B&M CPR Pool

Montreal-Boston was an early run-through with Boston & Maine over a 339 mile route.
The pooling of rolling stock began in 1887 with creation of the Montreal and Boston Air Line,
(renamed in 1903 as simply, Montreal and Boston Line at which time a new fleet of equipment was acquired),
similar to the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Line. Under these arrangements equipment was
jointly owned by the two or three railways operating the service.

Steam engines pooled included CPR G1 and G2 class Pacifics and B&M P2 Pacifics.

Day trains The Alouette and night trains The Red Wing were part of this pool.

The Alouette

B&M 3625 with The Alouette leaving Windsor Station 1939.

Two views of the The Alouette B&M 3653 at Montreal West 1947. Ron Ritchie

B&M 4590 American Flyer lightweight Cor Ten steel car built by Osgood Bradley. One of 84 B&M cars.

Details of rolling stock (above and below) and details of air horns on 1801 which dates photo.
air horns 1801 closeup.

Red Wing in steam era.

Diesel Era

1802 crosses the diamond after getting a highball signal. Whitehead, NH

Archaic Ball-style signal from which the term "highball" originated.
Ball high up indicated proceed. Low down is stop.

1800 No. 212 The Alouette in Windsor Station 1954.

CP 1801 in original paint scheme. Looks like a 1949 or newer Chevy coupe and a much older truck on platform.
Northbound at Laconia, New Hampshire, 1951. R. Lewis photograph. Digital restoration Ron Visockis.

1800 The Alouette leaving Woodsville, New Hampshire

1802 with the Red Wing at Montreal West. June 24/1959 Bob Krone

1801 in original paint scheme. Compare to 1802 above. B&M 1262

Cape Churchill on The Red Wing at B&M North Station, Boston. June 6, 1954
Lawson Hill/John Hutchins Collection

CPR bought three EMD E8 units to pool with B&M E7 diesels. B&M photos wanted
First to depart Windsor Station in Montreal was 1800 on this train on December 9,1949.
These were the only E units owned by any Canadian railway.

The Alouette was changed to Budd Cars (RDC's) in October of 1956.

RDC_2 CP 9113 (with another RDC-2 likely a B&M Highliner) leads The Alouette stopping at Cowansville, Quebec not long after conversion to self-propelled equipment. The two uniformed men are likley Canada Customs and Canada Immigration officers about to board the train to do their duty. 1/12/1957 L.B.Chapman Collection

Two RDC-2's comprise Number 32 The Alouette seen here leaving Windsor Station in Montreal.
The lead car is a B&M and the trailing car is CP 9111. 4/10/1958 L.B.Chapman Collection

9113 White River Junction. 1964 Paul McGrane Collection

9113 Dayliner meets B&M Highliner to exchange passengers at White River Jct. Vermont.
Run through of cars has ended due to lower ridership. Joseph Testagrose Collection

The last run of The Red Wing was made on October 24, 1959.

The last run of The Alouette was made on October 30, 1965 using a single RDC.
Since April 25, 1965 the train had been operating only between Montreal and Wells River VT.