Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s Final Spike Steam tour made its way from Nahant Yard, south of Davenport, Iowa, to Dubuque, Iowa, on Monday, July 1, as “the Empress,” CP Class H1b Hudson 4-6-4 No. 2816, works its way back to its home base in Calgary, via a planned July 6 display date in Winnipeg, Manitoba. These images capture the steam special making its way along the route following the Mississippi River that is a key link in the CP-KCS merger the trip is celebrating.
After a long rest for the crew that handled the train and a good going over of the steamer and cars the train needs to make 2 trips. first out west to Vancouver and back then out east thru Ontario,Quebec, & the Maritime Provinces. On return it could make a side trip to New York City, then along southern Ontario to Detroit, thru Michigan to Chicago then home.
Sounds great but it won’t happen.