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| CP 2816 gets a little TLC at Guelph Junction on June 13, 2003. |
By Peter Mumby.
On
June 13, 2003 I chased CP H1b 2816 "Empress" (MLW 12/1930) from
Woodstock to Guelph Junction, Ontario. The day was heavily overcast, so
I had largely been shooting with black and white film. When the train
stopped for lubrication at Guelph Junction, I decided a few colour shots
would be in order. I was particularly interested in catching this
"oiling around" process since a former high school student of mine was a
CP employee and was assigned to the steam program at that time. He had
developed his expertise with steam by volunteering with SOLRS at the
Elgin County Railway Museum, and it was fun to see that this interest
had led to such satisfying full time employment.
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With lubrication chores completed, the Empress and her train are under way eastbound out of Guelph Junction. |
Nice, though the first couple of cars seem out of place. They are for parts and supplies?
ReplyDeleteHi Ben:
ReplyDeleteI think you are quite correct about the first car in the consist. CP 29114 was a 40 foot boxcar used to carry lubricants, tools, and all the other paraphernalia required to keep a large steam locomotive functioning properly on the road. It was painted in the classic colour scheme of a CP express box car - tuscan red sides with black ends and roof. It had a small personnel door in the B end, and still was equipped with high ladders and roof walks. Roller bearing trucks were the only nod towards modernization.
The bright red car in the second position, CP 401750, was actually a stage car. Each side had oversized doors which would drop down to create a stage for speeches or performances. The red colour was a hold over from its use in early versions of the CP Holiday Train. I next photographed this car in 2008 when it was in service on the CP Spirit Train which was touring to promote the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. By this time the car had been repainted into the tuscan/black colour scheme which definitely would have looked better behind the Empress.
Peter.