Body Style/Features
- DB — dynamic brakes. Indicated for the SD40, GP40, SD38 and GP38 families where they exist; flared carbody is a prominent feature for identifying individual locomotives
- NC — (Photo)narrow (standard) cab. This is indicated where applicable for SD40, GP40, SD38 and GP38 families even though implicit in locomotive type. Also indicated for Dash 8 and SD70 when equipped
- WC — (Photo)wide (Canadian/Safety) cab. This is indicated where applicable for SD40, GP40 and GP38 families even though implicit in locomotive type. Not to be confused with Wisconsin Central paint scheme (see paint scheme listings below)
- CB — centre bell. Bell is mounted at centre of cab above front windows, instead of below frame or on carbody
- EB — electronic bell instead of mechanical bell. Mostly found on newer locomotives, some older units have been retrofitted with electronic bells
- SA — (Photo)dual cyclonic spark arrestors on top of exhaust stacks. Indicated for SW1200, GMD1 and GP9 only
- 4W — four-wheel trucks front and rear (B-B). Indicated only for GMD1 where applicable (some have six-wheel trucks)
- 6W — six-wheel trucks front and rear (A-1-A). Indicated only for GMD1 where applicable (most have four-wheel trucks)
- LN — number boards low, on front of cab, instead of above front windows
- DF — (Photo)different font used for front number boards. This applies to individual locomotives of the SD40 family that belonged to Ontario Hydro and some others
- MN — mismatched number boards. Usually the result of one being replaced after the original was damaged
- DP — distributed power. Locomotive is equipped for Distributed Power operation. Some retrofitted locomotives lack the red marker lights found on most DP units
- RC — remote control. Locomotive outfitted with remote control/beltpack system
Headlight
- R1 — (Photo)single rear light
- H2 — (Photo)horizontal double rear light (side by side)
- V2 — (Photo)vertical double rear light (over and under)
- FH — (Photo)high front headlight over cab windows (most Canadian locomotives have the front headlight on the short hood)
Paint Scheme
- CN — (Photo)current CN paint scheme. Most recent version includes CN website address (www.cn.ca) below the noodle on long hood. Some older locomotives have had the web address painted on afterwards. The width of the CN noodle, web address and unit number markings is thicker on some locomotives than others, depending on paint shop. Locomotives with reporting marks other than CN have sublettering on side of cab (eg. GTW, DMIR, IC, WC, BCOL, etc)
- 15 — special 15th anniversary decal, in celebration of 15 years since IPO. Applied to locomotives in place of the CN noodle on long hood
- NA — (Photo)previous CN paint scheme, with map of North America under CN noodle (only used for a couple of years). The width of the CN noodle is thicker on some locomotives than others. GTW or DWP locomotives may have the letters GTWor DWP under the unit number on the side of the cab
- ZR — (Photo)zebra stripes on long hood, red cab sides (still common, but decreasingly so)
- ZB — (Photo)zebra stripes on long hood, black cab sides (front of cab is red)
- NR — (Photo)white CN noodle on black long hood, red cab sides
- NB — (Photo)white CN noodle on black long hood, black cab sides, front and rear of cab are red
- BN — (Photo)black body with white road number (slugs only)
- BX — (Photo)black body with white noodle and road number, newer scheme than BN (slugs only)
- BB — BC Rail (BCOL) last paint scheme (blue and silver)
- BC — BC Rail (BCOL) earlier paint scheme (red, white and blue)
- BL — Bessemer and Lake Erie (B&LE) paint scheme (orange and black)
- CP — (Photo)(Photo)generally all red (former CP units with all CP identification painted out) with or without CN noodle on side of cab
- DM — Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range (DMIR) paint scheme (maroon and yellow)
- DW — (Photo)DWP paint scheme (blue and orange)
- EJ — Elgin, Joliet and Eastern (EJ&E) paint scheme (orange carbody with white chevrons on short nose)
- GT — (Photo)GTW paint scheme (blue and orange)
- IC — Illinois Central (IC) paint scheme (black carbody with white IC 'death star' logo on short nose)
- WC — Wisconsin Central (WC) paint scheme (maroon with yellow). Not to be confused with the wide cab designation listed above.
- XX — special one-off or non-CN paint scheme, further described in comments
- UN — unknown
Note: Some paint schemes in the roster are annotated with a
date in the form yymm. This is the month and year that the paint
scheme listed was last observed on the locomotive. If there is no date
listed, then the paint scheme is assumed to be as indicated without
verification, or has been extracted from another list of paint schemes
where dates were not listed. Since locomotives get repainted
periodically, older paint schemes on locomotives will eventually be
replaced by newer ones and this list is under constant revision.
Comments
- ret — retired, no longer in service with CN
- rmf — remanufactured and assigned a new number
- ren — renumbered
