Canadian Pacific In New Brunswick-Period 1940's To Late 1960's(Continued)
Part # 7
Saint John, N.B.-1956
Canadian Pacific Steamship's Trans-Atlantic UK-West St. John, N.B. Winter
Service
Along with CPSS Liverpool-London-Continental Europe "Beaver" cargo-express
ships and the three sister cargo-express-passenger ships, regular "Empress"
liner service served the port between Liverpool-West. St. John with the 20,000
ton "Empress of France"(2nd) the 18,000 ton "Empress of Australia"(2nd) being
an interim liner; while the company had two new liners under construction.(a
third to come a few years later) The 10,000 ton immigrant ship
"Beaverbrae"(2nd) was sold in 1954. CP Sold the "Empress of Australia"(2nd)
during February of 1956 to an Italian shipping line becoming the "Venezuela".
Canadian Pacific's first peacetime liner the new 25,500 ton "Empress of
Britain"(3rd commenced her Trans-Atlantic run from Liverpool, Eng. maiden
voyage to Montreal April 20, 1956. After the Winter port season commenced at
Saint John, the new "Britain" arrived at West St. John on her first visit to
the port on the Liverpool run-CPR "Empress" boat trains and mail specials to
and from Montreal. For the CPR the winter port season was a busy place,
additional yard engines in service and additional freights handling
import/export traffic not including grain traffic.
Going back to December 10, 1953-Motive Power At Bayshore Yard Area(West St.
John, N.B.
*Symbol * Denotes steam in Tuscan Red-Grey-Black & Gold paint Scheme.
Yard Engines: 0-8-0's 6928, 6932, 6935, 6936, Heavy 0-8-0 6602, 2-8-0's 3638,
3642, 3682, 3719, 3738, 3744.
4-6-2's outside roundhouse: light 4-6-2 2604, light modern 1256("Gull"
power)heavy 4-6-2 *2332(Smoke Deflectors),
4-6-0 D-4 491(Shore Line Mixed), light 4-6-2 2555, 2-8-2's 5115, 5303.
Power Inside Roundhouse: 2-8-0 3744, 4-6-0 431(Shore Line Mixed), 0-8-0 6928,
2-8-0's 3642, 3682, Heavy 0-8-0 6600, light 4-6-2's 2621, 2626, 2-8-2's 5329,
5306(equipped with 12-wheel tender), Semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2
*2457(12-wheel tender), 0-8-0 6935, 2-8-0 3719, Semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2
*2461(8-wheel tender), Semi-streamlined 2-8-2's 5459, 5456.
Remarks: one of the light 2600 series 4-6-2's assigned to Saint John-evening
Fredericton local 1745 departure.
Heavy 4-6-2's *2459 and *2461 arrived earlier on train #40 from Montreal-put on
at McAdam, arrived 0630 and train # 42 "Atlantic Limited" from Montreal(1140)
put on also at McAdam. Both locomotives westbound on train # 41 "Atlantic
Limited" at 1700, the other departing at 2000 train #39(2000) for Montreal both
power changes at McAdam again..
The New "Empress of England"-1957
A new 25,500 ton sister ship to the new Empress of Britain(3rd) both UK
constructed entered Trans-Atlantic service being the "Empress of England" she
made her maiden voyage ex Liverpool, Eng. on Oct. 23, 1957 to Montreal. During
the winter months both the "Britain" and "England" rotated in and out of Saint
Saint John. One ship assigned to New York-West Indies-South America cruising,
or cruising out of the UK to South Africa and other routes. Besides the
"England" during the winter made one Liverpool-West St. John-New York run to
position the liner for West Indies-South America cruising and with one
eastbound direct run New York back to the UK. The 20,000 ton "Empress of
France" was holding down the winter service to and from Saint John also The
26,500 ton "Empress of Scotland"(2nd) cruised during the winter out of the UK,
plus out of New York same as one of the two new Empresses rotating.. For a
couple of seasons CP operated Four-Empreses on the spring-summer-fall Atlantic
service. The "Scotland" never called at Saint John. She was retired in January
of 1958 and sold to the German Atlantic Line and becoming the "Hanseatic".
Empress of Scotland(2nd) also UK-Carribean cruises.
Canadian Australasian Line's "Aorangi"
Canadian Pacific's Subsidiary the Canadian Australasian Line's 17,500 ton liner
"Aorangi" survived the 2nd world war and reinstated South Pacific service in
1948 on the Vancouver-Honolulu-Fiji Islands-Auckland-Sydney passenger
service(the "Niagara") that operated on the same run prior to the war never
survived. As far as records show this liner never called on the East Coast of
Canada. The "Aorangi" was retired in 1953 as the service became uneconomic due
the increase in air travel-CPA and other airlines to the South Pacific. The
"Aorangi" was scrapped in the UK. CP passenger people often remarked of the
Aorangi being Australia's "Iron Lung".(A quote by the late Parlee Ward CP
passenger services-Moncton, N.B.)
CPR Motive Power Listing Bay Shore Yard-West St. John, N.B-February-22,1957
Yard Engines: 0-8-0's 6930, 6932, Heavy 0-8-0's 6960, 6961(renumbered from
6600's
Yard Engines: 2-8-0's 3624, 3692, 3700, 3719, 3725(larger size tender)3637,
3736,
D-4 4-6-0 474(Shore Line),
2-8-2's 5302, 5332, 5354(12-Wheel tender), Semi-streamlined 2-8-2 5422
Yard & transfer: 2-10-0 5754
Diesels:
Maine Central EMD E-7 706 Saint John-Boston "Gull" power.
"Atlantic Limited" Power off eastbound #42-Back west to Montreal on Train # 41
MLW/Alco's RS-10's 8564-8464-FB-2 4464
Combination-Steam & Diesels Eastbound "Atlantic Limited" Train # 42 Arriving
Saint John, N.B
West-Side
Lancaster Station-January-1958:
MLW/Alco's FPA-2 4097-FB-2 4464-RS-3 8429-Semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2 *2397
Total-13 cars Including stainless-steel(note: first head-end wood-steel
underframe express car.(*2397 added at McAdam-presume power for westbound CP
"Empress" boat train.
"Gull" from Boston-Maine Central EMD E-7 711(MEC-B&M head-ends, MEC stainless
steel coaches, Pullman Company sleepers, Boston & Maine stainless-steel
sleeper, New York New Haven & Hartford stainless-steel sleeper.
Power observed at Bay Shore yard-West St. John:
Yard Engines: 0-8-0 6932, 2-8-0's 3624, 3637, 3641, 3748(Seen 1953 Alyth Yard,
Calgary-assigned then to freight service)3692, 3700, 3719, 3725(larger tender),
3736. 3752
D-4 4-6-0's 453, 490(Both assigned Shore Line)
2-10-0's Yard & Transfer: 5754, 5755
2-8-2's 5107, 5206, 5361, Semi-streamlined 5422. Light 4-6-2 2657(freight
service)
Yard Diesels: 7012, 7013, 7046(last two worked Glen Yard Coach Yard-Montreal)
To and from Windsor Station, Montreal.
Note: A long-time CP subsidiary at Saint John-"New Brunswick Cold Storage"-
west of Union Station.
To Be Continued-With Part #8 And into The 1960's-including passenger train
consists; Canadian Pacific Airlines Trans-Atlantic Flights making westbound
stops at Moncton, N.B., plus charters with Hungarian Refugee flights. CPR's
GP-9 8600's Montreal-Maritimes on freights-Fairbank-Morse 8900's
"Train-Masters" come to Saint John for winter months from Western Canada-Yard &
Transfer duties. More stangers like MLW/Alco 6595, 6596, SW-9 7400's from
Western Lines. etc.
Don Scott-Coquitlam, B.C
"Following Canadian Pacific(All Services) Since The Mid-1930's".
