When the Canadian National absorbed the Grand Trunk Railway in 1923, their F-9 class 0-6-0 switchers became the CN’s O18a’s. A total of (50) were built by the Grand Trunk’s Point St. Charles Shops between 1919 and 1921. They were numbered 7424 through 7475 and were saddled on 51” drivers, producing an impressive 36,703 lbs of tractive effort. The O18a’s were used all the way until the end of steam when the railroad dieselized in the late 1950s.
Today: Only (2) of the original (50) O18a’s survive:
#7439 was sold to International Harvester in 1958 but was ultimately scrapped a few years later
#7456 is on display at the Montcalm Community College in Sidney, MI
#7470 is owned and occasionally operated by the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, NH
CN O18a Switcher set includes: Engine and Tender