By Railfan & Railroad Staff

CALGARY — Canadian Pacific is preparing to test its first hydrogen-powered locomotive, an H2OEL built from a former Central Maine & Quebec SD40-2F. The locomotive’s classification stands for “hydrogen, zero-emissions locomotive.” 

Earlier this week, CP released the first images of the new locomotive, formally CM&Q 9024, in its new green and gray paint scheme. The scheme is leading some railfans to call it a “Green Barn.” When the SD40-2Fs first arrived on Canadian Pacific in the 1980s, they were dubbed “Red Barns” and later on CM&Q they were called “Blue Barns.” 

The new locomotive is expected to be used between Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, where hydrogen fueling infrastructure is being built. The Calgary fueling facility will include an electrolysis plant to produce hydrogen from water. This facility will operate on renewable power from solar panels at CP’s headquarters campus and produce zero greenhouse gas emissions. The Edmonton facility includes a small-scale steam methane reformation system that will generate hydrogen from Alberta’s natural gas resources. Those facilities are being built with money from the Alberta government. 

Although the locomotive has yet to be tested, CP appears to be going all-in on the technology and recently announced it would be acquiring more fuel cells to build at least two more hydrogen units.