The Railways of Canada Archives -- Remembering CPR Steam at Steam Expo

Remembering CPR Steam at Steam Expo
(Steam Expo 1986, in Vancouver, BC)

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

G-5 modern light 4-6-2 1201 arrived from Ottawa and its consist of passenger cars-streamlined light-weight baggage-combination coach (built 1936 for streamlined 4-4-4 Jubilees of the 3000 series. Also in consist heavy-weight coaches of 1300 and 1400 series, some lettered Canadian Pacific, Canada Atlantic, and Dominion Atlantic in the tuscan red paint scheme.

1201 and her consist were on display at Port Coquitlam station, prior to making a fast run through Port Moody enroute to CP's downtown Vancouver station and on to CPR's Drake Street yard on the Expo grounds. 1201 was placed alongside former CP "Royal Hudson" 4-6-4 2860.

A good display of "live steam" all types and classes of locomotives, including a peppy 0-6-0 4400 class former Union Pacific yard engine, a Great Western lettered 2-8-0 #50. Locomotive whistles blew steady during "Steam Expo". One could stand beside 4-6-2 1201 and Royal Hudson 2860 and admire their lines.

Speaking of 1201, along with 1200 they were built as proto-types in 1944 at Angus Shops in Montreal, under the direction of H.B. Bowen Chief of Motive Power and Rolling Stock. Locomotive 1200 was assigned Winnipeg West usually on freight service, while sister 1201 was assigned to passenger service out of Montreal running west on the Smiths Falls-Perth local service. CPR's G-5 Class 1200 series proved so successful, the company ordered 100 more of this class from the period 1945 to 1948, numbers 1202 to 1301.

In the east from Ontario-Quebec-New Brunswick these locomotives were assigned to passenger service, while Winnipeg to Alberta some assigned to passenger others for freight service. CPR's long range plans, if not for the diesels, were to build a good 400 more to replace ageing 4-6-0's including the famous D-10 Class. From all records known 4-6-2 1201 was the only one of her class to arrive on the West Coast. A few 1200's especially in passenger service could be found in Southeast B.C.

For a day while 1201 was in the Vancouver area, to celebrate the annual "Golden Spike Days" in Port Moody, the sleek, clean lines G-5 and her consist were placed on the Imperial Oil spur line for viewing. One of my sons and myself met the crew-all from down east, and two hours before 1201 and her consist were ready to head back east to Ottawa, all dropped into my residence to look over some of my CP collection.

The CPR Port Coquitlam Yard was located close-by. During "Steam Expo" steam power all took their turn, to show "their stuff" beginning at the eastend of CP yards past the station and working their way back to Expo 86 area. When "Royal Hudson" 4-6-4 2860 passed by including 1201, they stole the show. Thousands of spectators. CPR steam was known for their clean lines, and CP steam a design all of their own.

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