Photo Credit: Karl Zimmermann, "Magnetic North, Canadian Steam in Twilight"
Text by Omer Lavallée
Photo Credit: Karl Zimmermann, "Magnetic North, Canadian Steam in Twilight"
Text taken from Spanner Magazine, Collectors' Item - 2 by' Omer Lavallée
The efficient combination of high speed and adequate power characterized 85 familiar 2 class 4-6-4 type engines. This type of locomotive was popularized by the New York Central Railroad, who appended the class name "Hudson" to them, after the river, which the NYC parallels between New York and Albany.
The "Hudson" type first appeared on Canadian Pacific lines in 1929 and 1930 when 20 locomotives were built for heavy passenger services requiring reasonably high speeds. Theses original units, of classes H-1-a and H-1-b were unstreamlined, but the remaining 45 units built in and after 1937 incorporated the distinct
One of them, No. 2850, was specially selected haul the 1939 Royal Train and was refinished royal blue and aluminum for the purpose with a royal crown at the front of each running board. The illustration portrays it in this livery, though the standard tuscan red paint scheme was later restored. Subsequently, all 45 semi streamlined 4-6-4s were provide with similar running board crowns, in token of the distinction carried by No. 2850; thus, locomotives of class H-1-c. -d, and -e came to be known as Royal Class Hudson'.
A number of H-1s have been preserved for historical reasons, notable No 2850, the original "Royal Hudson".
| Numbers | CP2800-CP2809 (Class H1a, 1929) CP2810-CP2819 (Class H1b, 1930) CP2820-CP2849 (Class H1c, 1937, semi streamlined) CP2850-CP2859 (Class H1d, 1938, semi streamlined) CP2860-CP2864 (Class H1e, 1940, semi streamlined) |
| Number of locos built in this class | 65 |
| Builders | Montreal Locomotive Works |
| Years Built | 1929 - 1940 (see above) |
| Type | Hudson Type 4-6-4 |
| Tractive Force | 20,548 kg. (45,300 lbs.) |
| Cylinder size | 56x76 cm (22x30 inch) |
| Driving Wheel diameter | 191 cm (75 in.) |
| Total Weight | 149,234-###-### kg (330,000-366,000 lbs.) |
| Extreme length (Including tender) | 27.8 m (91 ft. 2 in. |
| Extreme Height (H1b) | 4.7 m. (15 ft. 6 in. |
| Original cost (H1b) | $116,555 |
| CP2816 | Owned by the CPR. Restoration at BC Rail shops in North Vancouver, BC completed. Operational, September 2001. |
| CP2839 | Now undergoing restoration by the Lehigh Valley Scenic Railway |
| CP2850 | On display at the Canadian Railroad Historical Association Museum in Delson, Quebec |
| CP2858 | On display at the National Museum of Science and Technology, Ottawa Ontario |
| CP2860 | Was operational for excursion tours by
BC Rail, Vancouver, British Columbia but now sidelined. |