Canadian Rail No. 485 THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA'S RAILWAY HISTORY NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2001 PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY THE CANADIAN RAILROAD HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION PUBLIE TOUS LES DEUX MOIS PAR L'ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE D'HISTOIRE FERROVIAIRE 186 CANADIAN RAIL ISSN 0008-4875 Postal Permit No. 40066621 PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY THE CANADIAN RAILROAD HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION TABLE OF CONTENTS THE ROYAL TRAIN OF 1901 .................................................................................................................. .. FRED ANGUS ...................................... .. 187 TAKE THE 0 TRAIN .............................. .... ............................................................................................. 196 THE 2001 REMOTE RAIL ADVENTURE TOUR ........................................................................................... FRED ANGUS ....................................... 198 THE NEW VIA TRAIN TO KITCHENER ...................................................................................................... MARK PAUL ......................................... 202 VIA'S NEW LOCOMOTiVES ........................................... ... ..................................................................... 203 THE "REBORN" QUEBEC CENTRAL ........................................................................................................ 204 THE LAST TRIP OF THE "WASCANA" ...................................................................................................... DAVID MORRiS.................................... .. 206 EXPORAIL REPORT 7 ............................................................... ........................................................... CHARLES DE JEAN............................... 207 THE FIRST SUPERLINER1 IN 18291 ..................................................................................................... .. NEW YORK AMERiCAN .......................... 210 A CHRISTMAS STREET CAR STORy... ..........••.••.•..•....••.••..••.••...••...••.•.•••.•............................................... SI. NICHOLAS 1895.............................. 212 TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW ...................................................................................... 214 THE GREAT CANADIAN ACHIEVEMENTS MURAL AT AURORA .................................................................... 215 THE BUSINESS CAR ............................................................................................................................. 218 SANTA ON THE TRACKS .....................••••..•••........................................................................................... MONTREAL DAILY STAR 1898................ .. 219 FRONT COVER: The special train of the "Remote Rail Adventure Tour", operated by the Pacific Coast chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, passes a grain elevator at Davidson Saskatchewan on April 22, 2001. These grain elevators are rapidly disappearing. Photo by Fred Angus. BELOW VIA RAIL has retired all of its LRC locomotives, the last run of which occurred on December 12, 2001. This photo was taken on July 19 1986, when 6914 was hauling a special train commemorating the sesquicentennial of Canadian railways. Photos of VIA's new locomotives are on page 203. Photo by Fred Angus For your membership in the CRHA, which Canadian Rail is continually in need of news, stories" EDITOR: Fred F. Angus includes a subscription to Canadian Rail , historical data, photos, maps and other material. Please CO-EDITOR: Douglas NW. Smith write to: send all contributions to the editor: Fred F. Angus, 3021 ASSOCIATE EDITOR (Motive Power) : CRHA, 120 Rue St-Pierre, St. Constant, Trafalgar Avenue, Montreal, P.Q. H3Y 1 H3, e-mail Hugues W. Bonin Que. J5A 2G9 [email protected] . No payment can be made for LAYOUT: Fred F. Angus Membership Dues for 2001: contributions, but the contributer will be given credit for In Canada: $36.00 (including all taxes) material submitted. Material will be retumed to the contributer PRINTING: Procel Printing United States: $31.00 in U.S. funds. if requested. Remember "Knowledge is of little value unless DISTRIBUTION: Joncas Postexperts Other Countries: $56.00 Canadian funds. it is shared with others". Inc. The CRHA may be reached at its web site: www.exporail.org or by telephone at (450) 638-1522 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2001 187 CANADIAN RAIL - 485 The Royal Train of 1901 by Fred Angus This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the most famous Royal train ever operated in Canada up to that date. Even today, only the Royal train of 1939 is more well known. THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY 'S ROYAL TRAIN. "The Royal Train, built in the Canadian Pacific The Royal yacht entered Canadian waters on Railway's own workshops, by Canadian brains and labor, September 14 1901, and the newspapers announced "The is a marvel of pelfect workmanship and refined taste. Its Ophir, bearing the Royal party, has reached the coast of equal the world has yet to see." Canada. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York are This tribute appeared in Canadian newspapers in welcome to this Dominion". By an unfortunate historical September and October 1901, just 100 years ago, as the Duke coincidence, this was the very day of the death of U.S. and Duchess of Cornwall and York, later King George V and President McKinley who had been shot by an assassin at the Queen Mary, toured Canada. World's Fair in Buffalo eight days previously. So it was that In 1900 the Victorian era was drawing rapidly to a the start of the Royal tOllr of 1901 in Canada was relegated close. The nineteenth century was in its last year and the to the back pages of most of the papers. queen, after whom the era was named, was also near the end The arrival of the "Ophir" at Quebec, and the official of her life, outliving the century by only three weeks. Despite start of the tour, was delayed by a dense fog in the SI. the war then raging in South Africa, the British Empire was Lawrence river which forced the Royal yacht to stop for then at the peak of its greatness, and it was arranged that several hours. However at 9:30 on the morning of September Prioce George, who held the two titles of Duke of Cornwall 16 the "Ophir" came in sight of Quebec, and at 12:30 PM. and Duke of York, would, with his wife Mary, make a tour of the Duke and Duchess steped ashore on Canadian soil. Amid several countries of the Empire during 1901. George was the the celebration there was a note of sadness. All vessels in grandson of Queen Victoria, and in 1910 he would become port, the "Ophir" included, fle"" the Stars and Stripes at half King George V. Starting in March 1901, they would board mast in mourning for the murdered president, and a planned the Royal yacht "Ophir" and would visit India, Australia reception and garden party were cancelled. and New Zealand before arriving in Canada in September. For the next five weeks the Royal party toured Canada Then they would go to South Africa, where the Boer War was from coast to coast, before sailing from Halifax to still being fought, and would then return to England. Newfoundland (then a separate Dominion) on October 21. While the plans for the tour were being finalized, After a visit to Britain's oldest colony, they sailed for England Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901 and her son Edward, on October 25. The Royal tour of Canada of 1901 was over. George's father, became King Edward VII. Thus George Although there would be other Royal tours of Canada, most became the next in line to the throne and would soon be notably those of the Prince of Wales (George's son) in 1919 invested as Prince of Wales. Despite this change in status, it and 1927, it would not be until 1939 that a tour as elaborate was decided to continue with plans for the Royal tour. as that of 1901 would be held. RAIL CANADIEN - 485 188 NOVEMBRE-DECEMBRE 2001 Most of the long-distance travel in the tour was by newspapers; the one that follows is from th e Dail y Sun, of train , and the Canadi an Pacific Railway spared no effort to Saint John New Brunswick, on October 12 1901 , five days make this tr ain the best ava il able anywhere. Detailed before the Royal train aITi ved at th at city. descriptions, with pl ans and illustrations, appeared in many The C.P.R.'s Royal Train r DAY <?OACM eORNWALL This train consists of the day coach "Cornwall" DESCRIPTION OF THE "CORNWALL" and the night coach "York", each reserved for the use of The "Cornwall" is a day coach, 78 feet 6 1/2 inches Their Royal Highnesses; the compartment car "Canada" in length overall, with a width of 10 feet 3 3/8 inches, an and the sleeping car "Australia" for the members of their extreme height over rail of 14 feet, and a weight of over suite; the dining car "Sandringham" and the sleeping car 59 tons. It is divided into a reception room , boudoir, dining "India" for their attendants; the sleeping car "South Africa" room and kitchen etc. for the members of the press and others invited to join the Royal progress; and two cars for baggage and the accommodation of railway train employees. The train is 730 feet in length and its weight is 595 tons . Locomotives, varying in weight and power according to grades, will be used, and du ring the long run of over 3000 miles from ocean to ocean about twenty changes of locomotives in all will be made. The cars are all vestibuled, communication being had from end to end of train. The exteriors are finished in Mahogany. The entire train is lighted by electricity and equipped with electric be ll s, and