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Train No. 21, the "Chicago Express", is seen
just after stopping to pick up the daily mail at Hornby station on June 25,
1955. This train and its returning counterpart, No. 22, the "Overseas",
operated for over 80 years on approximately the same schedule, under various
names and numbers. Called the "Western Express" and the "Montreal
Express" in the 1890's, they became Nos. 5 and 6 around the turn
of the century. In 1912, the numbers were changed to the well known 21 and
22, later to become the "Dominion" and the "Wolverine".
By the end of World War One, these titles had been dropped and both trains
remained nameless, except for a short time in the mid-1920's when No. 22 became
the "Dominion Overseas". In 1930, the name was re-introduced
but shortened to the "Overseas", and No. 21 became the "Chicago
Express", the latter lasting until 1957 when the title was transferred
to the night train, No. 19. On April 25, 1964, these trains made their final
run. The following day, reduced to Budd RDC cars, they became Trains Nos.
339 and 340, until withdrawn on October 25,1969. All passenger service over
the London Division ceased on October 30,1971, with the removal of Budd car
trains, Nos. 337 and 338. Oddly enough, when this caption was written in October
1981, passenger service had just been restored, a Government of Ontario (GO)
commuter service, consisting of three trains each way, morning and evening,
between Toronto and Milton, on weekdays. So once again passenger trains can
be seen rumbling past the site that was Hornby station.
Units Nos. 4096 and 4464 were built by MLW-GE in 1953, to the designs of Alco
models, FPA-2 and FPB-2, and were primarily FA-1 and FB-1 types. However,
when equipped with steam generators, the letter P was added to the designation
and the horsepower was increased from 1500 to 1600. The CPR's classification
for these units was DFA-16f and DFB-16C. Nos. 4096 and 4464 were assigned
to the Quebec District, Smiths Falls Division, for the Montreal to Toronto
to Windsor service and through the years, spent a great deal of their time
in Ontario and Quebec. Tied up serviceable on June 13, 1975, No. 4096 was
classed as retired on October 22 of the same year, and scrapped at Angus in
September 1976. No. 4464, which had its steam generator removed in 1966, was
tied up serviceable on July 8, 1975, at St. Luc, classed unserviceable on
April 20, 1977, and retired on September 15 of that year. Sent to Angus on
May 29, 1978, where the engine was removed, the unit returned to St. Luc for
storage. Back again at Angus in March 1980, she was scrapped in June of that
year. W.H.N.Rossiter