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Old Time Trains

1919 Royal Train

2231 CPR #1483 9/06 G1c r/b as G1r 6/27 with 22 1/2" x 28" cyl. retaining old boiler 200 lbs.
Lambton roundhouse. April 6, 1939 James A. Brown Collection

This engine was used on a Royal train in 1919 carrying Edward Prince of Wales on a tour of Canada and the United States. His Royal Highness would later become King Edward VIII in January of 1936 only to abdicate in December living out the rest of his life as the Duke of Windsor. Edward ran 2231 from Flavelle (Mile 20.9) through Brighton (Mile 9.9) to Trenton with engineer Harry Flood guiding him and accompanied by Bernard "Monty" Montgomery who would go on to fame in World War Two defeating Rommel in North Africa, a decisive battle that led to the fall of Germany. When approaching Brighton Flood told Edward to blow the whistle for Brighton. He called across the cab "Hi Monty, Brighton, dear old Brighton-by-the-Sea". "Blow the whistle" yelled the engineer as they raced toward tiny Brighton nothing like the famed resort in England. Upon arrival in Trenton Edward climbed down from the cab and handed the fireman back his gloves whereupon the shop labourer sent to clean the fire offered him $5 (about a day's pay back then) for the gloves which he turned down.
This story was related to me many years ago by my grandfather J.H. (Johnny) Jackson who was a CPR fireman at the time. R.L.Kennedy


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