Royal Hudson

The term Royal Hudson refers to a group of semi-streamlined 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotives owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). In 1939, King George VI allowed the CPR to use the term after Royal Hudson number 2850 transported the royal train across Canada. These locomotives were in service between 1937 and 1960. Four of them have been preserved, and one is used for excursion service in British Columbia

Royal visit

In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada, arriving at Wolfe's Cove, Quebec, on May 17 1939. This was the first time that a reigning Monarch had visited Canada. The King and Queen took a tour of the country by rail. The CPR and the Canadian National Railways (CNR) shared the honours of transporting the royal train across the country, with the CPR undertaking the westbound journey, from Quebec City to Vancouver. The steam locomotive that the CPR used to pull the train was numbered 2850, a 4-6-4 built by Montreal Locomotive works. Specially painted in silver and blue, the locomotive ran 3,224 miles across Canada, through 25 changes of crew, without engine failure. The King, somewhat of a railbuff, rode in the cab when possible. After the tour, the King gave the CPR permission to use the term "Royal Hudson" for the semi-streamlined locomotives of the class and to display Royal Crowns on the running boards.cite web| url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/candate.htm| title=Significant dates in Canadian railway history| work=Colin Churcher's Railway Pages| year=2006-03-17| accessdate=2006-05-17| ]

Regular service

The CPR owned a total of 65 class H1 Hudsons built by MLW. Classes H1a and H1b, numbered 2800-2819, were not semi-streamlined and were not Royal Hudsons. The Canadian Pacific Railway owned 30 class H1c Hudsons, numbered 2820-2849, built in 1937, 10 class H1d Hudsons, numbered 2850-2859, built in 1938, and five class H1e Hudsons, numbered 2860-2864, built in 1940. They were primarily used in passenger service, but also saw some use in freight service as well. By 1960 they had all been retired, having been replaced by diesel locomotives.

Excursions

One Royal Hudson, No. 2860, was later used in excursion service. A class H1e Royal Hudson, it was made for the CPR by MLW in June 1940. It was the first locomotive to be built as a Royal Hudson. Between 1940 and 1956 it hauled transcontinental passenger trains between Revelstoke and Vancouver. It was damaged in a derailment outside of Vancouver in 1956, but by 1957 it had been refurbished and was transferred to Winnipeg for prairie service. It was withdrawn from service in May 1959 and sat on the scrap line for five years. It was sold to the Vancouver Railway Museum Association in 1964. However, the association was unable to find a place to display the locomotive and it remained in storage at Drake St shops in Vancouver. It was sold to Joe W. Hussey in 1970.

In 1973 Hussey sold No. 2860 to the British Columbia government. The locomotive was restored by Robert Swanson and staff of the CPR Drake street shops and then leased to the British Columbia Railway. The BCR commenced a Royal Hudson excursion service between North Vancouver, British Columbia (City) and Squamish on June 20, 1974. By the end of the 1974 tourist season, 47,295 passengers had been carried and the excursion was deemed successful. It was the only regularly scheduled steam excursion over mainline trackage in North America. The excursion operated between May and October, from Wednesday through Saturday. Also traveled North America in the late 70's as a promotion for BC tourism. It quickly became one of British Columbia's main tourist attractions.

After the end of the 1999 tourist season, No. 2860 broke down with major boiler problems. Improper operation of the locomotive was alleged. The cash-strapped BC Rail did not have the funds available for the repair. The Royal Hudson excursion (which used other locomotives during the 2000 and 2001 seasons such as Canadian Pacific 3716 currently operating on the Kettle Valley railway) was cancelled at the end of the 2001 excursion season. At the cancellation of the BC Rail Royal Hudson excursions, 2860 was transferred to the WCRA for eventual restoration.

Currently No. 2860 is still owned by the British Columbia government, but is on permanent loan to the West Coast Railway Association and is housed at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish.

2860's Return To Steam

On 28 September 2006, the Royal Hudson steamed into the WCRA Squamish station under her own power for the first time since October 1999. The restoration took just over one year with a cost of over $250,000. Money for the restoration was provided wholly by donations. The WCRA also had difficulty locating missing parts. Some of the major components, such as the trailing truck, were borrowed from sister engine 2850. The borrowed parts had to be returned when 2850 was put on public display. WCRA replaced the borowed tailing truck with one salvaged from a mine, which had salvaged the truck from a royal hudson. The truck actually turned out to have been taken off of 2860 when she was sitting on the scrap line in the 1960's. The association plans to operate 2860 on excursion runs and at special events including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver B.C. But due to the strict "no steam" policy that CP and CN have, the excursions are restricted to special occasions only.

outhern 2839

Engine 2839, once destined for a museum in eastern Canada, wound up being sold to a group of owners in Pennsylvania. After a restoration to full working order to full CPR livery, the engine was leased to the Southern Railway for their steam excursion program in 1979-1980, but was found that the locomotive was not powerful enough for their excursions. After being returned from the Southern, the engine was stored on Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad before being stored near Allentown, PA. After a series of owners, the engine was shipped on a flat car from Pennsylvania to the Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar, California, where it has been cosmetically restored.

Preservation

Four Royal Hudsons have been preserved (Hudson #2816 is not streamlined and thus is not "Royal" but is often mistakenly referred as a Royal Hudson, some call her "Royal" due her name, "Empress").
2839 Operated in the 1970s,1980s. Now at the Nethercutt Collection and Museum, Sylmar, California. Good cosmetic shape, displayed outside.
2850 The locomotive that hauled the Royal Train, served a long career until 1960 when it was retired and is now preserved at the Canadian Railway Museum at Delson/Saint-Constant, Quebec. Very good cosmetic shape, displayed indoors.
2858 Preserved at the National Museum of Science and Technology at Ottawa. Good cosmetic shape, displayed inside.
2860 Squamish, BC. Operable.

ee also

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References

* [http://www.rrsites.com/royalhudson/ Unofficial Royal Hudson website]
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/steamtown/shs3g.htm History of the Royal Hudsons]
* cite book
author = Sanford, Barrie
title = Steam
author = James Groundwater
year = 1993
National Archives of Canada
Location number: V1 2006-01-0014
Duration: (120:00)
Status: REF
Format: videotape
Vault code: VIDREF

title = The Pictorial History of Railroading in British Columbia
publisher = Whitecap Books, Vancouver, British Columbia
year = 1981
id = ISBN 0-920620-27-2
* cite book
author = Horton, Timothy J.
title = The British Columbia Railway (Volume One)
publisher = B.R.M.N.A., Calgary, Alberta
year = 1988
id = ISBN 0-919487-28-9
* cite book
author = Garrett, Colin and Max Wade
title = Locomotives: A complete history of the world's great locomotives and fabulous train journeys
location= London | publisher=Arness Publishing Limited
year = 2003
id = ISBN 1843092646
pages = pages 260–263