CPR's 4-8-2 "Mountains" 2900-2901
I just wanted to get my two cents in on the discussions of CP's two "Mountains"
Being a former New Brunswicker, I spent many years travelling to Saint John &
McAdam, N.B. observing Canadian Pacific operations. Staying at the CPR McAdam
Hotel above the station. You Railroaded All Nighta a never ending roar of
trains & yard engines.
I always liked engines 2900 & 2901; CP kept them well groomed, like other
passenger power.
I rode the cab at times on 2900, locomotive engineer Harry Whipple of Saint
John & George Brown Engineer on othe power.
Engine 2900:
This lady was assigned to Montreal-Saint John Passenger trains # 41 & # 42
McAdam-Saint John
Engine 2901:
This locomotive held down Montreal-Saint John passenger trains # 39 & # 40
McAdam-Saint John
Train #39 from MOntreal arrived Saint John around 0630AM making connection to
CPR's Bay of Fundy Service "Princess Helen" to Digby, Nova Scotia & CP's
Dominion Atlantic Railway passenger trains #98 from Yarmouth eastbound to
Halifax, and westbound Train # 95 from Halifax to Yarmouth.
Train # 39 westbound for MOntreal departed Sain John at 2000.
Trains 39 & 40 passenger traffic to & from DAR/Princess Helene. CP
Express/mail/cartage traffic transferred from trsin to ship by CP Express.CP
Cartsge trucks.Quite a busy operation.
During the war years around 1942 2901 lost its heavy brass bell, & was replaced
with a wartime aluminum bell.
On Sundays only trains # 39 & #40 never operated(No ops ex Montreal Saturday
afternoon) just being Trains # 41 & # 42.
Sundays from McAdam ro Saint John, 2900 & 2901 would rotate.
Before the new Sem-streamlined heavy 4-6-2's 2390's 2400'scame east through
Maine from Megantic, Quebec to McAdam, the light G2 4-6-2's of the 2500 &
2600's handled the Montreal service trains.
The new semi-streamlined G-3's commenced extending their eastward runs
Montreal-McAdam by 1943 sporting their Tuscan Red paint scheme; Engines 2394,
2395, 2396, 2397 & 2402.
By 1945 4-8-2's 2900 & 2901 left New Brunswick & for a brief period light G2
4-6-2s doubleheaded Montreal westbound trains from Saint John to McAdam & heavy
new G-3 4-6-2's taking over-runthrough to Montreal.
A sample of light 4-6-2's westbound out of Saint John Train # 41; engines
2500-2627 and always a pusher on the end of train " 2-8-0's either 3400 series,
or 3700 series. At McAdam always A pusher assisting for westbound trains #39 &
#41. This also applied to the Saint John-Boston "Gull at Saint John & McAdam.
The new heavy semi-streamlined 4-6-2s extended their runs McAdam-Saint John
handling trains 39, 40, 41 & 42
More New Heavy 4-6-2's Arrive
By 1945 more new Semi-Streamlined G-3 Class 2400's arrived; Engines 2453, 2455,
2457, 2459, 2461, (2467 by 1949)
The first five 2400's with stainless steel boiler jackets, firebox, cylinders.
locomotives painted black & gold pin stripe. The also had war time bells.
Later they reeived the tuscan red paint scheme, & heavy brass bells.
By the late 1940's all G-3's of 2390 series & 2400's receiving 12-wheel higher
capacity tenders, except engine 2461.
Engine 2392 done a short period in the late 1940's out of Saint John, equipped
with the 8-wheel tender. Th Boston "Gull" & Montreal trains/
END.
Don Scott-Coquitlam, B.C.
"Following Canadian Pacific-All Services-Since The Mid-1930's"
