Old Time Trains

Canadian Pacific Railway
G3 Class 4-6-2

Last of steam on Montreal suburban service 1960.

I have been looking for some time for old photos on the Web of the CPR commuter yard at Dorion Quebec in the steam era and have only managed to find one picture so far. This was of course where CPR steam locos were layed over for the next day’s commuter runs to Montreal. I had spent many an hour trainwatching at the old CNR and CPR stations in Pointe Claire and decided one day that I would journey out to Dorion to photograph the steam locomotives before they were all gone.

As far as I remember these pics were taken probably on weekends in Jan/Feb of 1960. I have attached seven of the photos I took. Please excuse the B&W and the quality as I only had a Brownie Hawkeye camera to use – I did graduate to a 35mm later in 1960.

I used to go trainwatching at the station after school and was fortunate enough to get to know an engineer from Smiths Falls. One day he told me to come back the next day and I could get a ride in the steam loco cab. Hard to sleep that night. I certainly did go back and got onboard via the fireman’s door so the conductor wouldn’t see. The fireman told me to sit in his seat and then instructed me on which valves to open to fire the engine (coal was fed via screw). It was a short ride but one I won’t forget. The engineer also later gave me a cab ride in an RDC from Pointe Claire to Rigaud and back.

Don Driscoll

2461 and 2408 side-by-side. Note steam lines on ground. Stack blower between engines used for startup.

2408

2412

2461

2461 has blower on to raise steam pressure.

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Old Time Trains © 2015

Canadian Pacific Railway
G3 Class 4-6-2

Last of steam on Montreal suburban service 1960.

I have been looking for some time for old photos on the Web of the CPR commuter yard at Dorion Quebec in the steam era and have only managed to find one picture so far. This was of course where CPR steam locos were layed over for the next day’s commuter runs to Montreal. I had spent many an hour trainwatching at the old CNR and CPR stations in Pointe Claire and decided one day that I would journey out to Dorion to photograph the steam locomotives before they were all gone.

As far as I remember these pics were taken probably on weekends in Jan/Feb of 1960. I have attached seven of the photos I took. Please excuse the B&W and the quality as I only had a Brownie Hawkeye camera to use – I did graduate to a 35mm later in 1960.

I used to go trainwatching at the station after school and was fortunate enough to get to know an engineer from Smiths Falls. One day he told me to come back the next day and I could get a ride in the steam loco cab. Hard to sleep that night. I certainly did go back and got onboard via the fireman’s door so the conductor wouldn’t see. The fireman told me to sit in his seat and then instructed me on which valves to open to fire the engine (coal was fed via screw). It was a short ride but one I won’t forget. The engineer also later gave me a cab ride in an RDC from Pointe Claire to Rigaud and back.

Don Driscoll

2461 and 2408 side-by-side. Note steam lines on ground. Stack blower between engines used for startup.

2408

2412

2461

2461 has blower on to raise steam pressure.