Lest We Forget - Ne l'oublions pas
Timing is everything. Ten days before we celebrated Remembrance Day across many countries of the world, CP was kind enough to send one of their beautiful military tribute units through London on CP 528. Just in time for this special video to humbly honour our men and women who served our country both in times of war and times of peace.
CP 6644, the D-Day Unit, led this consist of 96 ethanol tankers. Trailing the lead locomotive was an old CP "Pac Man" hopper, serving as the buffer between the locomotive and the rest of the train. At the tail end was a foreign power locomotive. NS 4283 is a rebuilt Dash-9, now classified as an GE ES44C6M - a DC to AC unit. But, for once, enough about the train itself. What follows is a description of the thinking behind the concept and design of CP's wonderful military tribute units.
Officially unveiled on November 11, 2019, CP Rail presented five specially painted SD70ACu locomotives to honour both the Canadian and United States armed forces, their three branches of service and CP Rail's contribution and involvement during World War II. What strikes me most about them is the thought process behind designing these tribute units. It wasn't about plastering a slogan or a decal on the side of a locomotive - the units were painted as if these branches of the service would actually own them. How would the Army, Navy and Air Force paint these locomotives to represent their identity and their purpose if these locomotives belonged to them? In my opinion, that's what sets them apart from other equally supportive and sincere tributes to our military.
CP 6644 wears the camouflage colours applied to Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire fighter planes flown at the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944 (6-6-44), including the black and white "Invasion Stripes" that were painted on all Allied aircraft to easily distinguish them with so many planes in the air on D-Day. The camo paint is a combination of Royal Air Force (RAF) Ocean Gray and RAF green (rather than the earlier green and brown design of earlier Spits. The yellow trim on the locomotive's safety features (rails and platform edges) is in the RAF's Roundel Yellow from the RAF logo.
CP Rail saw almost 21,800 employees serve in the Canadian forces during World War II. 638 died during the conflict. During the war, those who didn't serve directly were diverted to war production to support the war effort.
Remembrance Day is a profound holiday in our calendar. It's a way to honour those who served our country and to remember their sacrifices. And to remember the families of those who never made it home or came home changed from when they left... I hope that this video pays proper tribute in its own way to all of the men and women who have served our country.
Train details:
CP 528
November 1, 2022 at 12:10
MP 114.3, CP Galt Subdivision
- CP 6644 - EMD SD70ACU (nee: CP 9160 EMD SD9043MAC)
- NS 4283 - GE AC44C6M - DC to AC Power (nee: NS 9077 - GE C40-9W and rebuilt as a GE C44-9W)
96 Ethanol Tankers and 2 Buffer Cars
Thanks for watching everyone!
#lestweforget #neloublionspas
