Old Time Trains

"Trailing black smoke" was entered into work reports by enginemen many times when operating F1a 4-4-4 "Jubilees" on the Toronto to Hamilton run. Here, No. 2925 is doing exactly this as she roars through Lorne Park on Train No. 732 on the morning of August 21, 1953. The reason for the smoke is that the tubes are becoming blocked and "honeycomb" or slag is forming over the back tube sheet in the firebox, preventing proper combustion. This condition was prevalent on these engines when worked at speed with light trains on relatively level track. When this engine and her running mate, No. 2928, were assigned to the Hamilton to Goderich run and were returned to John Street, Toronto, for their monthly boiler wash, the tubes were observed to be in excellent shape. This was put down to the heavier working of the engine on the Goderich run, due to the up hill, down dale, character of the line. Working on grades with heavy exhaust had a scouring effect, keeping the tubes clean.
During my time on the boiler staff at John Street, I had the unique experience of observing my night's handiwork roar past our farm on fast passenger trains. When I got home to Oakville, Train No. 721, the morning Buffalo, and No. 731, the Hamilton local, would roll by. Train No. 731 was frequently hauled by No. 2925. One morning in the spring of 1948, while eating my breakfast, I heard a sharp report similar to a track torpedo as No. 731 raced through. Jumping up, I looked out of the window to see the train pulling up in an emergency stop about half a mile away, Running up to the level crossing near our place, I saw a small pile of lumber and a carpenter's tool chest on the track. On the other side of the crossing was a small truck chassis parked with its motor running, and a group of men standing, talking. No. 2925, travelling at more than 60 m.p.h. had clipped the truck's rear overhang with the right corner of its pilot beam, and had separated the truck body from the chassis. It was a cool morning and the men said that their side windows were fogged up and they had not seen the train. When the accident report was completed, the men clambered onto the chassis and drove off, none the worse for their experience. No 2925 sustained a small dent to the pilot beam.
Twenty F1a's were built by CLC in 1937-38. Fifteen were assigned to the Western Lines and the remainder to the east. John Street received four, Nos. 2925 to 2928, while No. 2929 went to Glen Yard, Montreal. During the early 1940's Nos. 2926 and 2927 were transferred to the Quebec and New Brunswick Districts, with No. 2928 going to New Brunswick around 1955, when bumped by dieselization. No. 2925 ended her days at John Street, assigned to the Toronto to Peterborough run during early 1957. By May of that year she was classified as waiting repairs at Angus but was scrapped on July 12, 1957.

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"Trailing black smoke" was entered into work reports by enginemen many times when operating F1a 4-4-4 "Jubilees" on the Toronto to Hamilton run. Here, No. 2925 is doing exactly this as she roars through Lorne Park on Train No. 732 on the morning of August 21, 1953. The reason for the smoke is that the tubes are becoming blocked and "honeycomb" or slag is forming over the back tube sheet in the firebox, preventing proper combustion. This condition was prevalent on these engines when worked at speed with light trains on relatively level track. When this engine and her running mate, No. 2928, were assigned to the Hamilton to Goderich run and were returned to John Street, Toronto, for their monthly boiler wash, the tubes were observed to be in excellent shape. This was put down to the heavier working of the engine on the Goderich run, due to the up hill, down dale, character of the line. Working on grades with heavy exhaust had a scouring effect, keeping the tubes clean.

During my time on the boiler staff at John Street, I had the unique experience of observing my night's handiwork roar past our farm on fast passenger trains. When I got home to Oakville, Train No. 721, the morning Buffalo, and No. 731, the Hamilton local, would roll by. Train No. 731 was frequently hauled by No. 2925. One morning in the spring of 1948, while eating my breakfast, I heard a sharp report similar to a track torpedo as No. 731 raced through. Jumping up, I looked out of the window to see the train pulling up in an emergency stop about half a mile away, Running up to the level crossing near our place, I saw a small pile of lumber and a carpenter's tool chest on the track. On the other side of the crossing was a small truck chassis parked with its motor running, and a group of men standing, talking. No. 2925, travelling at more than 60 m.p.h. had clipped the truck's rear overhang with the right corner of its pilot beam, and had separated the truck body from the chassis. It was a cool morning and the men said that their side windows were fogged up and they had not seen the train. When the accident report was completed, the men clambered onto the chassis and drove off, none the worse for their experience. No 2925 sustained a small dent to the pilot beam.

Twenty F1a's were built by CLC in 1937-38. Fifteen were assigned to the Western Lines and the remainder to the east. John Street received four, Nos. 2925 to 2928, while No. 2929 went to Glen Yard, Montreal. During the early 1940's Nos. 2926 and 2927 were transferred to the Quebec and New Brunswick Districts, with No. 2928 going to New Brunswick around 1955, when bumped by dieselization. No. 2925 ended her days at John Street, assigned to the Toronto to Peterborough run during early 1957. By May of that year she was classified as waiting repairs at Angus but was scrapped on July 12, 1957.