Here’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask for a long time. Anybody know the current whereabouts, ultimate fate, whatever, of CP Royal Hudson #2839? For awhile she was around Northumberland, PA, somewhere, looking pretty stripped. You’ll remember her from SR excursions some years back; I remember her for putting a 75-mph cinder in my eye, large enough to send me to the hospital, while riding behind her in the baggage car on the NRHS Toronto doubleheader of August 1958. (It was worth it!) Any current clues?
I believe this locomotive appeared in the film Coal Miner’s Daughter, and I remember my then-girl friend asking why I was laughing during the scene where the engine was switching cars at a coal mine.
Dave Nelson
As posted, it is at a car museum in California. While I haven’t seen it, or even seen some recent clear pictures, I have some concerns over what happened. As stated somewhere on the museum’s website, when they got the locomotive, they wanted to return it to its “original condition, including stainless steel boiler jacket.” It seems the car museum thinks that the current appearance of 2860 is what all Royal Hudsons looked like back in the day. There was only one Royal Hudson that ever had stainless cladding during service on the CPR, and that was 2850 while it was pulling the royal train in 1939. As soon as the King went home cladding came off, or got painted over with gray. 2860 didn’t receive stainless cladding until it was restored in the 70s. From the one very small and blurry picture I have seen, it would appear they also replaced the original stack with one of the sloped variety, as if it were an H1d or e. Rant off. Sorry, but shit like that pisses me off. If anyone has a good recent picture, I would love to be proven wrong.
PS-Calling 2839 the “other” Royal Hudson is a little unclear. There are after all four Royal Hudsons left.
2839 is at the car museum in California.
2850 is the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa.
2858 is at ExpoRail in Delson, Quebec.
2860 is at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish, BC. 2860 is also in running condition but going nowhere fast anytime soon.
Of 2816 is also a CPR hudson, but it isn’t “Royal” because it isn’t streamlined.
Thanks, gentlemen – You’re right to remind me about the other survivors, of course, and we’ve actually visited with 2850 in Ottawa. And “pure Hudson” 2816 is an old friend, from all its years at Steamtown; saw it there most recently just as it was about to be shipped off to CP, and last Sept. 15 was able to pace the 2816/Milw 261 doubleheader from Minneapolis to LaCrosse and return. A spectacular day, a beautifully run (and dispatched) trip and she never looked better.
The Canadian Pacific 2839 is currently at the Nethercutt Collection and Museum, Sylmar California (Los Angeles) . This is primarily a classic car museum. Here is the Wikipedia entry for the famous “Royal Hudson” steam locomotives
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Hudson
A very GOOD photo of the 2839 and the car collection can be found here:
http://www.socalsacc.com/Nethercutt%20Tour.htm
I hope this answers your question!
---- Daniel
Yep, thats pretty much what I was afraid of. Stainless steel cladding, replaced the stack, even looks like is has the wrong lettering.
This is what it is supposed to look like:
Ted, I am glad you twigged my mind about 2860. What’s going on? It was in steam over a year ago IIRC, but no excursions?
-Crandell
I’m not totally in the loop on 2860 happenings. I know there is a desire to run trips but I have no idea what, if anything is in the works. CN isn’t thrilled to say the least about steam running over their lines. Any trip would likely required 2860 to be towed from Squamish to Vancouver for a run over CP, BNSF, or Southern.
#2860 is still alive , in fact I was painting the cab floor today , she is just being prepped to have her annual boiler exam in a couple of weeks . as regards steaming , she should be alive at the heritage park - weekend of the 15th of March . plans are for her to run around in the park trackage for the " Wild at Art " show that weekend . as for trips out on the mainline nothing has been put forward as of this date , behind the scenes goings on but nothing to report – negotiations ongoing as they say -------
Thanks, fellas. I guess we can all be glad that it is in one piece; that was the first big push. Too bad CP couldn’t be persuaded to champion its name-sake…or what is the arrangement if any? Doesn’t the Hudson have to include diesel power anyway on the road…what’s the big deal? Are they worried about the decoder in the tender? [:-,]
-Crandell
CP are supportive , but they do have their own Hudson to run , they will be using 2816 for the BC 150 heritage train , although 2860 was in the line up when plans were put out last year, but CP have the advantage of running their own railway .
Yes we do have an mu box on the 2860 for controlling the diesel backup , so we can take along another unit if required . It’s all up to people who make decisions on other railways , they have to run their trains to make money - we are just there to move a few people - not freight .
Understood, and thanks. Thanks also for your dedication, you and your gang, to preserving steam rail history for us. [:)]
-Crandell
Thanks for your interest & vote of confidence – we have fun keeping 2860 alive , although having a running goal would increase that enthusiasm . There is a lot of public interest in the loco as judged by the comments we get at the park & also individually to our group as we work on the unit . If you get a chance come by & have a look . If California ever wants to give up 2839 – send her on over to Squamish - we know what they are about inside - and Cprted - we would remove the stainless cladding & stack trim !!
Good man. Though technically, 2860 isn’t supposed to have stainless cladding either. 
It would be nice if you guys could replace “British Columbia” with “Canadian Pacific” on the tender the next time someone has a paintbrush out. Don’t mind me, I’m a purist.
Again were back to politics – The ‘British Columbia’ name has to stay as 'technically ’ it still belongs to the people of the province - we are just custodians , and as regards the stainless cladding - it harps back to the time it ran between Squamish & North Vancouver - everyone identifies with the loco as she is & so the directors deemed that is how she should stay. Maybe , one day she could revert to her former self - but understand what you are saying – but for the forseeable future she will have stainless cladding & BC logo – hence I said if 2839 were available we could treat her as her former self --------
cheers –
I’m actually fine with the stainless on 2860, it’s been there since the 70s (3716 with stainless on the other hand … what were they thinking!?!).
Just because the province owns 2860 doesn’t mean it has to bear “British Columbia” on the tender. The tender marking after all was the the road name of RR who operated it. If any one wanted to take it on, you could get the province to capitulate with a bit of work. But anyway, I digress …
2860 is in need of a paint job - although we run into another barrier — money ! But if it did go through at some time (maybe) the tender name could be changed . I have to admit that Canadian Pacific would look better on the tender - personal opinion you understand – I did work for the CPR at one time -----
3716 with stainless ---- No
cheers