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British Rail FP7 904

This locomotive was built by General Motors Diesel of Canada in 1952, and was originally built for the Ontario Northland Railway (numbered 1513). The engine was sold to GO Transit of Toronto in 1975, along with 10 other FP7's.

Interestingly these engines were converted into Auxiliary Power Control Units (APCU's), and were used to proved electrical power to trains where the normal locomotive lacked the capability. The work involved the removal of the engine, main generator and traction motors. As such, the locomotives could no longer be used for propulsion. The engines ended up retaining their cab and controls, meaning they could also be used as cab-cars/driving trailers.

It was in this form that the engines kept running on the Toronto commuter system until the early 1990s, when they were all retired. While running with GO Transit, the former locomotives provided electrical power on trains hauled by GP40-2W's, GP40M-2's and GP40TC's. Sadly 10 of the eleven FP7 APCU's were scrapped in 1995. The sole survivor is GO Transit 904.

904 was sold to Tri-Rail in Florida (USA) in 1991. Nine years later she was sold to - what is now - the Florida Railroad Museum. In real life the engine is still there today, and even retains the GO Transit livery.

*And now for my fictionalised part of the engine's history.*

Shortly after arriving in Florida, FP7 No. 904 was sold again. This time to the Stanleyville Railway in New Zealand. The engine arrived there in early 2001, and had to be fitted with a new engine before returning to service. This work also involved converting the locomotive to run on 3ft 6inch gauge track. The engine was also repainted into British Rail blue, as the SR's owner - Gary Porcelain - used to live in England, and has fond memories of seeing BR Blue engines running around in his home town of Huddersfield.

Today the locomotive is kept busy running on the line from Stanleyville Forest to Stanleyville Pier. She is now equipped for push-pull working, as the pier railway is run by push-pull trains, with the cab-cars having been converted from Class 150 Sprinter vehicles.