#3305

MLW RS-18

🇨🇦 Canada ·built by Montreal Locomotive Works· from 1956· model of Canadian 1800hp Bo′Bo′ diesel-electric locomotive

5 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. ALCO RS18 3684: Fraccle· CC BY 3.0
2. BCRAIL 629 at Lillooet, BC (22420218258): Roger Puta· Public domain
3. CN MLW RS18 3107 at the London, ONT. passenger station on July 4, 1966 (35659577292): Marty Bernard from U.S.A.· Public domain
4. CP 8765 (RS-18) at Col Ste. Luc Yard, Montreal, Que. on March 22, 1970 (21850927844): railfan 44· Public domain
5. Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie locomotive RS-18 1819: Félix Mathieu-Bégin· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The MLW RS-18 was an 1,800 hp (1,340 kW) diesel-electric locomotive built by Montreal Locomotive Works between December 1956 and August 1968. It replaced the RS-10 in MLW's catalogue, and production totalled 351 locomotives, to eight customers. It was the Canadian version of the ALCO RS-11, although MLW did manufacture the RS-11 for Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México.

who runs it

Canadian Pacific Railway Canadian National Railway BC Rail QIT-Fer et Titane Chemin de fer Arnaud Cartier Railway Roberval and Saguenay Railway Wabush Lake Railway Sartigan Railway

base stats

power 1.3 MWpower output
built 351made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 70 years ago, in 1956.
1.3 MW is about 16 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built: 1956–1968
number built: 351
kind: Diesel-electric
traction: diesel
origin: 🇨🇦 Canada
builders: Montreal Locomotive Works
operators: Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian National Railway, BC Rail, QIT-Fer et Titane, Chemin de fer Arnaud, Cartier Railway, Roberval and Saguenay Railway, Wabush Lake Railway, Sartigan Railway
top speed: —
power: 1.3 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: Bo'Bo'

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q6716674, Wikipedia: MLW RS-18 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.