On Monday, July 1, 2024, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) moved its Final Spike Steam Tour train north out of Nahant Yard south of Davenport, Iowa. Trains Magazine was on hand to document the move to Dubuque, Iowa. The train is headed to its next appearance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for an event on July 6. Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 Class H1b No. 2816, known as The Empress, led the train assisted by three Canadian Pacific heritage-painted diesels. Restored to operation in 2001, and returned to service specifically for this tour, the 2816 is the sole survivor of the original class of Canadian Pacific Hudson locomotives. Later engines in the H1c to H1e classes were semi-streamlined and nicknamed “Royal Hudsons” after engine 2850 led the British Royal Train across Canada in 1939 without incident.
The engineer of CPKC train No. 251, with his train in at the north switch of the siding at Bettendorf, waves to the crew on 4-6-4 No. 2816 as the restored locomotive and train return to Calgary. ES44AC No. 8921 was from the last new order of locomotives placed by the Canadian Pacific Railway and built in August of 2011.
Following a meet with a southbound freight train, the Final Spike Steam Tour train works out of the siding at LeClaire, Iowa. Assisting the steam power is SD70ACu No. 7013 and FP9As Nos. 1401 and 4107.
The Empress rolls into a service stop west of Sabula, Iowa.
The Empress begins its service stop.
The engineer and fireman are all business today as the train rolls north on the return leg of the Final Spike Steam Tour.
No. 2816 fills the State Street crossing as it navigates the street running along North 2nd Street in Bellevue, Iowa.
The Empress works upgrade at Massey. The train has been on a three-country tour of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, which started on April 24. It signifies the one-year anniversary of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern Railway merger.
The CPKC special passes Canadian National Railway’s Waterloo, Iowa-to-Chicago train No. 338, behind a pair of SD70M-2s led by No. 8915. The freight is backing into the CN Dubuque yard after setting out a bad-order car.
The fireman of No. 2816 waves to photographers in Dubuque as The Empress rolls north on the return leg of the Final Spike Steam Tour on Monday, July 1, 2024.
