Old Time Trains

"Exhibition Special" was the name given to this train of vintage wooden coaches in the CPR timetable. The location is Bayview, Hamilton, on the CNR Oakville Subdivision, on September 2, 1955, at 9:20 a.m. To the right of the photograph, the CNR Dundas Subdivision curves to the west. This is an extra passenger from Hamilton to the Canadian National Exhibition at Toronto, and was a daily service provided by the CPR for the duration of the famous fair. Any available power at John Street, Toronto, was utilized for this train, even including Royal Hudsons.

The wooden coaches making up the consist were drawn from the large number of cars of this type which the CPR still had on hand at John Street coach yard. These cars were mostly in the 600 and 700 series with 4 wheel trucks, and the 1000 class with 12 wheel trucks, all built between 1904 and 1913.

Engine No. 1260 was a G5c 4-6-2 Pacific, built by the Canadian Locomotive Company at Kingston in 1946, and was assigned to John Street, Toronto, for a good part of her life. She saw service on such runs as the Owen Sound and Havelock trains; Train No. 635, the "Michigan", the late night train from Toronto to Detroit and Chicago; and the prestigious boat trains, Nos. 703 and 704, between Toronto and Port McNicoll. This summer service, which ran two days a week in each direction, connected with the two CPR passenger ships, the "Assiniboia" and the "Keewatin". The train consisted of a baggage car, air-conditioned coaches and parlour cars, and always left the terminals in pristine condition. The gleaming Tuscan Red cars and the glossy black engine were a sight to behold, a service that the CPR could well be proud of. The two steam ships sailed between Port McNicoll and Fort William, where they connected with trains to Winnipeg, thus providing a leisurely train and boat trip for tourists going to and from the west.

Sometime during 1956, No. 1260 was transferred to the London Division where she spent most of her time in freight service. She was assigned for a period to the St. Thomas to Toronto freight, and later in 1957, was on the London to Windsor way freight. Withdrawn from service late in 1957 and set to the Angus Shops, Montreal, she arrived there on November 19, 1957, and was stored and shown on the books as R.O.D. (Repair On Demand). She remained in that state until mid-1961, when she met the scrapper's torch. However, part of No. 1260 still continues in service today, as her tender was retained for work train service and operates as No. 415792.

The G5 class may have looked like something from the turn of the century, but the locomotives were definitely modern machines. Equipment such as the HT-1 stoker, Nathan mechanical lubricator, electro pneumatic blow down, multiple front end throttle and domeless boiler, were among the refinements built into them. A fine, light service locomotive that had a short life.

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Old Time Trains © 2009

"Exhibition Special" was the name given to this train of vintage wooden coaches in the CPR timetable. The location is Bayview, Hamilton, on the CNR Oakville Subdivision, on September 2, 1955, at 9:20 a.m. To the right of the photograph, the CNR Dundas Subdivision curves to the west. This is an extra passenger from Hamilton to the Canadian National Exhibition at Toronto, and was a daily service provided by the CPR for the duration of the famous fair. Any available power at John Street, Toronto, was utilized for this train, even including Royal Hudsons.

The wooden coaches making up the consist were drawn from the large number of cars of this type which the CPR still had on hand at John Street coach yard. These cars were mostly in the 600 and 700 series with 4 wheel trucks, and the 1000 class with 12 wheel trucks, all built between 1904 and 1913.

Engine No. 1260 was a G5c 4-6-2 Pacific, built by the Canadian Locomotive Company at Kingston in 1946, and was assigned to John Street, Toronto, for a good part of her life. She saw service on such runs as the Owen Sound and Havelock trains; Train No. 635, the "Michigan", the late night train from Toronto to Detroit and Chicago; and the prestigious boat trains, Nos. 703 and 704, between Toronto and Port McNicoll. This summer service, which ran two days a week in each direction, connected with the two CPR passenger ships, the "Assiniboia" and the "Keewatin". The train consisted of a baggage car, air-conditioned coaches and parlour cars, and always left the terminals in pristine condition. The gleaming Tuscan Red cars and the glossy black engine were a sight to behold, a service that the CPR could well be proud of. The two steam ships sailed between Port McNicoll and Fort William, where they connected with trains to Winnipeg, thus providing a leisurely train and boat trip for tourists going to and from the west.

Sometime during 1956, No. 1260 was transferred to the London Division where she spent most of her time in freight service. She was assigned for a period to the St. Thomas to Toronto freight, and later in 1957, was on the London to Windsor way freight. Withdrawn from service late in 1957 and set to the Angus Shops, Montreal, she arrived there on November 19, 1957, and was stored and shown on the books as R.O.D. (Repair On Demand). She remained in that state until mid-1961, when she met the scrapper's torch. However, part of No. 1260 still continues in service today, as her tender was retained for work train service and operates as No. 415792.

The G5 class may have looked like something from the turn of the century, but the locomotives were definitely modern machines. Equipment such as the HT-1 stoker, Nathan mechanical lubricator, electro pneumatic blow down, multiple front end throttle and domeless boiler, were among the refinements built into them. A fine, light service locomotive that had a short life.