After arriving, the locomotive was then hoisted off the tracks by a large crane and put onto the streets, from where it was driven approximately 1,000 feet (305 m) under its own power to the city hall, carving grooves in the pavement as it moved.
However getting to the shelter would have required CN 3508 to cross an overpass, and it was eventually decided that there was a very good chance the overpass would collapse under the weight of the 117.93 t (116.07 long tons; 130.00 short tons) locomotive, leaving the city with yet another emergency to deal with, and some concerned phone calls from the Canadian National Railway.
As a result, CN 3508 was left parked down the street on Boulevard de Montarville as an emergency backup until the power grid was restored.
[3] Both of the locomotives were powered by ALCO 251C 131.4 L (8,020 cu in), four-stroke, single-turbo V12 diesel prime movers which were capable of producing a maximum of 2,400 hp (1,800 kW) each.
To provide power in this circumstance, the V12 prime mover had to be set to run at a specific, constant rpm to generate alternating current at 60 hertz, the frequency used by most North American utilities.