It’s of beastly proportions and sitting in a building barely larger than itself means it’s difficult to photograph. It’s just too big and the space too cramped. Anyway, it’s not at its best all naked and vulnerable while being restored, so those type of photos can wait. You know, roll it outside when it’s all done up pretty and snap away but until then it’s close-in detail shots. We’re talking about a famous steam locomotive, #6060, and it’s a sleeping giant present day after being out of service for a couple years. A group is working to change that, however, so it can again polish the rails.
Getting to that point will be a long process so in the meantime, here’s a couple random teaser images from one of our visits to the site. We’ve dropped by a couple times now and have volunteered to document each major step along the way. However long it takes and when done we’ll (hopefully) make a story out of this. To see it go from an in-pieces state to back on the road is something we can all look forward too.
We’ve blindly picked photos out of a hat here and thankfully it’s nothing out of focus or something embarrassing. It’ll happen one day in a “Random Pick” post as we’ve got no shortage of stinkers and rejects in our collection.
Perhaps the most widely recognized steam locomotive in Canada, #6060 dates from 1944 and when back in service will be the largest operational example in the country. For decades it’s pulled various excursions (why it’s so well known) but that has taken its toll and so it’s what you see here. But it’ll roll again and you can help the project move forward by going here: Rocky Mountain Rail Society #6060.
Short Subjects: reports that are short and sweet in nature. It’s stuff interesting enough in itself, but not deserved of the full on BIGDoer.com treatment. Think silly little snippets, vignettes and likewise things of that sort and you’ll be in and out in no time.
While the Mountains were the largest CN passenger locomotives to operate regularly in western Canada (CN’s more famous Northerns were not used much west of Winnipeg, and were most common in southern Ontario and farther east), the CN T-4-b Santa Fe’s have them beat in tractive effort. They were the most powerful CN steam locomotives to regularly operate in western Canada, but unfortunately none were preserved.
Different engines for different tasks, 6060 could do 90 mph with a good size passenger train while the 4300s were designed for slower speed heavy freight work, and by 35-40 mph their rods were a blur and the exhaust one continuous roar with no discernible chuffing (as told to me by another volunteer who used to fire them).
As preserved engines go 6060 is indeed one of the most famous, but is again beaten in weight and power by a number of other Canadian engines. Even CP’s last class of Royal Hudsons weigh more, the difference being explained by CP’s better track allowing higher axle loadings.
The largest and most powerful steam locomotives in Canada, and indeed in the whole British Empire were CN’s T-2-a Santa Fe’s (one, 4100, is preserved at the Canadian Railway Museum) and CP’s Selkirks. There is some debate about which one deserves the crown as “largest”, as the CN 4100s produced more tractive effort but were strictly low speed engines (being designed for transfer and helper service on the grades around Toronto), while the Selkirks weighed around 40,000 lbs more and were far more versatile.
The CNRHA site has a number of scanned steam data sheets, here’s the one for 6060’s class:
Thank you so much and on review see that the wording needed some serious clarification. We thought one thing and wrote down another – sigh – if you see my brain, send it home. It should have read when in service it’s the largest (in terms of size) operational steamer in the country, but by the time it was typed, the context was messed up. We’ve since updated the post to make it a little more clear.
Still, what you shared was an enjoyable read and we appreciate you taking the time.
We used to do something called the "pointless challenge" 🤪 and miss those days. It was so much silly fun and often frustrating as heck. In these we'd invite people to send in random photos of obscure locations, but not give any information, and then we'd track where it was and shoot something similar.
Most of these came from old family collections, as was the case here. Anyone up to resurrecting the series?
In hindsight, why didn't we pose someone in our shot?
Pointless: “Devoid of meaning (or) senseless” Merriam-Webster.
If you like what we do and want to support this ongoing project (12 years now), go here: https://www.BIGDoer.com/help-the-society/ Thanks to Connie for making this post possible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: ca1970 and 2014. Posted by Connie.
Captured on a cold, cold day many years ago. We've been passing this old house for decades and it's little changed in that time. At some point we expect to drive by and it'll be gone.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
When retired old railway cars usually get cut up for scrap. Sometimes, however, they find their way into the hands of the general public or whomever. Flat cars make good bridges, and boxcars can be transformed into storage buildings and the like. Case in point here. We see them used like this often enough and in this case, it's part of a corral.
Incidentally, this boxcar dates from 1950 and this was found by tracing the old road number, which is still visible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
This central Alberta racetrack was never a commercial operation but instead just a fun place for car enthusiasts in the area to get together. Early '70s or thereabouts and it only lasted a few years. Even thought it's been abandoned for that long, there is no doubt what was here.
You know we like the the obscure stuff and this one fits the bill perfectly. Found by accident while backroad cruising and the history comes thanks to local car guy Mike.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
On top of little Myrtle Mountain in the Kimberley (BC) Nature Park.
There's some good wilderness fun to be had here and nice views as you can see, but the real reason we came is mining history. The whole area near the ski hill was extensively worked over a century ago and we were looking for evidence of this. We didn't find much in the area searched, but it's a big chunk of property and we hope to return to cover more ground again soon. Of all the subjects we cover, mining related is a favourite.
Still, it was a good hike and that can't be bad. Look to the comments for more info 👇.
Exploring nature and history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
It's a strange curiosity in south Kananaskis, there on a hillside and we have no idea who created it. We asked around and no one's completely sure about its history. In the past it showed the Canada 100 logo from 1967 but in 2017 someone changed it to reflect the country's 150th.
That's our friend Emily from DanOCan.com having a look.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
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So there’s where it’s been hiding?
It’s not been in the news much lately (Covid stuff I suspose).
A fun day to visit the locomotive! I look forward to returning with you on future visits!
Yes!
While the Mountains were the largest CN passenger locomotives to operate regularly in western Canada (CN’s more famous Northerns were not used much west of Winnipeg, and were most common in southern Ontario and farther east), the CN T-4-b Santa Fe’s have them beat in tractive effort. They were the most powerful CN steam locomotives to regularly operate in western Canada, but unfortunately none were preserved.
Different engines for different tasks, 6060 could do 90 mph with a good size passenger train while the 4300s were designed for slower speed heavy freight work, and by 35-40 mph their rods were a blur and the exhaust one continuous roar with no discernible chuffing (as told to me by another volunteer who used to fire them).
As preserved engines go 6060 is indeed one of the most famous, but is again beaten in weight and power by a number of other Canadian engines. Even CP’s last class of Royal Hudsons weigh more, the difference being explained by CP’s better track allowing higher axle loadings.
The largest and most powerful steam locomotives in Canada, and indeed in the whole British Empire were CN’s T-2-a Santa Fe’s (one, 4100, is preserved at the Canadian Railway Museum) and CP’s Selkirks. There is some debate about which one deserves the crown as “largest”, as the CN 4100s produced more tractive effort but were strictly low speed engines (being designed for transfer and helper service on the grades around Toronto), while the Selkirks weighed around 40,000 lbs more and were far more versatile.
The CNRHA site has a number of scanned steam data sheets, here’s the one for 6060’s class:
http://www.cnrha.ca/node/704/
It’s nice to see you are following 6060’s story, we all look forward to the day when she will operate again.
Thank you so much and on review see that the wording needed some serious clarification. We thought one thing and wrote down another – sigh – if you see my brain, send it home. It should have read when in service it’s the largest (in terms of size) operational steamer in the country, but by the time it was typed, the context was messed up. We’ve since updated the post to make it a little more clear.
Still, what you shared was an enjoyable read and we appreciate you taking the time.