THE CANADIAN

60 Years of Transcontinental Passenger Service

1955 - 2015

VOLUME 1B: The Canadian Pacific Era 1955 – 1978

Western Canada

C. van Steenis, Calgary, AB. April 2015

CONTENTS

Though by no means complete, this series is a

pictorial history of Canadian Pacific Railway’s

THE CANADIAN and VIA Rail’s CANADIAN

marking 60 years of operation from the

inaugural runs on 24 April 1955 to 2015; in four

volumes:

Vol. 1A: The Canadian Pacific Era 1955-1978 in Eastern Canada

Vol. 1B: The Canadian Pacific Era 1955-1978 in Western Canada

Vol. 2: The Via Rail Canada Era 1978-2015

Vol. 3: Motive Power & Passenger Equipment

This Volume, 1B, focuses on Canadian Pacific Railway’s ‘THE

CANADIAN’ in western Canada, from Sudbury, Ontario to the western

terminus of Waterfront Station in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The author wishes to express thanks to the following individuals who

kindly provided photos and/or data for this volume: Andy Cassidy,

Bruce Chapman, Peter Cox, John Leeming, Phil Mason, Jim Parker, Doug

Phillips, Claude Prutton, Don Thomas, Ron Visockis and Dale Wilson. A

special thanks to Bruce Chapman for reviewing Volumes 1A & 1B.

Photo Credits: All photos are used with the permission of the

photographers. The photos of the old stations from the early part of the

20th century are in the public domain; the copyright has expired.

Cover Photo: Dome-observation car LAURENTIDE PARK brings up the markers on

Train No. 2, ‘THE CANADIAN’ at Wapta Lake, B.C., on 12 August 1978, two months

before the end – Cor van Steenis Photo

CPR Skyline Dome 517 - 1954 Builder’s Photo

THE ORIGINAL ORDER

Striving to reverse the trend of declining passenger volumes after World War II

and to replace aging equipment, in June of 1953 the Canadian Pacific Railway

placed its initial order (of two orders) for 173 stainless steel cars with the Budd

Company of Philadelphia, PA. Seventy-seven of the cars were intended to stock

the planned transcontinental train THE CANADIAN while the remaining 96 cars

were to be used to upgrade CPR’s ‘Dominion’ The cars in the two orders were:

18 Baggage-dormitory cars (3000-3017)

30 First class coaches (100-129)

18 Skyline Dome cars (500-517)

18 Dining cars (16501-16518)

42 Manor sleepers (14301-14342)

29 Chateau sleepers (14201-14229)

18 Sleeper Buffet-Lounge Dome Observation cars (15401-15418)

In addition, in 1955, the CPR refurbished 22 G-Series heavyweight sleepers into U-

Series sleepers for use on ‘The Canadian’, cladding them with fluted stainless

steel, only the clerestory roof gives them away.

THE ROUTE OF CPR’s THE CANADIAN

1955 - 1978 The route of Canadian Pacific’s THE CANADIAN remained unchanged

from the inaugural runs on 24 April 1955 until the last trains left the

eastern and western terminals on 28 October 1978; over 23 years of

daily trans-continental passenger service in each direction.

Westbound, THE CANADIAN departed from both Montreal’s Windsor

Station and Toronto’s Union Station daily; the Montreal section to

Sudbury was designated Train No. 1; the Toronto section was known as

Train No. 11. At Sudbury the two sections were combined and left for

Vancouver’s Waterfront Station, through Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary

as Train No. 1.

Eastbound, THE CANADIAN departed Vancouver’s Waterfront Station

daily as Train No. 2; upon arrival in Sudbury, it was split into Train No.

12 bound for Toronto, while Train No. 2 continued on to Montreal.

Sudbury circa 1960 - Jim McRae photo – from the Dale Wilson Collection

A LAST LOOK AT SUDBURY, ONTARIO

CPR 1403 has cut off from THE CANADIAN while a switcher behind it on

the same track beyond the crossover marshals the train’s cars at

Sudbury, Ontario.

From Sudbury, Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN, headed west to Vancouver;

on the return journey it was Train No. 2 that was split at Sudbury for

the separate runs as No. 2 to Montreal and No. 12 to Toronto.

We now take a look at THE CANADIAN on a western Canada journey as

we head west to Winnipeg and points beyond, including the scenic

Rocky Mountains, advertised by Canadian Pacific as a premier

destination.

ADVERTISNG ‘THE CANADIAN’

One of the many posters that were used by the Canadian Pacific

Railway to advertise both THE CANADIAN and the scenic destinations in

the Rocky Mountains accessible by train, such as Banff and Lake Louise.

Winnipeg CPR Station – circa 1915

Unknown Photographer

THE WESTERN STATIONS

CANADIAN PACIFIC STATION - WINNIPEG

Canadian Pacific’s station in Winnipeg was the first major station on the

transcontinental line west of Sudbury. The station, on Higgins Avenue,

was completed in 1905, enlarged in 1913, and was used until October

of 1978. A glass roof was constructed over the tracks in 1916. Huge

waves of immigrants to the prairies arrived at this station. It was

declared a National Historic Site in 1982.

Train No. 2 at CPR Winnipeg Station 23 May 1970

Ron Visockis photo

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

CPR FP9A No. 1414, an FB unit and a 2nd FP9A unit have been cut off

eastbound Train No. 2 at the CPR station on Higgins Avenue in

Winnipeg; the train cars sit under the canopy behind the engines. CPR

No. 1414 was one of eleven FP9A’s, numbered 1405-1415, acquired by

the CPR in 1954 for service on THE CANADIAN along with eight F9B’s

numbered 1900-1907. As well, a number of FP7A’s acquired from 1951-

53 were renumbered from the 4000 series to the 1400 series for service

on THE CANADIAN. Some were again renumbered into the 4000 series

in the late sixties after THE DOMINION was cancelled in 1966; most of

the FB units were then renumbered to the 4400 series as well.

THE FIRST CONSIST OF TRAIN NO. 1 THE CANADIAN (1)

THROUGH WINNIPEG

24-27 APRIL 1955 FROM SUDBURY TO VANCOUVER

After the first Montreal and Toronto sections of THE CANADIAN were

combined at Sudbury late on 24 April 1955, the train continued on to

Winnipeg and Vancouver as Train No.1; the 15 car consist was as shown

below:

FIRST TRAIN NO. 1 THROUGH WINNIPEG 25 April 1955

SUDBURY - WINNIPEG – REGINA – CALGARY - VANCOUVER

CPR FP9A No. 1409

CPR F9B No. 1907

CPR FP7A No. 1423

Baggage-dormitory 3006

Tourist sleeper UNITY

Tourist sleep. UNDERWOOD

Tourist sleeper UDALL

Skyline Dome 514

Deluxe Coach 102

Dining Car KENT

Sleeper BLISS MANOR

Sleeper CHRISTIE MANOR

Sleeper DAWSON MANOR

Sleeper WOLFE MANOR

Sleeper CHATEAU RIGAUD

Sleeper CHATEAU VARENNES

Sleeper CHATEAU LAUZON

Dome-Observat. YOHO PARK

(1) Consist data compiled by Doug R. Phillips

Canoe, B.C. Jun 1967

Jim Parker Photo

A RARE FIND

DOME-OBSERVATION CAR ‘SIBLEY PARK’ It is rare indeed to find a colour ‘roster type’ shot of one of the 1955

stainless steel Budd cars in their original livery of tuscan red letterboard

with ‘CANADIAN PACIFIC’ in gold lettering on the letterboard and the

Canadian Pacific beaver shield near the ends of the cars.

But Jim Parker was trackside in June of 1967 at Canoe, B.C., MP56.2 of

the Shuswap Subdivision, between Kamloops and Revelstoke, to

capture this image of ‘SIBLEY PARK’, CPR 15413, in its original livery.

The colour scheme shown above lasted from 1955 until 1968 when the

CP Rail ‘action red’ livery took its place. In 2004, this car was placed on

long-term loan by VIA Rail Canada with the Canadian Railway Museum

at Saint-Constant, Quebec.

TIMETABLE FOR THE CANADIAN

WESTERN SECTION - SUDBURY TO VANCOUVER

A typical timetable for THE CANADIAN, Train No. 1 from Sudbury,

Ontario, to Vancouver’s Waterfront Station, circa 1966; a 2443 mile

journey. The Sudbury to Vancouver portion took just under 59 hours

(the whole trip, 2881 miles from Montreal to Vancouver, took just

under 72 hours).

CPR Station – Gull Lake, Saskatchewan 28 April 1974

Phil Mason photo

A PRAIRIE VIEW FROM ‘THE CANADIAN’

Phil Mason took a trip on Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN, westbound

across the prairies, in the spring of 1974. As he crossed the desolate

prairies, he captured images of the typical wooden stations along the

route. Here we see the station at Gull Lake, at MP34.9 on the CPR

Maple Creek Subdivision, west of Moose Jaw, SK. It was built in 1902

and demolished in 1985.

The Wreck at Gull Lake, SK. 16 Aug 1959

Both Photos - Unknown Photographer – Saskatchewan Archives

THE WRECK OF FUNDY PARK On 16 August 1959, Canadian Pacific’s Train No. 8, eastbound, THE DOMINION,

was rear-ended by Train No. 6, the daily CPR Mail and Express train, with RS-10

No.’s 8557 & 8481, at Gull Lake, Saskatchewan. THE DOMINION on this day had at

least four stainless steel Budd cars on the tail end: sleeper BELL MANOR (below),

dining Car PALLISER, sleeper CHATEAU IBERVILLE, and Dome-Observation car

FUNDY PARK. All of the cars were repaired except for FUNDY PARK, which was

wrecked beyond repair, the only ‘PARK’ car that has ever been lost.

THE END OF FUNDY PARK The Wreck at Gull Lake, SK. 16 Aug 1959

Both Photos - Unknown Photographer – Saskatchewan Archives

Below: the wreck of Fundy Park

CPR Station – Brooks, Alberta 28 April 1974

Phil Mason photo

A PRAIRIE VIEW FROM ‘THE CANADIAN’

Phil Mason took a trip on Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN, westbound

across the prairies, in the spring of 1974. As he crossed the prairies, he

captured images of the wooden stations along the route. Here we see

the station at Brooks, Alberta, MP66.8 on the CPR Brooks Subdivision,

between Medicine Hat and Calgary. It was built in 1907 and demolished

in 1983.

CPR Station – Gleichen, Alberta 28 April 1974

Phil Mason photo

A PRAIRIE VIEW FROM ‘THE CANADIAN’

Phil Mason took a trip on Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN, westbound

across the prairies, in the spring of 1974. As he crossed the prairies, he

captured images of the wooden stations along the route. Here is the

station at Gleichen, AB., at MP124.7 on the CPR Brooks Subdivision,

between Medicine Hat and Calgary. It was built in 1911 and closed in

1988. It was moved to Cochrane, AB., where it sat for many years.

Recently (2010) it has been relocated to a site near Water Valley, AB.,

and the exterior is being restored. With the relocation of the Bassano

station at MP97.6 in 2012, there are no longer any wooden stations left

along the main line in Alberta, except at Banff and Lake Louise.

Train No. 1 at Shepard, Alberta 02 June 1976

Ron Visockis photo

SHEPARD, ALBERTA Some 51 miles after passing the station at Gleichen, AB., Train No. 1 is

only 10 miles from its station stop at Calgary as it approaches the east

switch at Shepard, AB., on the outskirts of Calgary, at MP165.5 of the

Brooks Sub., on the morning of 02 June 1976. The nine car consist is led

by CPR FP9A No. 1410 and FP7A No. 1432 and includes a 4700 series

smooth-sided baggage/express car ahead of the stainless steel

baggage-dormitory car. This was one of 89 baggage/express cars

numbered 4701-4789 built by Canadian Car & Foundry between Oct.

1952 and Oct.1953, painted to match the Budd-built cars. The station at

Shepard, built in 1910, was relocated to Calgary’s Heritage Park in 1970.

Three days later we will see the same power on No. 2 at Lake Louise.

Calgary CPR Station circa 1914 & Palliser Hotel under construction

Unknown Photographer – Public Domain

CALGARY CPR STATION

The Calgary Station, seen here in a trackside view, was built in 1911

after the existing sandstone station was removed piece by piece; one

part relocated to High River, the other to Claresholm, AB. The station

served THE CANADIAN from 1955 until 1966 when it was demolished

and replaced by the Palliser Square development which included the

Husky (now Calgary) tower. A basement passenger facility in Palliser

Square served the train from 1966 until 1990.

At Calgary, the road power was fueled, sanded and watered; the consist

might be washed at the downtown wash rack and a 4th engine might be

added.

THE CANADIAN, Train No.1, at Banff Station - circa 1960

Unknown photographer - Bruce Chapman Collection

BANFF The road power, an A-B-B-A lash-up with CPR FP7A No. 1431 (ex-CPR

4075) leading, is still in the original livery with ‘CANADIAN PACIFIC’ in

block lettering as they bring westbound Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN

into Banff Station circa 1960. THE CANADIAN usually travelled from

Sudbury to Calgary with 3 road units; a fourth unit was added at Calgary

if additional power was needed on long trains to help make the climb

from Lake Louise to the Continental Divide at Stephen on the Alberta –

British Columbia border. In the lower area of the photo one can still see

the leads to the ‘Garden’ tracks crossing Mount Norquay Road to the

west side of the station parallel to Railway Avenue. The Garden tracks

no longer exist; the willow trees along the tracks remain to this day.

Banff Station 01 June 2014 Cor van Steenis photos

BANFF

Built in 1910 at MP81.9 of the Laggan Subdivision, the station was

recently restored and today again looks like it did when THE CANADIAN

first started stopping here in April of 1955.

The interior has

been partially

restored; here we

see the fireplace

which had been

covered up and

some antique

benches.

A DAY AT BANFF STATION - SUMMER OF 1957

Banff was a busy place in summer in the mid to late 1950’s as a number of daily

transcontinental passenger trains and a daily Mail & Express Train stopped there.

Doug Phillips recorded the movements at Banff on Saturday, 13 July 1957, in the

order they arrived as follows (red times are scheduled arrivals):

10:10h 1st No. 7 THE DOMINION, CPR 1400, 1419 plus 14 cars, including 4

stainless steel cars, Strathcona Park bringing up the tail.

09:20h No. 13 CPR/SOO MOUNTAINEER, CPR 8513,8522,8499 & 4028 plus 25

cars (a number of cars were from St. Paul, USA)

10:30h 2nd No. 7 THE DOMINION, unknown power, 11 cars

10:55h No. 5 MAIL & EXPRESS, CPR 8515,4459 &4031 plus 14 cars

14:50h No. 1 THE CANADIAN, CPR 1405,1906 &1403 plus 16 cars

14:55h No. 14 CPR/SOO MOUNTAINEER, CPR 4032 & 4030 plus 14 cars

15:30h No. 2 THE CANADIAN, CPR 1429, 1904 & 1901 plus 15 cars, Prince Albert

Park bringing up the markers

18:05h No. 8 THE DOMINION, CPR 1413, 8484, 8509 & 1431 plus 22 cars,

including 8 stainless steel cars, Fundy Park bringing up the markers

19:15h No. 6 MAIL & EXPRESS, CPR 8570, 8576 & 8488 plus 19 cars

Nine trains, 150 cars, in one day! As well, there were 13 cars (4 CPR sleepers & 9

foreign Pullman sleepers) in the ‘GARDEN TRACKS’ beside the station.

After January of 1966, only Trains No. 1 & 2, THE CANADIAN, stopped at Banff;

the exception being the ‘Expo Limited’ in 1967. The MOUNTAINEER, Trains No. 13

& 14 made their last departures on 28 & 29 August 1958; the MAIL & EXPRESS

Trains No. 5 and 6 were cancelled after CPR’s mail contract ended in 1965; THE

DOMINION, Trains No. 7 and 8, were cancelled in January of 1966.

Train No. 2 at Banff Station 20 May 1972

Ron Visockis photo

BANFF

FP9A No. 1407 and GP9 No. 8517 head up Train No. 2 which includes a

4900 series head end box-express car which carried bulk mail between

Vancouver and Calgary. The cars were painted silver with tuscan

lettering and were formerly numbered in the 29019-29115 series.

By this date, THE CANADIAN was the only transcontinental passenger

train left on the CPR main line. Typical consists were 12 – 18 cars; 15

years earlier, on a summer day in 1957, seven transcontinental

passenger trains and two Mail & Express trains, with a total of some

150 cars, stopped at Banff station! The writing was on the wall.

Banff Springs Hotel 27 Sep 2009 Cor van Steenis photo

DESTINATIONS IN THE ROCKIES

The two former Canadian Pacific Hotels in Banff National Park

Chateau Lake Louise 03 March 2008 Cor van Steenis photo

THE CANADIAN at Morant’s Curve, 16 June 1967, Claude Prutton Photo

MORANT’S CURVE CPR FP7A No. 1418 (ex-4060), two GP9’s equipped with steam

generators for passenger service and an FB unit lead the 18 cars,

including a head end box-express car, of Train No. 2, eastbound

through Morant’s Curve, MP 113 of the Laggan Subdivision, in 1967.

The leading engine is now in the ‘Script’ lettering applied in 1965.

No. 2 at MORANT’S CURVE 15 Jul 1974 John Leeming photo

MORANT’S CURVE

See next page for the story of this photo

MORANT’S CURVE

If Nicolas Morant could see the photograph on the previous page, he

might think it was one of his own, one that he took at ‘his’ S-curve at

Mile 113 of the Laggan Subdivision in October of 1972 (Nicolas

Morant’s Canadian Pacific, J.F. Garden, page 430). But it wasn’t, it was

an almost identical photo taken by John Leeming on 15 July 1974. But

what is truly amazing is that Don Thomas, who was posted to Banff

station, recorded the 14 car consist of Train No. 2, THE CANADIAN, on

that day as follows:

CPR FP7A No. 1404

CPR F9B No. 4476

CPR FP9A No. 1411

CPR 29110 Mail-Express Boxcar

CPR 2743 Baggage

CPR 101 Coach

CPR 126 Coach

CPR 118 Coach

CPR 514 Skyline Dome

DRAPER MANOR – Sleeper to Toronto

GRANT MANOR – Sleeper to Toronto

CARLETON MANOR – Sleeper to Toronto

CHATEAU DENONVILLE – Sleeper to Toronto

FAIRHOLME – Dining Car to Toronto

LORNE MANOR – Sleeper to Montreal

CHATEAU RIGUAD – Sleeper to Montreal

LAURENTIDE PARK – Dome-Obs. To Montreal

It was not until decades later that John Leeming and Don Thomas

somehow realized the coincidence and exchanged the information!

Train No. 2 at Lake Louise 20 July 1966 Cor van Steenis photo

TWO FIRSTS AT LAKE LOUISE

FP9A No. 1409, an FB unit and two GP9’s with a 4900 series silver bulk mail car, 2

baggage cars and a long summer train, pass the small 4-track yard and wye (for

turning snow plows) at Lake Louise.

The author hopes that the reader will forgive the inclusion of this less than stellar

quality photograph for it references two firsts:

this is the first colour railway photograph taken by the author, at that time

a (poor) university student with a Kodak Instamatic camera who had a

summer surveying job in the National Parks, and

the leading unit, CPR No. 1409, was the leading unit on the first scenic

dome-liner, Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN, out of Montreal on 24 April 1955

The consist of THE CANADIAN at this date no longer includes any U-series tourist

sleepers. With the demise of THE DOMINION a few months earlier (Jan 1966), the

stainless steel Budd cars on THE DOMINION became available for service on THE

CANADIAN. The U-series sleeper UNITY was the last to make a run on No. 2 on 02

October 1965; all of the U-series sleepers were scrapped by the end of 1968.

Train No. 2 at Lake Louise 05 June 1976

Ron Visockis photo

LAKE LOUISE

Three days earlier we saw the road power on this Train No. 2

eastbound, here stopped at Lake Louise, on Train No. 1 at Shepard, just

east of Calgary. It was typical for the road power to be turned when it

reached Vancouver and put into service the next day for the return run

to Montreal. The nine car consist here is again led by CPR FP9A No.

1410 and FP7A No. 1432. The log station was constructed in 1909; it

was named ‘Laggan’ until 1914. It is still there today although a roofed-

over outdoor patio has been added to the east end. The small yard is

still visible in this photo, it was relocated to Eldon, five miles east, in

1980 to make way for the 1981 double track grade reduction (Stephen

Revision) from here to the Great Divide.

No. 2 Eastbound 12 Aug 1978 Cor van Steenis photo

HECTOR

FP7A No. 1404, GP9 No. 8525 and FP9A No. 1411 are slogging up the

Big Hill from Field at MP 126 of the Laggan Subdivision on 12 Aug 1978

with Train No. 2, just two months before VIA Rail Canada assumes

ownership and operation of THE CANADIAN. The train has just passed

the east Partridge mile board and is at the start of ‘Resurrection Curve’,

a flattening of the grade approaching the old station at Hector, B.C.

(alongside Wapta Lake) before the grade increases again for the final

assault up the Big Hill to the Great Divide at Stephen. The car behind

the baggage-dormitory car appears to be a smooth-sided 2200 series

day coach, painted silver. To the right of the photo is the Trans-Canada

Highway, which here roughly follows the original 4.5% grade of the

railway before the Spiral Tunnels were built.

Train No. 2 at Lower Spiral Tunnel 10 Aug 1978 Cor van Steenis photo

SPIRAL TUNNELS West of Hector the new CPR main line was first planned to descend for 23 miles to the valley floor at Ottertail, 7 miles west of Field, B.C., on the ‘high line’, a steady 2.2-per-cent grade along the mountainside. This would have taken years to build across avalanche paths and through a 1400 foot rock tunnel in Mount Stephen, so in 1884 a temporary main line was built on a steep, 4.5-per-cent grade, aptly named the "Big Hill", from Wapta Lake to east of Field. The solution was to build two spiral tunnels and double back the track upon itself to create four new miles. The new eight mile grade and tunnels, begun in 1907, followed a consistent grade of 2.2 per cent. The line opened on 01 Sept 1909.

Schematic of the 1884 Old Line, 1909 New Line & Spiral Tunnels, 1950’s Trans-Canada Highway

Train No. 2 at Lower Spiral Tunnel 05 Jun 1976

Ron Visockis photo

LOWER SPIRAL TUNNEL

The nine car consist here is again led by CPR FP9A No. 1410 and FP7A No. 1432

which we saw only three days earlier at Shepard, Alberta, east of Calgary. There is

now a car between the road power and the baggage-dormitory car being

deadheaded east. The train has just exited the upper portal of the Lower Spiral

Tunnel and is crossing the Kicking Horse River at MP131.7 of the Laggan

Subdivision and heading up the grade to Yoho and the Upper Spiral Tunnel. The

Lower Spiral Tunnel, through Mount Ogden, is 2,922 feet long, with 226 degrees

of curvature and a vertical difference of 50 feet. The Upper Spiral Tunnel through

Mount Cathedral is 3,255 feet in length carrying the track through 288 degrees of

curvature and a difference in elevation of 56 feet.

No. 2 at Lower Spiral Tunnel 12 Aug 1978 Cor van Steenis photo

LOWER SPIRAL TUNNEL No. 2, THE CANADIAN, with FP7A No. 1404, GP9 No. 8525 and FP9A No. 1411 and

12 cars, Laurentide Park bringing up the markers; crossing the Kicking Horse River.

No. 1 at Mount Stephen 12 August 1978

Cor van Steenis photo

MOUNT STEPHEN SLIDE AREA

Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN, westbound with an FP7A, a GP9 and

another FP7A has just passed Cathedral siding and gone through the

short rock tunnel through Mount Cathedral and is here crossing the

rock and mud slide area at MP133.6 of the Laggan Subdivision. The

rockslide area is fed by a small glacial lake high up on the slopes of

Mount Stephen; the area was protected by a slide warning fence with

signals on either side.

This image is no longer possible today as a protective concrete shed

was constructed through the slide area in 1987.

No. 1 at Mount Stephen 12 Aug 1978 Cor van Steenis photo

MOUNT STEPHEN TUNNEL

Constructed as part of the original CPR main line in 1884 at MP133.8 of

the Laggan Subdivision is this short tunnel through the nose of Mount

Stephen, 3 miles east of Field, B.C.

THE CANADIAN, Train No. 1 on this day has an FP7A, a GP9 equipped

with a steam generator for passenger service and another FP7A on the

head end as it glides down the 2.2% grade to Field.

The date is 12 August 1978 and there are just two months to go before

this train is no longer operated by Canadian Pacific; VIA Rail Canada

takes over this train on this route on 29 October 1978.

Field Station 13 Sep 2008 Cor van Steenis photo

DIVISIONAL POINT AT FIELD

Field, B.C., was, and still is, the division point between the Laggan

Subdivision to the east and the Mountain Subdivision to the west from

1909 on, after the Spiral Tunnels were placed in operation, and was

therefore a crew change location for THE CANADIAN.

The station was built in 1953 in the ‘modern’ style, which undoubtedly

has generated some discussion amongst railway architecture critics!

The station was built in the middle of a wye whose tail stretched out

across a trestle over the Kicking Horse River; the wye was still there in

1978. Field in the days of steam had a 16 stall roundhouse and a 100

foot turntable. The wye, turntable and roundhouse are all gone today.

No. 1 at Field, B.C., 14 May 1963

Peter A. Cox photo

TRAIN NO. 1 AT FIELD, B.C.

It is 1963 and CPR’s Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN, is still in its original

tuscan livery with gold lettering (block lettering on engines) as it rolls by

the roundhouse in Field, B.C., and stops for a crew change at this

division point. The train is powered by CPR FP7A No. 1421 (built in 1952

as CP 4063), F7B No. 4461 (built in 1953) and FP7A No. 1400 (built in

1953 as CP 4099) and is followed by a 4400 series box car, a baggage-

dormitory car, 3 U-series tourist sleepers and a Skyline Dome car. CPR

No. 1421 had been the lead engine on the first run of THE CANADIAN

out of Toronto on 24 April 1955 and the lead engine on the very first

eastbound train into Toronto from Sudbury on 27 April 1955. The 4400

series express car was built in 1928 as a 4900 series car by National

Steel Car for shipping silk from Vancouver to New York City.

No. 2 at Glacier Station, B.C., 1972 Phil Mason Photo

THE ROGERS PASS Only a few feet from the west portal of the 5 mile long Connaught Tunnel through

Mt. Macdonald in the Selkirk Range, eastbound Train No.2 is led by CPR GP9 No.

8515, a B unit and a Montreal Locomotive Works FPA-2. The 12 car consist is

headed up by a 4900 series box car painted silver for bulk mail transport between

Vancouver and Calgary. Although unusual to see a MLW unit west of Calgary, this

FPA-2 had led THE CANADIAN west into Vancouver the day before and had not

been turned there and therefore trails in this lash-up. The Glacier station is visible

on the left; the wye is visible on the right.

Vancouver CPR Waterfront Station 1923

James Skitt Matthews photo – Public Domain

THE WESTERN TERMINUS

CPR WATERFRONT STATION – VANCOUVER Construction on this station on the south shore of Burrard Inlet (top left

of photo) at 601 West Cordova Street commenced in 1912; it opened

on 01 August 1914, at the start of World War I. It was the third CPR

station in Vancouver. The Canadian Pacific ‘EMPRESS’ class ships also

docked in Burrard Inlet. On 29 May 1939, the ‘Royal Train’ with King

George and Queen Elizabeth arrived here. The last Canadian Pacific

Train No. 1, THE CANADIAN arrived here on 31 October 1978. The last

passenger train to use the station was VIA’s CANADIAN which departed

from here on 27 October 1979.

After arrival at

Waterfront Station, the

road power would be cut

off and a switcher would

pull the consist of THE

CANADIAN back from the

station to the wash rack

at Drake Street Yard.

THE DRAKE STREET WASH RACK – VANCOUVER Both Photos 16 May 1975 by Claude Prutton

A ‘PARK’ dome lounge

sleeper observation car

with the CP Rail

drumhead on its tail end

is washed. After washing,

the train would be pulled

into the coach yard (next

page).

Both Photos April 1974 by Andy Cassidy

DRAKE STREET YARD – VANCOUVER After the cars were washed, the consist would be hauled through the coach yard

(above) and turned on the wye (below). The train would then be marshalled,

serviced, cars added and/or removed and readied for a return trip to the east.

No. 2 at Haney, B.C., 15 Oct 1978 Claude Prutton photo

THE END OF ‘THE CANADIAN’ DRAWS NEAR

Looking immaculate at this late date in Canadian Pacific ownership,

‘THE CANADIAN’ has only 14 days to live as it passes through Haney,

B.C., MP102 of the CPR Cascade Subdivision on 15 October 1978. Led

by CP FP9A No. 1413 (built by GMD in 1954) and F7B No. 4477 (ex-

1905, built by GMD in 1951), the stainless steel consist is all in the CP

Rail ‘action red’ livery adopted in 1968, except for a CPR business car

behind the road power which is in the tuscan and gold livery, most

likely being dead-headed somewhere to the east. In two weeks, on 29

October 1978, all of this equipment, except for the F7B unit, will

become the property of VIA Rail Canada.

Hector, B.C. 12 Aug 1978 Cor van Steenis photo

THE END OF ‘THE CANADIAN’

CPR Dome-Observation Car LAURENTIDE PARK brings up the markers

on No. 2 a couple of months before the end as it rounds ‘Resurrection

Curve’ at Wapta Lake. The old station of Hector was located beside the

lake; at one time trains would stop there to disembark passengers who

would then take a launch across the lake to Wapta Lodge; no more.

THE END OF CPR’s ‘THE CANADIAN’

COMING SOON TO CANADIAN RAILWAY OBSERVATIONS:

The ‘CANADIAN’

Volume 2: The VIA RAIL Canada Era

1978 – 2015