CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 No. 2816 underwent a stationary steam test last week as part of its overhaul before a trip this summer to Mexico City in celebration of the CP-Kansas City Southern merger.
The locomotive also moved out of the shop under its own power and moved about the yard.
CPKC’s steam team has performed a 15-year boiler inspection, extensive running gear overhaul, and installed positive train control, CPKC said in social media posts over the weekend.
Dubbed “the Empress,” the 1930 product of the Montreal Locomotive Works is expected to depart Calgary in late July and make several stops along the CPKC system en route to Mexico City.
CPKC has not yet announced a schedule for the 2816’s trip.
Headquartered in Calgary, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, doing business as CPKC, is a Class I railroad in North America that resulted from the merger of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) on April 14, 2023. It is the first and only single-line railway connecting Canada, Mexico, and the United States, operating approximately 32,000 kilometres (20,000 mi) of rail across the three countries.
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This is the only non-streamlined H1 Hudson to have survived into preservation. After being used for heavy passenger service, the locomotive was retired in 1960 and donated to Steamtown, U.S.A. at Bellows Falls, Vermont, in 1964. Following an extensive restoration, the locomotive returned to service in 2001 and was used by the CPR in occasional excursion service until the discontinuation of the steam program in 2012, after which it remained stored in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was fired up briefly in 2020, and is undergoing overhaul for a return to service in summer of 2023.
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Also, does “installed PTC” mean partnered with a trailing diesel?
George, It means they installed Positive Train Control systems. 2816 has had the ability to control trailing diesels since she was first restored in 2001. In fact, her inaugural trip from Vancouver to Calgary, she was paired with CP GP38-2 #3084 all the way to Lake Louise.
Does anyone happen to know what the FRA rules are for a Canadian steam locomotive to operate across the US system? For example, is the 15-year (presumably) Canadian boiler inspection valid in the US as well, or does it need a separate FRA inspection? How about Mexico’s rules (if they exist)?
Albertan/Canadian standards for boiler inspections and US standards are identical to facilitate compatibility and trade (Though many Canadians prefer the Metric system vs the US Imperial system). 2816 has made multiple runs to the US in the past, so I doubt this will be an issue. Mexico, I don’t know of, but I don’t think they would be too different. I’m sure CP has already consulted about this.