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A Royal Calling

Another distinctive semi-streamlined passenger locomotive in the exhibit is Canadian Pacific 2858 (670006), one of sixty-five highly successful "Hudson" type locomotives built for the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1929 and 1940. The 45 Hudsons delivered after 1937 were all semi-streamlined. Apart from improving the overall lines of the locomotives, this had the practical effect of reducing resistance and improving fuel economy. Between 1936 and 1949, Canadian Pacific experimented extensively with semi-streamlined locomotives. Of these, the Hudson class locomotives were among the most successful and were used throughout Canada as an integral part of CP's mainline operations.

Locomotive 2858 was part of an order of ten engines delivered by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1938. The first engine of this order, locomotive 2850, was one of the engines chosen to pull the royal train carrying King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, over CP's portion of their cross-Canada tour. As part of the special paint scheme used on the locomotives in the tour, CP affixed cast crowns on the front of the running boards of the engine. Following the royal tour, the company placed crowns on the running boards of all its semi-streamlined Hudsons calling them "Royal Hudsons" in recognition of their service during the momentous royal visit.

Locomotive 2858
The elegant lines of the Hudson type engine, including its streamlined smokestack, are evident in this 1946 photograph of 2858. (CSTM)

Capable of hauling 1210-tonne  passenger trains at speeds of up to 145 kilometres per hour, the locomotive spent most of its operating life in Ontario and Quebec. It was a common fixture on passenger trains operating between Montreal and Fort William (now part of Thunder Bay), Ontario. Primarily assigned to passenger service, Hudson type locomotives like 2858 also worked in freight service, particularly after the mid-1950s as CP began to replace steam with diesel-electric locomotives. Some indication as to why these engines were so highly regarded can be found in the fact that CP 2858 ran an average of 180 000 kilometres a year before being retired in December of 1959. The engine was stored by Canadian Pacific until its donation to the Museum in 1967 and is one of five CP Hudsons preserved.

Locomotive 2858 derailment
Travelling at about 16 km/h, 2858 ran through an open switch in Renfrew, Ontario. No serious injuries occurred. (CSTM)