MLW M-420

The MLW M-420 was a diesel-electric locomotive manufactured between 1973 and 1977 in Montreal, Canada by the Montreal Locomotive Works. A total of 88 units were built for Canadian railways, including eight B units built for the British Columbia Railway; most of production went to Canadian National. Only seven units were sold outside of Canada, to the State Railways Institution in Venezuela and the Providence and Worcester Railroad in the United States.

MLW M-420
M420W #3569 of St Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Montreal Locomotive Works Build date May 1973 - February 1977 Total produced 90 A-units 8 B-units
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B  • UIC Bo-Bo Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Trucks Zero Weight-Transfer Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Minimum curve 30° Wheelbase 9 ft 4 in (2.8 m) Length 61 ft (18.6 m) Width 10 ft 4 in (3.1 m) Height 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m) Loco weight 272,000 lb (123,377 kg) Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 2,500 US gal (9,464 L) Lubricant cap. 216 US gal (818 L) Coolant cap. 260 US gal (984 L) Sandbox cap. 56 cu ft (2 m3) Prime mover ALCO 251C RPM: ​  • RPM idle 450  • Maximum RPM 1050 Engine type Four-stroke diesel Aspiration (1) Turbocharger Displacement 10.95 L (668.2 cu in) per cylinder Alternator GE Exciter GY2P7 Generator Main GE GTA17 Auxiliary GE 553 GY27 Traction motors (4) GE 572 Cylinders 12, V-arrangement Cylinder size Bore x Stroke 9 in × 10.5 in (229 mm × 267 mm) Transmission Diesel-electric Gear ratio 74:18 MU working Yes
Performance figures Maximum speed 67 mph (108 km/h) Power output 2,400 hp (1,790 kW) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 60,400 lbf (268.67 kN)  • Continuous 35,000 lbf (155.69 kN)
Career Locale North America, Venezuela
Main Technical Reference

The M-420 was one of the first locomotive models (along with the EMD GP38-2) to use the wide-nosed Canadian comfort cab, pioneered by Canadian National. By the early 1990s, variations on this cab design had become the standard of the industry. As with wide-nosed General Motors Diesel units from the same period, references to the model commonly add a "W" at the end of the model name, but it is not part of the official model designation. Most M-420 units rode on MLW ZWT (Zero Weight-Transfer) trucks.

Variations

Other variations of the M-420 were the M-420R, the M-424 built for service in Mexico and the M-420TR switcher. Five examples of the slightly different M-420R were built for the newly-independent Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) from 1974 to 1975 using trade-in parts and Type B trucks. The M-424 was an M-420 with dynamic brakes uprated to 2,400 horsepower (1.79 MW). The M-420TR was built in two variations, with two M-420TR units sold to Roberval & Saguenay and fifteen slightly different units (sometimes referred to as M-420TR-2) sold to Ferrocarril del Pacífico. Both M-420TR variations bore little resemblance to the other models, with a lowered hood, shorter frame and end-cab design. A cabless design, the M420B existed. British Columbia Railway was the only consumer of this variant.

Operating history

The first Canadian National M-420 was delivered in 1973. They provided service on the eastern side of Canada until their retirement in the late 1990s. By the time they were retired, many units were over 20 years old, and major Canadian railroads were purging their rosters of MLW and Alco locomotives to replace them with newer EMD and GE units. Bombardier HR-412s, purchased by CN and designed as successor to the M-420, were retired at the same time. The Providence and Worcester Railroad sold off its M-420Rs in 1994.

Service as power generators in Winter 1998

During the winter of 1998, a severe ice storm cut off power to many homes and businesses in Ontario and Quebec. CN M-420 3502 was hoisted off the rails by crane and rolled along a street in Boucherville in order to provide power in the community. The engine was driven approximately 1,000 feet (305 m) under its own power to the city hall, where it then became a portable power generator. M-420 3508 was also lifted from the tracks to provide power to a school being used as a shelter, but problems prevented this from happening, and 3508 remained on standby. Both engines suffered minor gear case damage and carved grooves in the pavement.

Secondhand owners

A Thunder Rail M-420R in 2010, still wearing Providence and Worcester Railroad colors

Following their retirement from CN, P&W, and BC Rail, some M-420 units were scrapped, but many were sold to shortline railways across North America for continued service. Omnitrax purchased several units, including some of the M-420B units from BC Rail. Larger shortlines such as Omnitrax have begun to scrap or sell their MLW units as a result of increased maintenance and reliability issues. The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad used a fleet of eleven former CN M-420 units as road power from 1998 to 2001. The Great Western Railway in Saskatchewan used an entire roster of MLW M-420s until 2017 when they announced that they are replacing the MLW fleet with GE fleet.

Original owners

Railroad	Quantity	Road numbers	Notes
Canadian National	80	2500–2579
British Columbia Railway	16	640-647 & 681-688	681-688 are cabless B units
Providence and Worcester Railroad	5	2001–2005	M-420R
Roberval & Saguenay	2	26, 27	M-420TR
Ferrocarril del Pacífico	15	522-536	M-420TR

See also

• List of MLW diesel locomotives

External links

Media related to MLW M-420 locomotives at Wikimedia Commons