8 August 2001
Test Runs for Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 No. 2816 Postponed Until Next Week
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2816 trials - 18 Aug 2001.
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The first test runs for restored Canadian Pacific
H1b-Class Hudson 4-6-4 No. 2816, which were initially scheduled for this week, have been pushed back until
late next week.
The shipment of superheater pipes to BC Rail's North Vancouver steam shops was delayed, forcing the tests to be postponed. The
locomotive did pass the required boiler and hydrostatic tests, and has received inspections from Transport Canada and the Federal
Railroad Administration, said Jonathan Hanna, CP's corporate historian.
The exact dates for the tests have not been determined, he said, as shop forces are busy installing the superheater pipes.
The 2816 is slated to roll between the CP intermodal terminal at Pitt Meadows, B.C., and Mission, B.C., a roughly 25-mile
run, during the window between the morning and evening commuter operations on the line.
CP is requesting that interested observers keep their distance from the tracks so that the tests are not delayed and safety is not
compromised.
During the tests, the locomotive will be unjacketed above the running boards.
Assuming the locomotive performs well during the trial runs, the 2816 will power a five-day, four-night trip
from Vancouver to CP's headquarters city of Calgary beginning 19 Sep 2001. The locomotive's arrival on
23 Sep 2001, and subsequent display, would be keyed to the shareholder meeting that week that will determine the fate of
Canadian Pacific Ltd.'s plans to spin off its subsidiaries, including the railway.
CP will use the 2816 as a steam ambassador in its community outreach program. The locomotive was built by the Montreal Locomotive Works
in 1930 and retired in 1960. It has been undergoing a three-year restoration that includes conversion to burn oil
fuel.
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