CALGARY — CPKC has filled in many of the blanks on the upcoming Last Spike Steam Tour, releasing a schedule with travel days and intermediate stops for the Canadian and U.S. portions of the three-nation tour of 4-6-4 No. 2816, shown above.
Locations and times for the “Event” days on the schedule were released last month [see “CPKC announces times, locations for Steam Tour …,” Trains News Wire, March 27, 2024.
CPKC CEO Keith Creel had vowed to send the 1930 product of the Montreal Locomotive Works, known as the “Empress,” on a tour of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico if the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger was approved. Initially expected last year, the event became a one-year celebration of the merger as overhaul and subsequent break-in of the locomotive was held last spring and summer. “We are excited to share this extraordinary experience with communities across our network as we mark the one-year anniversary of our CPKC journey,” Creel said in January when the schedule was first announced.
More information is available at the CPKC website.
Actually, it was cheepy Soo/CP that removed the Milw. Rd. double most of the Milwaukee-St. Paul ROW…Milwaukee to CUS stayed double as did Milwaukee west through Duplainville. B’ville to Nahant to KC mostly old Milw… While I’m not going to chase, it is difficult to decide where to set up…
My assumption is the St. Paul-Portage-B’ville legs are on old Milw. Rd ROW, including the “Techny” cutoff, thus providing varied photo ops.
You are correct Curtiss. This was the ex MILW double track line to Milwaukee and Chicago, which unfortunately the Milwaukee single tracked with passing sidings. Saint Paul to La Crosse, WI is the CPKC River subdivision.