FM C-Liners

[Anonymous]

The latest issue of Classic Trains, IMHO one of the best ever, is packed with good stuff on those favorites of railfans, Fairbanks Morse's short-lived C-Liners. Beloved by railfans they might be but the Canadian Pacific road crews and maintenance staff who lived with the beasts had few good things to say of them and were not unhappy when they left the rails for good.

Nobody denies their ability to outpull their competitors but cab crews remember the voracious appetites the units had for lubricating oil and water, as well as their notorious smoke delivery. And the folks responsible for their endless (it seemed) maintenance were driven bonkers every time they had to cope with the intricacies caused by the opposed piston/twin camshafts of their exotic design.

Because of the downtime and labor costs of repair there was no doubt a tendency to put off all but routine maintenance to the last minute. As a result many a C-Liner, as well as H-Liner--the latter of which shared the faults of their sisters--turned up for duty in less than the best shape.

Nevertheless we railfans mourn their passing and take pleasure in the photos preserved in such books as the recently-published "The Crow and the Kettle" by J.F. Garden which I commend to your attention.