An oasis of steam for those of us that remember. When you need a break from the world you can refer back to this famous picture(s)
Turcot Montreal
Aerial views 1930 Turcot at bottom and CPR Glen above also Glen and Westmount in second view
All lined up for the Company photographer! Turcot
Busy scene in Montreal (6205 on table) back in 1943. Joseph Testagrose Collection
That bottom picture is not dated 1943, it appears to be mid-July NINETEEN HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO. That is late for such a sea of big power…
Could well be. The 3 photos are very similiar. I believe the 1952 date is correct in the first photo.
As for all that steam 52 was not late in the game for Canada, especially in the East. There was a substantial increase of business throughout the 50’s in Canada, a real boom, and even though Diesels were coming fast business was so brisk the steam got an extended lease on life Right up to the end of the 50’s.
6205 on the turntable was built in 1943 but it is possible that is not 1943.
But… would it not be very cool to just be there and take in the sights and sounds for ten minutes. That’s a lot of superheated steam, coal smoke and valve oil.
Thats the point of the trilogy of pictures… take a break at the steam oasis and spa!
Thank You.
Great roundhouse shots, you can almost smell the coal smoke, steam, and hot valve oil!
Thanks NDG for the turntable pic. The photo dated 1943 sure looks like the pre 1951 rebuild as it does not have any of the features as the one dated 1952 so perhaps it is 1943 afterall, showing off their new Northern. War years…pictures are scarce and 1943, still in the dark days, outcome uncertain.
Yeah, CNR and FM (CLC built) did not see eye to eye, as did most others. Lot of conflicting stories on the C Liners, but the fact that they disappeared stateside in short order is telling.
CPR made good use of them though, even in the mountains. If they were a real pain in the butt they worked around it and kept them going, Trainmaster, the Baby ones, C Liners, switchers. Not forever but way longer than the rest of them.
Raised numbers scattered around very symbolic of the trauma and death of steam. An entire way of life for 100 years not just in locomotives, craftmanship and pride, whistles and coal, but everything almost all at once, …streetcars, express, mail, local and branchline service, soon enough telegraph wires and the hometown station simply vanished. It was a great loss and too fast, too much rush, a price was paid.
No wonder they were booing the Diesels.
http://imagescn.techno-science.ca/railways/index_choice.cfm?id=55&photoid=2000642451
http://imagescn.techno-science.ca/railways/index_choice.cfm?id=55&photoid=-861821670
Remember that CN did not start buying road diesels until 1948, and mass retirements of big steam power did not start until the mid 50s. The vast majority of Mikados, Mountains, Santa Fe’s and Northerns were still running in 1952, and that is to say nothing of the hordes of Pacifics, Ten-Wheelers and others that still had a few years left.
Many Montreal-area commuter trains on both CN and CP were steam powered into 1960.
I know this thread is about steam but my jaw dropped when I saw this shot, photos of the PA’s testing on CN are very rare. What could have been…
Great photos, all of them. Thanks again for taking the time to dig them up!
There are several pictures of the PA’s, famous one in Winnipeg. They were even painted up for the CN in green and gold. Model manufactures have made them just like that with the Alco/GE logo on the nose. There was no lettering indicating CNR though.
Now having said that Wanswheel may certainly keep 2-10-4 708 at the oasis but get that danged Diesel out of there, PA’s or whatever…shoo!
Glad you got the quiz, I was holding out for another hour or so hoping you would jump in…I don’t have a question ready and I’m up against it this week.
Don’t worry, the PA’s et al have been moved over to String Lining in the other forum, it was time to bump that thread anyway.
They didn’t last long on CN in the real world either, it seems that a pair of them would not fit on turntables, and this soured CN management on them. A pair of FA’s, FPA’s or EMD F-units would however, funny how steam-era infrastructure influenced diesel purchase decisions.
The CV 2-10-4’s had all the classic CN looks, but were also limited to 35 mph on account of short drivers and poor counterbalancing (they could really damage the track at higher speeds, even break rails). As they were freight power this was not such a big deal, power was more important than speed. More photos:
A shame CN did not order more 2-10-4’s, perhaps with larger drivers. They would have been a real hit out west.
An old head from the Railway Museum cut his teeth firing (among other things) T-4 Santa Fe’s out west, and though they had similar problems at high speed guys still let them run, sometimes well over 40 mph. At those speeds the running gear was just a blur, and the exhaust one continuous roar, not a “chuff” to be heard.
Meanwhile the poor fireman was frantically trying to keep up steam, with the chalky prairie coal being sucked out the stack nearly as fast as the stoker could throw it in.
Thanks for the link! I like the 600s page.
In this picture of the new FA1’s, in the background to the left., …is that a pre-streamlined Jubilee, awaiting its streamlining?
Also posted this to String Lining on Trains Forum
I’ll say the same thing here as I did over there – that looks Indian to me. Did Alco have export units to that part of the world in this timeframe?
It surely wouldn’t be a streamlined Jubilee! That was about a decade earlier, no?
Hugh Hughes gives Class YG metre gauge Mikados, MLW 77606 to 77625 in 1950.
Also CLC 2624 to 2633, same class same year.
They look exactly like the loco illustrated.
Peter
M636C/Peter-- Ok thanks, thats what it is then. Mystery solved.
Thoughts perhaps a Jubilee had been shopped/major overall.
F1a without its shrouding shows how small a diameter of boiler these engines have and what is hidden beneath.
Digital restoration Gordon Kennedy
Another view of a busy time at the Glen in Montreal. This time we have renowned K-1 class CPR 4-8-4 Northerns 3100 and 3101.
The scene in Toronto at the John St. roundhouse is reminiscent of the later built New York Central Niagaras. Long and lean with smoke deflectors.
views at (Engines in the background left to right) 2457 2461 2581 2827 2811
Canadian Pacific
Sister engine 3101 likely just in off Number 21 from Montreal. Royal York in the background.
September 22, 1952 James A. Brown Collection
You know, Canadian steam has always struck me as a wonderful blend of American and British practices, with all of the virtues and none of the vices.
Wonderful engines. One could weep for what’s been lost.
The two 4-8-4s were just Selkirks with one less coupled axle and one more leading axle. At least it isn’t hard to imagine what a post war 4-8-4 would have looked like: just a bigger Royal Hudson…
Peter
CP wasn’t too big on 4-8-4’s since the Hudsons were well suited for heavy passenger service and the track structure could support the higher axleloads.
