In these pages you will find JPG images of Canadian MLW locomotives in action (mostly.)

MLW (Montreal Locomotive Works) was the Canadian subsidiary of Schenectady, NY based locomotive manufacturer ALCo (American Locomotive Company.) MLW continued to produce locomotives for the Canadian and export markets for several years after the demise of ALCo. Eventually the assets and designs of ALCo/MLW were acquired by Bombardier, who continued in the locomotive business until 1985.  

Currently, MLW and Bombardier locomotives continue to work productively for several Canadian railways (as well as elsewhere in the world, including the U.S.A. and Mexico). The two Canadian giants (Canadian National and Canadian Pacific) have retired their MLW/BBD fleets, but several of those retired locomotives have found new homes in the emerging Canadian short-line industry, and elsewhere. BC Rail still rosters a few MLW units as of August 1999, but their survival is very much in question. VIA Rail (Canada's equivalent of Amtrak) rosters several LRC passenger locomotives, which were built by BBD but trace their lineage back to MLW/ALCo designs.

The MLW/ALCo possesses a certain brawny charm, from the switchers right up to the big six-axle freight units. They also have a unique sounding "chug-chug" when under load, which is reminiscent of steam power. Finally, the characteristics of their turbo-charger design sometimes makes for a display of black smoke unlike almost any other diesel. For all those reasons, MLW/ALCo locomotives are a favourite of railfans everywhere.