When MLW Bombardier sent four of their new HR-616s out as demonstrators, the LT&L tried them out, decided that they weren’t to their taste, and decided not to order any (a decision shared by the CPR, and later by CN, which then cancelled subsequent orders.) However, 16 years down the line, when CN started to retire these barns, the (scrap) price was good enough to pick up 10 of them, including #6119 (the last freight locomotive to come out of the old MLW works in Montréal).

ILW remanufactured these locomotives by upgrading the prime movers to 3700HP and replacing everything between the alternators and traction moters with new electronics.

#708 went back to ILW in 2019 and was remanufactured into a “HR-644” with a Cummins QSK95 prime mover, a new AC drivetrain, and an ILW Vista cab. Further units are intended to be rebuilt in the same way, but the China Tunnel project sucked up all the money that would have been used to rebuild them in 2019.

Initially, these units were assigned to the BAR as they came out of the shops, but Derby haaaated dealing with their 251-16s and they were quickly reassigned to the LT&L’s ex-CAR mainline mainline from St John to Montréal, and then as that line was gradually electrified went west to haul freight on the HC, ALSO, OVR, and OC.