tonnes) Fuel type Coal Boiler pressure 175 lbf/in2 (1.21 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 22 in × 26 in (559 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Baker
Performance figures Tractive effort 36,703 lbf (163.26 kN)
Career Operators Grand Trunk Railway » Canadian National Railways Class GTR: F9 CN: O-18-a Numbers GTR: 1749–1798, CN: 7424–7473 Preserved Two preserved (7456 is on static display in Sidney, MI while 7470 is operational), remainder scrapped Scrapped 1954–1961

External images
Locomotive 7456 on display at Montcalm Community College
7439 at work in Chatham, Ontario
7470, the only operable O-18a locomotive today

The Grand Trunk Railway built 50 of these locomotives between 1919 and 1921 and designated them F9 Class. The GTR also had 25 more built in 1920 by the Lima Locomotive Works for use in the United States. In 1923, the Grand Trunk Railway was absorbed by the Canadian National Railways. CN classified the homebuilt locomotives O-18-a and the Lima-built F9s became GTW O-18-b class.

The O-18-a locomotives were numbered 1749–1798 by the Grand Trunk, and were renumbered as 7423–7473 by the Canadian National. They operated right up until dieselisation.

Upon retirement, 47 of the 50 locomotives were scrapped, but three were sold. CN 7439 (GTR 1764) was sold to International Harvester in 1958, but was scrapped only three years later in 1961. Canadian National 7456 (GTR 1781) and Canadian National 7470 (GTR 1795) were sold to Canada and Dominion Sugar (Chatham, Ontario) in 1959. These two survive to the present.

O-18-a number 7456 is at Montcalm Community College as a display locomotive, while number 7470 works at the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire and is currently operational.

References

• Edson, William D.; Corley, Raymond F. (Autumn 1982). "Locomotives of the Grand Trunk Railway". Railroad History (147). The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc.: 142.