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12/24/2024
 
 
 
 
 
Owner: Via Rail Canada
Model:MLW FPA4Built As:CN 6786 (FPA4)
Serial Number:83164Order No:4409
Frame Number:Built:4/1959
Notes:ex-CN 6786
Other locos with this serial:  VIA 6786(FPA4) NYC 1390(FPA4) CN 6786(FPA4)
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VIA 6786
Title:  VIA 6786
Description:  A MLW FPA4 heads a long passenger train in Oakville, Ontario, in August 1979.
Photo Date:  8/16/1979  Upload Date: 7/19/2013 10:23:08 AM
Location:  Oakville, ON
Author:  John Hepp
Categories:  Station,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  254   Comments: 0
VIA FPA-4 6786
Title:  VIA FPA-4 6786
Description: 
Photo Date:  5/26/1984  Upload Date: 9/14/2007 11:09:04 PM
Location:  Bay View Jct, ON
Author:  Alan Gaines
Categories:  Roster,Night
Locomotives:  VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  416   Comments: 0
VIA FPA4 6786
Title:  VIA FPA4 6786
Description: 
Photo Date:  5/27/1984  Upload Date: 8/3/2013 7:06:37 PM
Location:  Bayview Junction, ON
Author:  Alan Gaines
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  256   Comments: 0
VIA FPA4 6781
Title:  VIA FPA4 6781
Description:  VIA Rail Canada FPA-4 6781 and 6786 at Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 8, 1984, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. VIA FPA-4 6781 was built for the Canadian National Railway as CN 6581 ( c/n 83159 ) between January and May of 1959, and 6786 ( c/n 83164 ) was built on the same order ( MLW 4409 ). Number 6793 was the last FPA-4 on this order, possibly the last Alco FA-design carbody locomotive built. The following is excerpted from the book, “A Centennial Remembrance”, by Richard Steinbrenner.

This design began with the construction of FA-1-FB-1-FA-1 demonstratoqs #’s 1500-1501-1502, completed at Alco’s Schenectady plant January 4, 1946. As originally designed, the grilled upper headlight was located below the upper seam around the nose, producong a continuous seam. The demonstrators were sold to the Gulf Mobile & Ohio in May 1946, the A-units becoming #'s 700-702, and the B-unit becoming B-1. A fourth FA-1 was built at the same time, retained by Alco and put>under static testing, but a labor strike at Alco interrupted this testing before any underlying problems with the locomotive design were identified. The headlight was moved to it’s now standard position for production DA-1’s. The first 20 production units were delivered with cast iron crankshafts in their Model 244 engines, since Alco did not receive its first samples of forgings until after the strike in mid-1946. The"forged crankshaft was rushed into production with limited laboratory testing and was incorporated in subsequent deliveries, with the forgings retrofitted into the GM&O units. There was no room in the FA-1 carbody for a steam generator, requiring that any railroad wishing to use the FA-1 in passenger service would need to team it with a steam generator-equipped FB-1. This lead to the 1950 era FA-2/FB-2, which addressed the FA-1 steam generator issue, introduced the 45 degree angled numberboard, and attempted to correct design flaws in the Model 244 diesel engine, by now revisions in design made it a Model 244D. By 1950, Montreal Locomotive Works ( MLW ) was an Alco lmcensee, and began production of the FA-2/FB-2 for Canadian customers. The Model 244 diesel developed some rather serious problems, mostly with the crankshaft and related bearings. Alco continued to refine the"224 design, culminating in the Model 244G. In 1949, Alco began design of a replacement, resulting in the Model 251 ( the 2 indicates the month of February, and the 51 indicates the year 1951, the date the firsr block was fired up in the laboratory ). This time Alco chose a more thorough testing procedure, thus the 251 was not ready for production until 1953. The first 10 Model 251 prime movers were placed in 78-ton export locomotives for Cuba, and Alco engineers shuttled back and forth between Schenectady and Havana fixing problems, mostly with cam rollers and turbochargers. By the time the Model 251 was ready for domestic production, the carbody style locomotive market had disappeared in the US, but the CN was still interested in this style, so MLW installed the 251 in the FA-2 style carbody and in 1958-59 the CN obtained a total of 34 FPA-4’s ( #'s 6760-6793 ) and 12 FPB-4’s ( #'s 6860-6871 ). When VIA took over the Canadian=passenger service April 1, 1978, these locomotives retained their CN numbers under VIA ownership, retiring in 1987-88.

Photo Date:  8/8/1984  Upload Date: 1/23/2011 11:31:35 AM
Location:  Toronto, ON
Author:  Chuck Zeiler
Categories:  Roster
Locomotives:  VIA 6781(FPA4) VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  570   Comments: 0
Via 6786 FPA-4
Title:  Via 6786 FPA-4
Description:  A Via passenger train flies by at around 80 to 90 MPH near Oxford, Ontario in Canada bound for Toronto.
Photo Date:  9/11/1984  Upload Date: 12/16/2003 9:15:21 AM
Location:  London, ON
Author:  Kevin Nelson
Categories:  Passenger
Locomotives:  VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  1462   Comments: 1
Via 6766
Title:  Via 6766
Description: 
Photo Date:  7/11/1986  Upload Date: 4/13/2010 8:11:31 AM
Location:  Bayview East, ON
Author:  Jack Smith
Categories: 
Locomotives:  VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  438   Comments: 5
VIA Rail MLW FPA-4 6786 stops to pick up passengers on a cold night
Title:  VIA Rail MLW FPA-4 6786 stops to pick up passengers on a cold night
Description: 
Photo Date:  3/5/1988  Upload Date: 3/23/2008 7:55:22 AM
Location:  Brockville, ON
Author:  andrew koenigsberg
Categories:  Night
Locomotives:  VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  505   Comments: 0
VIA 6786
Title:  VIA 6786
Description: 
Photo Date:  3/12/1988  Upload Date: 6/8/2015 8:27:58 PM
Location:  Brockville, ON
Author:  andrew koenigsberg
Categories: 
Locomotives:  VIA 6786(FPA4)
Views:  197   Comments: 0


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