Gone, but Not Forgotten

The lead locomotive on this Canadian Pacific (CPR) train is CP 8621.

It is a GP9 model of locomotive, built in 1956 by General Motors Diesel (GMD). GMD was a railway diesel locomotive manufacturer located in London, Ontario. GMD was created in 1949 as the Canadian subsidiary of the Electro Motive Division of General Motors (EMD) of the United States. It is shown here in the original Maroon & Grey “Block” paint scheme. Over the years, CPR has changed the look of its locomotives and 8621 kept up with the times. It has had the CP Rail Large Multimark with 5" stripes, the CP Rail Large Multimark with 8" stripes and the CP Rail Small Multimark with 8" stripes over its life time. In October of 1988 it was rebuilt by CPR as a GP9u, chop-nosed and renumbered to #8215. It was finally declared to be surplus on February 19, 2015. So, while it is now gone from the roster of CPR it will not be forgotten because it has been immortalized on this post card.

It is hauling a load of freight along Kamloops Lake in British Columbia, Canada. The Lake is situated just after where the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers just west of Kamloops forms the Thompson River, which flows west into the Fraser River near Lytton, British Columbia. The lake is 1.6 km wide, 29 km long, and up to 152 m deep. This post card was published by the Audio Visual Designs Company. It was printed after 1965. I know this because the address has a zip code, which was introduced in 1963 and because the photo was taken in 1965.

Audience Participation

The train in the photograph on the front of this post card was so regularly run on its route that one could know exactly where it could be. It did this so often that one could see it in various locations over time. Coal is a major export from the area around the Crowsnest Pass in southern Alberta and British Columbia. Sparwood, British Columbia hosts a huge coal mine and railcar loading system. That is probably where this train originated. The train was so regular that the publisher and distributer of this post card decided to take

advantage of it and make it an audience participation event. In the upper left hand corner of the back of the post card there is a little map of the train route. To the right, there is a list of locations at which you could see the train as it passes by. The afore mentioned Sparwood is the first name on the list. The post card was printed by Alex Wilson Publications out of Dryden, Ontario.

My search on the internet did not turn up any good news about the business, so I will leave it alone. I tried to find the publisher, Kenneth R. Bell; that was fruitless. But, when I tried to find the Trading Post that distributed the post card I hit the jackpot. I found a picture of it. I looked in the business yellow pages on line for The Golden Eagle Trading Post in Radium Hot Springs, but found nothing. At least you can enjoy what the trading post used to look like.

$8,000 Worth of Luxury

The train pictured on the front of this post card pictures one of the heights of luxury available in Canada. The Royal Canadian Pacific consists of 10 Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) 1920’s era business cars coupled to two 1950’s locomotives all of which have been restored to their original splendor. Period furniture, silver settings, brass accents, walnut paneling and open vestibules are the pinnacle of a bygone tradition of elegance. Subtly add modern amenities the discerning traveler would expect, complimented by gourmet cuisine, fine wines along with unsurpassed hospitality and you are presented with the Royal Canadian Pacific.

The Royal Canadian Pacific luxury train brings to life the nostalgia associated with the romance of rail travel. Life on board the Royal Canadian Pacific is relaxed, pampered…in short, fit for royalty. Stepping on board is akin to stepping back in time to an era of elegance, grace and classic luxury; a place where the view outside your window is unspoiled and timeless - oblivious to the rush of today’s world. Canadian Pacific’s passenger cars were custom built in Montreal at the CPR Angus Shops. This facility, initiated in 1902 by William Van Horne, then President of Canadian Pacific Railway, allowed CP to build their own rolling stock. The locomotive in the front (#1400) was built by General Motors Diesel, Ltd.[it is the Canadian arm of General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (GMD), which was established during the late 1940s] as FP7A #4099 (1953). It was sold to VIA (1978), became VIA #1400, and then renumbered by VIA to VIA #6550 (1981). Sold to Nebkota Railway (1994) and became #55. Acquired by CP (1998), repainted into the Maroon/Grey paint scheme and numbered CP #1400, used in "Royal Canadian Pacific” train service. It was retired on December 14, 2011 and replaced by FP9u units #4106-4107. After it was cosmetically restored (2018). It was put on display with CP #29 steam locomotive at Ogden Park, Ogden, and Calgary AB. The passenger cars that make up the Royal Canadian Pacific are beautifully re-finished and fully restored to their original splendour. The Mount Stephen car, named after CPR’s first president, was originally built as the CPR Director’s day car. This car was also used to host a number of Royalty and dignitaries for Canadian tours. The locomotives that took the place of 1400 and 1401 were also built by GMD as CN FP9A #6515 (1/1957). They were also sold to VIA (1978), became VIA #6515. After being remanufactured at Pointe St. Charles, Montreal QC (7/1984) they were renumbered to VIA #6307. Eventually they were sold to Ohio Central (4/2002). It was then acquired by CP for its Royal Canadian Pacific train service (2006). It was repainted in the Maroon/Grey "Script" paint scheme at NRE, Capreol, ON. (4/2007). Then it was used in Royal Canadian Pacific train excursions as well as special occasions. Today, as the tail-end lounge or “observation” car, the Mount Stephen is the hub of activity for Royal Canadian Pacific. The Craigellachie dining car, a refurbished 1931 sleeper, was named for the location of the driving of the last spike of the transcontinental railway. This beautifully finished car seats a maximum of thirty-two guests for meal service, and can be configured as a meeting room for corporate clients. The Strathcona, Van Horne and Royal Wentworth were all business cars built by Canadian Pacific expressly for its senior executives in 1926 and 1927. These cars feature a lounge area, a dining area, staterooms and open vestibules. The Banffshire (1926) and the N.R. Crump (1930) sleepers provide Royal Canadian Pacific guests with luxury accommodation in private staterooms. Royal Canadian Pacific has partnered with some of Canada's most elite tourism experiences at various destinations throughout our excursions. These off-train activities include golf at some of the world's most renowned championship courses, fly-fishing on Canada's pristine rivers and lakes, and interpretive tours that share Canada’s unique heritage. The average per person price of a Royal Canadian Pacific six day/five night luxury rail cruise is CAD $8,000 plus 5% GST. You can read more about this luxury train on their website: http://www.royalcanadianpacific.com/ The post card was published by Steamscenes. I don't know any more about them this week than I did last week.

Steam, On the Way Out

The two locomotives on the front of this post card are a very good

demonstration of the how the old steam locomotives worked right along side the new diesel locomotives until the latter completely took over. These two are both working Canadian Pacific Railway passenger routes. They were photographed by J. F. Orem at the Drake Street roundhouse in Vancouver, British Columbia. The steamer is number 2862, an Hle-class "Royal Hudson" 4-6-4. It, along with three other Hudsons, has just brought the "Dominion" train in from Revelstoke, B.C. The other engine is an FP7, number 1418. The FP7 is on display at a riverside park in Medicine Hat, Alberta today. Their paint is faded and rust is bubbling up here and there, but these fine old engines still impress. It was built in 1952 at the General Motors Diesel plant in London, Ontario. This picture was taken in May of 1956; the last steam locomotive used by the CPR (a Selkirk 4-10-4) was delivered to them in 1949. The last Selkirk was taken out of commission ten years later. Some information about the FP7 was taken from this website: https://www.bigdoer.com/19344/old-things/cpr-fp7s-1418-and-1424/b>

The post card was published by Steamscenes out of West Vancouver, British Columbia. They do seem to still exist. I can find all sorts of businesses selling the Steamscenes 2021 Calendars. But, I cannot find any corporate information on line. I am not sure if this is a parent company or another company in the U.K. with a similar name:http://www.steamscenes-cadeco.co.uk/index.htm