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----- Original Message -----
From: Donald Scott (by way of PBowers <57era@xxxxxxxx>)
To: AtlanticRails@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: December 2, 2000 7:56 PM
Subject: [AtlanticRails] B#-257-2 Canadian Pacific Passenger Trains
Montrea-Maine-Saint John-Halifax
Continued From Part #1
Part # 2
Former Canadian Pacific Railway Passenger Services-Montreal-via State of
Maine-Saint John-Halifax
Remarks: Symbol * Denotes CPR Steam In Tuscan Red-Grey-Black-Gold Paint
Scheme.
Speaking of steam power assigned to Montreal-Saint John passenger service;
during the 1940's up until the mid-1950's on at Windsor Station at Montreal
could always observe train # 41 "Atlantic Limited" arriving at 0655 being a
double-header with a light 4-6-2 usually the 2600 or a G-2 Class light
4-6-2 of the 2200 series and behind her a heavy semi-streamlined 4-6-2 of
*2390 series or the *2402. Anther locomotive back in 1943 one could observe
was semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2 2414 on eastbound train #40 for Saint
John; this locomotive only as far as Megantic, Quebec. 2414 observed that
year just in "Black & Gold scheme" not quite a year old at that time.
Through my home town of Moncton, N.B. off-line to CP being a CNR rail
centre-CPR had the majority of all the eastbound troop trains-reason; the
CN line along the Gulf of St. Lawrence and New Brunswick being subject to
Enemy U-Boats, so the CPR main-line was the chosen route through the State
of Maine. CPR troop trains eastbound ran steady 24 hours around the clock,
after coming into Saint John on CP with CN locomotives and train crews
taking over to Moncton & Halifax. Canadian Pacific liners were busy as
troop ships in and out of Halifax, Trans-Atlantic liners like the CP
flagship the 42,500 ton "Empress of Britain"(2nd) only to be lost by enemy
action in 1940 off the Irish Coast, the 23,000 ton "Empress of Australia",
the four "Duchess" liners-"Duchess of Atholl", "Duchess of Bedford",
"Duchess of Richmond", and "Duchess of York" the odd CP "Mont" class liner.
Trans-Pacific "Empresses" at times were trooping on the Atlantic in and out
of Halifax, the Trans-Pacific Record holder 26,500 to "Empress of
Scotland"(2nd) renamed from "Empress of Japan"(2nd), "Empress of Asia",
"Empress of Russia", "Empress of Canada" 24,000 tons(1st). These CP liners
travelled the World during the war. CP was still operating a limited
Trans-Atlantic service out of Saint John, N.B. with the odd "Duchess" liner
until about 1941.
The CPR troop trains through Moncton especially the sleeping cars and
dining cars looked as if they were newly outshopped from Angus in
Montreal-CP even during the War years their power especially passenger was
kept spotless as well as their passenger equipment-CPR took pride in their
passenger trains.
When Cunard Line's Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth left Halifax for
Southampton, England they carried 15,000 troops-meaning it took 27 troop
trains. This also applied returning the Military at Wars end-again lots of
CPR trains.
During 1944-1945 CPR retired their two 4-8-2's 2900 and 2901(built 1914 by
the railway) the first 4-8-2's in Canada. On the Saint John-Montreal trains
39, 40, 41, 42 all trains westbound out of Saint John to McAdam, N.B. were
double-headed with two light 4-6-2's of 2500 and 2600 series-and out of
Union Station with the assist "Pusher" up the grades to Fairville(now
Lancaster)station. Pushers at that time usually 2-8-0's of 3400 and
3500's-later heavier 2-8-0's of 3600 or 3700 series.
By 1945 the semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2's of 2300 and 2400's commenced
running McAdam-Saint John on the Montreal-Saint John passenger trains being
*2394, *2395, *2396, *2397, *2402, as well as brand new semi-streamlined
2400's; 2453, 2455, 2457, 2459 and 2461., the last six were on black & gold
paint scheme, with stainless-steel boiler jackets, cylinder jackets, and
firebox jacket, these six locomotives had "Wartime" Aluminum bells. The
above motive power would be run-through Montreal-McAdam, N.B. with a power
change. Westbound the same-runthrough power McAdam-Montreal. All thes
locomotives had the 8-wheel tender, and later received a higher-capacity
12-wheel tender.
Trains # 39 and #40 were known as "The Boat Trains" as they connected with
CPR's "Bay of Fundy Service" the Saint John-Digby, Nova Scotia service and
Dominion Atlantic east/West Halifax-Yarmouth passenger trains #95 and # 98.
After the war years, CPR was bringing out rebuilt modernized sleeping cars,
dining cars, buffet-parlor-sleepers, parlor cars, as well as their new
streamlined light-weight 2200 series "Deluxe" day-coaches, their new
streamlined light-weight "Grove" series roomette sleepers, and not
forgetting more new light-weight head-end cars. During the war years CPR
were already operating new streamlined light-weight express, baggage cars
on the Montreal-Saint John passenger service.
During 1947 Canadian Pacific Steamships re-instated Trans-Atlantic
passenger service from Liverpool, England to Quebec and Montreal with West
St. John being the Winter turnaround-First ship to re-enter service was the
20,000 ton "Empress of Canada"(2nd) renamed from the Duchess of Richmond,
the "Empress of France"(2nd) renamed from the Duchess of Bedford entered
service in 1948. I was at West St. John the evening the "Empress of
Canada"(2nd) arrived from Liverpool via Halifax. Saint John lost their
immigration terminal during the war at West St. John. CPR operated CPS
"Boat Trains" over CNR from Halifax to Saint John, then CPR to Montreal and
other points west of Montreal. The eastbound CP Boat Trains terminated at
West St. John with passengers for the "Empress".
To Be Continued.
Note: Semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2's 2453, 2455, 2457, 2459 and 2461 later
received the Tuscan Red-Grey-Black-Gold paint scheme, plus their War time
bells replaced with the CPR standard "Brass Bell".
Don Scott-Coquitlam, B.C.
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