Under Wraps
This pair of cocooned locomotives call Nelson British Columbia home. It’s hoped they will eventually be put on display near the town’s restored railway station but for now are stored nearby on a siding, not publicly accessible and “under wraps”, awaiting the next move. Both date from the 1950s and while unseen under all those coverings, they are nicely painted up in Canadian Pacific Railway colours of the era. Seen nearby are a couple vintage transit buses, expats from Alberta which we’ll just touch on briefly.
In order to protect the units from weather, and vandals (who sadly have still made their mark), the units are kept tarped. The fellow whose job it is to check they’re still in place and the ropes taught invited us to take a look at the pair, and even volunteered to partially uncover one so we could have a quick peek before re-wrapping it tight. Wish we could see them in all their glory. Next time maybe!
The first unit is a model H16-66 (hood unit, sixteen hundred horse power, six axles, six traction motors), built by the Fairbanks Morse Company, Beloit Wisconsin in early 1958. This model combined brutish pulling power with the ability to tread easily on lighter rail. Among rail buffs the model is known as a “Baby Train Master” (or Trainmaster), unofficial, given it’s visual similarity to the larger, more powerful and officially named “Train Master”, aka model H24-66, produced around the same time.
This H16-66 was the second last built. The model’s run was 1951-1958 and about sixty were produced. Two survive.
While wearing Canadian Pacific Railway colours (a handsome paint job), the company never actually owned this locomotive, nor in fact any of this model. Still it’s close in appearance to ones they did roster, H16-44s and H24-66s built by FM’s licensee here, the Canadian Locomotive Company, Kingston Ontario. It’s #7009, which is within the CPR’s numbering block reserved for “demonstrator” locomotives (so the idea being the railway was testing this unit). No other Canadian Railways owned this model.
Before making its way north the unit worked for various industrial firms in the US. The original owner was the Aluminum Company of America who later sold it to Squaw Creek Coal (later Peabody Coal). Sometime in the late 1980s it was moved to a rail display and themed restaurant in High River Alberta (this author photographed it there long ago – go to end of this text for a link). Joining up with the other locomotive seen in this post (now under the same owner, the two are seemingly inseparable), it stayed there for many years. Later it was stored at the CPR shops in Ogden Calgary and painted as seen today.
The second unit is Canadian Locomotive Company, Fairbanks Morse USA designed, CPA16-4 (Cowl unit, passenger service, A=cab equipped, sixteen hundred horsepower, four powered axles) built in 1954. The CPR had a modest number of this model on the roster, along with similar “freight” versions and cabless “B units”, built between 1951-1954. Many passenger locomotives, which generally only differed in that they could provide heating for people on the trains, also worked freights as needed.
Always carrying the number #4104 it remained in service until 1975, one of two C-Liners (as they were called) still at work for the railway by that point. The CPR, by the way, was the last major carrier anywhere to operate FM designed units in quantity with many H Series and those couple C Series lasting into the summer of 1975.
The unit was set aside for a time. Was it because it was historically significant or just forgotten about, we don’t know. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s it was located at a railway museum in Edmonton.
Soon after it showed up in High River and later went to Ogden always tagging along with #7009. It was painted in the late 1990s to the current scheme (and may have been repainted since).
In the early 2010s, both #7009 and #4104 made their way to Nelson. Then they left, travelling all over BC and Alberta, for reasons unknown (a clerical routing error is suspected) before returning. Odd. Today they sit in a small weed-chocked yard within sight of their supposed new home.
Interestingly, they’re sitting very near the site of the former Nelson Shops, torn down many years ago, which was the maintenance base for CLC/FM locomotives in Southern BC (where most were based). Unit #4104 visited the shops many times while working in the area, old photos attest to that..
Both locomotives are privately owned by the same person, the reason they’ve stuck together so long. It’s planned they be put on display at the Railtown complex, built around the former CPR Nelson station nearby, but it’s not clear when they’ll make move. Calls/emails to the group behind it all have gone unanswered and their website says little in regards what they have in store for the pair. The owner didn’t return our calls either and even the fellow who invited us in wasn’t sure. Do you know? Please comment!
To the best of our knowledge both units are mechanically complete, or mostly so, but do not run. Not sure how much work would be needed to bring them back to life. I suspect a lot, and tons of money too.
Fairbanks Morse made locomotives from 1944-1963. The Canadian Locomotive Company did so from 185x-1968 (including thousands of steamers). In the 1950s they made FM designs for use in Canada.
The buses? The pair once worked for Medicine Hat Transit and date from the 1950s/early 1960s, ex-#741, and it’s thought #728. They’re TGH-3xxx series models from General Motors. Bus nuts casually refer to them “Old Looks”, simply as a way to distinguished them from the official New Look bus model from that same maker, which was built concurrently for a time.
These belong to a firm, Harvest Moon Promotions of Medicine Hat Alberta, who use (or used) the left most bus as a mobile Drive-in Theatre. The second it’s thought is a parts source to keep the first running. Not sure if they’re moved the operation to Nelson BC permanently, or if they’re just there temporarily. Perhaps they’ll chime in. We tried messaging them with no luck.
That run-in with the H16-66 in the 90s…
Fairbanks Morse H-16-66 Locomotive.
More locomotives…
Class of ’63 (from the Canadian Locomotive Company).
Aspen Crossing’s new locomotive gets delivered.
The little yellow locomotive.
If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!
Date: June, 2016.
Location: Nelson, BC.
Article references and thanks: Canadian Trackside Guides, Book: Constructed in Kingston, RailRoadForums.com, Nelson Star, Ken Baker, Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board.
The locomotives (and buses) are on private property with no public access. BIGDoer.com visited with permission.
I think CP did own several Trainmasters – regularly in use in Trail as I recall and elsewhere. Shame about the taggers. Hope to see these on proper display someday.
The CPR did have some full-sized Train Masters (or is it Trainmasters? I’ve forgotten) but not this smaller model. These locos are now on display by the old trains station, but recent photos show the tagging is still there.
Love the bus pictures! I have a little model of one of those somewhere painted by my great grandfather. He used to own the Medicine Hat Transit Company before the City bought and operated it. I suspect he drove those very buses at one time or another, I’m told he was very hands on with the operation. My Granny had a lifetime bus pass and I would ride with her when I’d visit. Lots of memories.
How cool! Their transit fleet was not all that big so yes, there’s a good chance he’s connected to these buses. Feel free to share a photo of the model he made!
Hi Chris – I am making a 1/48th scale model of an H16-66, which fits in with why I am writing you! I have most of the detail I need to build an accurate model except for the exhaust fans located on the roof at the end of the long body. While many photos exist of that area of the loco, I need a shot taken close up of one of the exhaust fans….Since you have been to the site of the H16-66, is there any chance that you have, or could take, a few photos of that area of the machine?
That sounds like an awesome project. Would love to see it when done. I’m afraid the roof is the only thing we didn’t photograph. And with the loco being a day’s journey away, I’m not sure when next we’ll be in the area and if permission could be had to do such a thing. I did help measure an H16-44 for a model maker but did not go up top. And anyway, I’m not sure of the arrangement of the fan is the same between those models, or even if there are differences between CLC and FM fan layouts. So as such, I don’t have much to offer I’m afraid. So sorry.
Beautiful! I so love that paint scheme.
A classic!
Are they still vandalized today or did they repaint them and make them look nice?!
Last we saw a couple years back they were still tagged.
Why do the cops never target idiots with spray cans?
Nelson seems to have a tagging problem. There was a disproportionate amount from what we saw.
These look very similar to the ones in Medicine Hat.
Those are different model locomotives, but similarly painted.
My railroading club has this locomotive in ho scale #0901 in dcc
Now that’s cool! Send pics, please.
Did you get any shots of the Nelson streetcar?
Not this pass, but it’s on our radar (of course). We simply ran out of time this visit.
Very familiar with both units from the inside out.
Oh? I’ve sent you a message.
Oh wow!
I know!
Great details. Thank you very much for sharing!
Awesome, you are so welcome.
Interesting story. Most communities would be pleased to have a couple of locomotives to anchor a theme park or museum. Maybe Nelson is broke. There’s a railway museum just north of Edmonton that would be thrilled to own one or both of those fine specimens.
Glad you liked the piece. They are kind of treated like the unloved step-child and the taggers have a field day with them (Nelson seems to have a disproportionate amount of graffiti). The city does seems to embrace its history, witness all the fine old buildings in the town, but here we don’t know what’s going on. Of course, there’s more to the story we don’t know. Interestingly, the second locomotive, the one completely wrapped in tarps spent most of the 1980s at that Edmonton Rail Museum.
WOW……. amazing
They’ve since been moved and are one display not far away. It was cool to see the one (partially) unwrapped for us.
Hi Chris, thanks for the article and photos. I love the FM loco’s. That big opposed piston engine would sound wonderful if they ever run again!!. While these were at Ogden shops there was a third FM unit, 8554 which was moved to secure storage a few years back. Do you have any info as to it’s state wellness?
Thanks,
Dave
Dave, so nice to hear from you. We’re so happy you enjoyed the article. Ex-CPR #8554 is in storage at an industrial site south of Calgary. Team BIGDoer has been invited to go look at it, but we’re not sure when it’ll happen. Stay tuned!
When I worked at Calgary Transit, that style of bus was called a “Porthole Jimmy”. Named so because when driving it, you felt you were looking out a porthole. Lots of blind spots. With the short wheelbase, it sometimes felt like you were riding on the back of a jackrabbit!
Oh, an interesting nickname. Do you recall the unit number? Thanks for commenting.
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It is soon to be moved in front of the restored cp station in Nelson British Columbia.
That’s the plan they say. Hopefully it happens sooner than later. Those locos are not safe where they are.
Here is a photo of the 2 units a few years back.
http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/181686501.html
Here are some more photos of the units mistakenly shipped to Coquitlam. I remembered seeing these photos a few years back so your article was a bit of deja vu.
http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/croarchives/dec2012history.htm
I hope this adds to the great info in your article.
Kevin
Thanks Kevin. Yes, that whole tour of the province goof-up. A paperwork mix up no doubt, although no one at the CPR is admitting to anything.
Is that the one that was in Ogden Shops ten years ago or so?
Yes, the article touches on that.
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Visited with permission…unlike whoever pulled down those tarps! I can’t wait until these are on proper display.
Their located in about the worst place possible. Lots of sketchy people about. They need to be move to somewhere secure, asap.
I have read somewhere the 4104 is serviceable, and was maintained to potentially run if desired. When it was repainted at Ogden the CP did some mechanical work to it at the same time. There was talk years ago about restoring one of the two remaining C Liner B units to mate with the 4104, but nothing really came from it…..
I heard that too. Could you imagine it operational? What a sight that would be. I suspect it won’t happen though. Who has the money?
Oh lord will ya look at that–wow!
Double wow!
I photographed these units while in Calgary in December 2006.
I saw them at Ogden back then too, but for some reason failed to take a shot. Never again.
If they need a spot to park them for 10-25 years I know a museum in Beausejour that would have room.
They’d look good on display in my front yard!
Hopefully kept secured and patrolled to keep the taggers away. Looks like a gem under that tarp!
Taggers have been an ongoing problem even with the tarps. Can’t wrap my head around why they do it.
Very nice, I really like the old colours, I haven’t driven that one!
The old CPR paint scheme was classy and gorgeous, one of the best among railways (CNR’s of the same era comes in second).
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Having worked on both when they were in Edmonton years ago it’s nice to see them again.
Awesome, so up at the railway museum there?