DT-2 Industrial Switcher
13 were made for the Canadian Pacific Railway as yard switchers. Had the market not been depressed at the time, CLC could have made a business out of building these.
The last DT-2 was built in 1960. Canadian Pacific used them until 1968, when CPRail started to sell them off.
switchers when my Dad showed
me a switcher that had been sitting
in the middle of a lumber yard in
Canal Flats, B.C. I had some model
trains, and wanted to seek more
information.
In Nov. 2003, I found a forum on
model trains. I decided to ask the
question that had been burning a
hole in my brain since 1995. What
kind of switcher is this?
The answer once again got me
interested in the switchers and I
started to hunt down information.
I decided to include all my
information I found for everyone interested in this switcher.
Caterpillar D337 engines. Both
trucks were independently
powered, each drive train having a
TwinDisc clutch or torque converter,
and a two-speed reversing gearbox.
A universal joint goes to the
innermost wheels, where the
siderods transfer the power to the
outer wheels.
Both Cat engines were rated for 250hp, so the switcher was believed to output around 500 horsepower
problem in these units.
Because of the two fully
independent drives, if the
two drive trains are not kept
exactly synchronized, one
tends to lead, or pull, the
other, which drags.
In effect, the slightly faster power train pulls the unit along the rail, and the rail pulls on the other power train's clutch. This very quickly causes premature clutch wear.
They had also been reported to be underpowered and had problems with the brakes
This could have been some of the reasons that CP Rail sold these switchers off so quick.
Today, these switchers can only
be spotted in museums or sitting in industrial sites rusting away.
The most common name these
switchers is DT-2, but they have
been referred to as DTC and
44H44A1.
| Built |
Mar. 1957 |
Jan. 1958 |
May 1959 |
Apr. 1960 |
| Class |
HS-5A |
HS-5B |
HS-5C |
HS-5D |
| Numbers |
10-11 |
12-16 |
17-18 |
19-23 |
of DT-2 switchers. It appears these
switchers were sold off or scrapped, and I
would like to hear what happened to any
of these switchers.
# 14 and 15 have gone from Canal Flats and Elko (Moved July 14 and 15, 2004) to the Fort Steele museum so #15 can be restored and used as a backup locomotive for it's steam engines.
I will soon build a HO Scale model of this
switcher.
| CP Rail No: |
Location: |
| 23 |
Scrapped in 1985 |
| 22 |
Used by South Simco
Railway in Ontario |
| 21 |
|
| 20 |
|
| 19 |
In Champion Park, Okotoks,
Alberta |
| 18 |
Scrapped in 1977 |
| 17 |
Parts machine for #22 at
South Simco RR in Ontario |
| 16 |
|
| 15 |
At Fort Steele, British Columbia |
| 14 |
At Fort Steele, British
Columbia |
| 13 |
Scrapped in 1990 or 1991 |
| 12 |
Privately owned in Thunder
Bay, Ontario |
| 11 |
|
| 10 |
CLC-Locomotives - A Site with info on DT-2's and other locomotives CLC made and their service in the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Trains.com - A big site for the RR fans
Critters, Dinkys and Centercabs-
A book on gas and diesel switchers. Website Also has a database on the location on various switchers
The Fort Steele Rail yard site
Carr's Locomotives - A workshop that produces 1:6 Scale models of trains, including a DT-2
Small pictorial of DT-2 Switchers
questions you had on these switchers. If you
need to ask me a question, correct something,
or have some additional information, Feel free
to E-mail me at [email protected]
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