Trains and Such

For those of you who have purchased photos from my "Trains and Such" gallery, thank you.
This gallery has been one of my most successful to date for purchases of my photos.

The Canadian Pacific 2816 Empress may be the most beautifully restored steam locomotive that I have had the opportunity to see in operation and to photograph. <br />
On this day (2008) I caught the Empress as it rounded a curve just outside of DeWinton Alberta, on its way up to Calgary from Lethbridge.<br />
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Canadian Pacific 2816 was one of ten H1b-class (the "H" meant the 4-6-4 wheel configuration, the "1" was the design number and the "b" meant it was the second production run) 4-6-4 Hudson built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930. It was first assigned to the line between Winnipeg and Fort William, Ontario.<br />
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Later, it was transferred to service between Windsor, Ontario, and Quebec City, and finally it ran a commuter train between Montreal and Rigaud, Quebec. It made its last run on May 26, 1960, after more than 2 million miles in active service.<br />
<br />
In 1998 the locomotive was shipped to the BC Rail steam shops in Vancouver for restoration. The locomotive was completely stripped down and rebuilt, The restoration team was able to use over 800 technical drawings of CPR Hlb class locomotives from the Canada Science and Technology Museum to completely restore 2816 to its 1950s appearance and to its original specifications.<br />
<br />
During restoration, the locomotive was converted to burn oil and equipped with modern amenities such as a radio and a diesel control unit. The restoration took over two years and cost over $2,000,000, making it one of the most costly locomotive restorations in Canada. CPR was confident in the restoration enough to announce on April 19, 2000, that 2816 would become an ambassador for the railway in the railway's new heritage steam program.<br />
<br />
In September 2001 the locomotive made its first trial run from the BC Rail steam shops to its new home of Calgary. It then rejoined the Canadian Pacific fleet as a special excursion locomotive and for public relations. Since its restoration, 2816 has travelled across Canada and the United States. The 2816 is one of the most well-known locomotives in North America.<br />
At the end of the 2008 season, Canadian Pacific put the steam program on hold due to financial issues caused by the poor economy. 2816 did not operate at all in 2009, although the steam program was able to take advantage of this down time to do some extensive maintenance work on 2816 and its passenger car fleet. 2816 returned to operation on June 6, 2010. It was used in Rocky Mountain Express, a 2011 IMAX film which follows the locomotive on a journey from Vancouver to Montreal while telling the CPR's history.<br />
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Expand the photo for a closer look......

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The Canadian Pacific 2816 Empress may be the most beautifully restored steam locomotive that I have had the opportunity to see in operation and to photograph.
On this day (2008) I caught the Empress as it rounded a curve just outside of DeWinton Alberta, on its way up to Calgary from Lethbridge.

Canadian Pacific 2816 was one of ten H1b-class (the "H" meant the 4-6-4 wheel configuration, the "1" was the design number and the "b" meant it was the second production run) 4-6-4 Hudson built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930. It was first assigned to the line between Winnipeg and Fort William, Ontario.

Later, it was transferred to service between Windsor, Ontario, and Quebec City, and finally it ran a commuter train between Montreal and Rigaud, Quebec. It made its last run on May 26, 1960, after more than 2 million miles in active service.

In 1998 the locomotive was shipped to the BC Rail steam shops in Vancouver for restoration. The locomotive was completely stripped down and rebuilt, The restoration team was able to use over 800 technical drawings of CPR Hlb class locomotives from the Canada Science and Technology Museum to completely restore 2816 to its 1950s appearance and to its original specifications.

During restoration, the locomotive was converted to burn oil and equipped with modern amenities such as a radio and a diesel control unit. The restoration took over two years and cost over $2,000,000, making it one of the most costly locomotive restorations in Canada. CPR was confident in the restoration enough to announce on April 19, 2000, that 2816 would become an ambassador for the railway in the railway's new heritage steam program.

In September 2001 the locomotive made its first trial run from the BC Rail steam shops to its new home of Calgary. It then rejoined the Canadian Pacific fleet as a special excursion locomotive and for public relations. Since its restoration, 2816 has travelled across Canada and the United States. The 2816 is one of the most well-known locomotives in North America.
At the end of the 2008 season, Canadian Pacific put the steam program on hold due to financial issues caused by the poor economy. 2816 did not operate at all in 2009, although the steam program was able to take advantage of this down time to do some extensive maintenance work on 2816 and its passenger car fleet. 2816 returned to operation on June 6, 2010. It was used in Rocky Mountain Express, a 2011 IMAX film which follows the locomotive on a journey from Vancouver to Montreal while telling the CPR's history.

Expand the photo for a closer look......

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