CLASS: S-2-a. Santa Fe Type

Text taken from Spanner Magazine, Collectors' Item - 13 by' Omer Lavallée

The topic of our "Selkirk" type locomotives always seems to dominate discussions of motive power in the Rocky Mountains in the days of the steam locomotive. Undoubtedly this is so because these locomotives were distinctive and massive in appearance and impression, served alike on passenger and freight trains and were capable of good speed, though the design emphasis was on power.

In a way, this popularity is unfortunate because the 2-10-4s tend to obscure the contributions of other motive power which was not as glamorous. Fifteen engines of the 2-10-2 wheel arrangement comprised such a class; they were known as "Santa Fe" types after the railroad which first introduced such an arrangement in 1903. Canadian Pacific's 2-10-2s were designated "S-2" and were numbered in the 5800 series; not only did they precede the "Selkirks" by ten years-they were introduced in 1919-but they were the largest and most powerful locomotives in Canada from the time of their introduction until 1924 when a heavier version of the same type was introduced on Canadian National Railways. Moreover, and unlike the 5900s (which were constructed by Montreal Locomotive Works), the S-2s were built right "at home" at Angus Shops.

The 5800s' comparatively small (57") driving wheels made them rather more useful in freight than in passenger service, but after the arrival of the 2-10-4s in 1929, the "Santa Fes" were frequently used as helpers on both freight-and passenger trains. A favourite combination up Field Hill when the east-bound "Dominion" was heavy, was a T-1 as the train engine, and an S-2 coupled ahead to assist.

One or two of them eventually found their way east, and were used in transfer service around the Montreal Terminals, equipped with tiny 5,000-gallon tenders which looked puny trailing after such an impressive locomotive.

All had been scrapped by the time that main line dieselization had come into stride.

Preserved: None