Royal Hudson
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The term Royal Hudson refers to a group of semi-streamlined 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotives owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). In 1939, King George VI allowed the CPR to use the term after one of the locomotives transported the royal train across Canada. These locomotives were in service between 1937 and 1960. Four of them have been preserved, and one was used in excursion service on the British Columbia Railway between 1974 and 1999.
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[edit] Royal visit
In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada, arriving at Wolfe's Cove, Quebec, on May 17, 1939. This was the first time that a reigning Monarch had visited Canada. The King and Queen took a tour of the country and back by rail. The CPR and the Canadian National Railways (CNR) shared the honours of transporting the royal train across the country, with the CPR undertaking the westbound journey, from Quebec City to Vancouver. The steam locomotive that the CPR used to pull the train was numbered 2850, a 4-6-4 built by Montreal Locomotive works. Specially painted in silver and blue, the locomotive ran 3,224 miles across Canada, through 25 changes of crew, without engine failure. The King, somewhat of a railbuff, rode in the cab when possible. After the tour, the King gave the CPR permission to use the term "Royal Hudson" for the semi-streamlined locomotives of the class and to display Royal Crowns on the running boards.[1]
[edit] Regular service
The CPR owned a total of 65 class H1 Hudsons built by MLW. Classes H1a and H1b were not semi-streamlined and were not Royal Hudsons. The Canadian Pacific Railway owned 30 class H1c Hudsons, built in 1937, 10 class H1d Hudsons, built in 1938, and five class H1e Hudsons, built in 1940. They were primarily used in passenger service, but also saw some use in freight service as well. By 1960 they had all been retired, having been replaced by diesel locomotives.
[edit] Excursions
One Royal Hudson, No. 2860, was later used in excursion service. A class H1e Royal Hudson, it was made for the CPR by MLW in June 1940. It was the first locomotive to be built as a Royal Hudson. Between 1940 and 1956 it hauled transcontinental passenger trains between Revelstoke and Vancouver. It was damaged in a derailment outside of Vancouver in 1956, but by 1957 it had been refurbished and was transferred to Winnipeg for prairie service. It was withdrawn from service in May 1959 and sat on the scrap line for five years. It was sold to the Vancouver Railway Museum Association in 1964. However, the association was unable to find a place to display the locomotive and it remained in storage at Drake St shops in Vancouver. It was sold to Joe W. Hussey in 1970.
In 1973 Hussey sold No. 2860 to the British Columbia government. The locomotive was restored by Robert Swanson and then leased to the British Columbia Railway. The BCR commenced a Royal Hudson excursion service between North Vancouver, British Columbia (City) and Squamish on June 20, 1974. By the end of the 1974 tourist season, 47,295 passengers had been carried and the excursion was deemed successful. It was the only regularly scheduled steam excursion over mainline trackage in North America. The excursion operated between May and October, from Wednesday through Saturday. It quickly became one of British Columbia's main tourist attractions.
After the end of the 1999 tourist season, No. 2860 broke down with major boiler problems. Improper operation of the locomotive was alleged. The cash-strapped BC Rail did not have the funds available for the repair. The Royal Hudson excursion (which used other locomotives during the 2000 and 2001 seasons) was cancelled at the end of the 2001 excursion season. At the cancellation of the BC Rail Royal Hudson excursions, 2860 was transferred to the WCRA for eventual restoration.
Currently No. 2860 is owned by the West Coast Railway Association and is housed at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish. On 28 September 2006, the Royal Hudson steamed into the WCRA Squamish station under her own power for the first time since October 1999. The association plans to operate 2860 on excursion runs and at special events during the summer of 2007.
[edit] Preservation
Four Royal Hudsons have been preserved (Hudson #2816 was not streamlined and is not "Royal"). No. 2850, the locomotive that hauled the Royal Train, was retired after the royal tour and is now preserved at the Canadian Railway Museum at St. Constant (Delson), Quebec. No. 2858 is preserved at the National Museum of Science and Technology at Ottawa. No. 2839 is undergoing cosmetic restoration in the Nethercutt Collection and Museum, Sylmar, California. No. 2860 is currently located in Squamish (see above).
[edit] References
- ^ Significant dates in Canadian railway history. Colin Churcher's Railway Pages (2006-03-17). Retrieved on 2006-05-17.
- Unofficial Royal Hudson website
- History of the Royal Hudsons
- Sanford, Barrie (1981). The Pictorial History of Railroading in British Columbia. Whitecap Books, Vancouver, British Columbia. ISBN 0-920620-27-2.
- Horton, Timothy J. (1988). The British Columbia Railway (Volume One). B.R.M.N.A., Calgary, Alberta. ISBN 0-919487-28-9.
- Garrett, Colin and Max Wade (2001). Locomotives: A complete history of the world's great locomotives and fabulous train journeys. London: Arness Publishing Limited, pages 260–263. ISBN 1-943092-64-6.
