Cordova Bay Station - CPR Historical Display Cars

Articles

1 Nov 2001

CPR Historical Display cars 80 and 81 arrived at Esquimalt Yard on 9 August 2001 in anticipation of E&N Days.

CPR Historical Display Car 81 at Esquimalt.

CPR Historical Display Car 80 at Esquimalt.

Large end doors were designed to facilitate loading circus-ramp-style.

Most doors are sealed but some may be opened. Since they aren't air-conditioned this helped on a particularly hot day in Victoria.

Lord Strathcona is busy at his historical task as you enter car 80.

The first third of car 80 holds many original Canadian Pacific artifacts.

Seth Thomas clocks were standard across the CPR system and were very important when the railway was run by timetable.

Car 80 contains these over-size samples of CPR posters from the late 1800s, early 1900s.

Just prior to the "CPR Today" exhibit, car 80 displays these period black and white photos.

The "CPR Today" exhibit contains large colour photos of contemporary railway equipment.

Paul Crozier-Smith's historical photograph of a CPR Montreal Locomotive Works model S-3 switcher on Victoria's Store Street in 1974.

A highway crossbuck and video display by CP Police emphasizes safety awareness on railway property.

The control stand from an AC4400CW locomotive beckons to would-be engineers in the center of car 81.

CPR Historical Display Cars
Car 81 at Esquimalt
E&N Days

Canadian Pacific Railway Historical Display Cars number 80 and 81 arrived at the Esquimalt roundhouse Thursday, 9 August 2001. The arrival was in anticipation of E&N Days on Saturday and Sunday, 11-12 August 2001. This celebration commemorates the driving of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway's last spike on 13 August 1886, by Sir John A. MacDonald, first Prime Minister of Canada. An announcement by the Town Crier officially opening the two day event was followed by the cutting of a birthday cake. The general public examined the two display cars, rode in Fairmont speeders, ( One complete with a very loud air horn. ) and pumped themselves up and down the yard track on a handcar and a three wheeled velocipede. The history of the display cars follow, courtesy of the CPR:

Display Cars 80 and 81

Two cars in Canadian Pacific Railway's fleet stand apart from the rest. CPR's display cars - CP 80 and CP 81.

Delivered as horse express cars

These smooth-sided steel cars, measuring nearly 84 feet ( 25.6 meters ), look very much like baggage cars. But Canadian Car and Foundry of Montreal originally built these two cars for CPR as horse express cars. Designed in 1947 but not delivered until early 1949, CPR first put them into service on the Company's western lines in February 1949. The two horse express cars differ from most baggage cars with three sets of side-doors instead of two. These cars also have a large end-door for loading and unloading circus-ramp-style.

The two cars, delivered as CP 4560 and CP 4565, were each equipped to accommodate 18 horses and six attendants. Touted by enthusiastic horsemen as riding "as smoothly as a passenger car", they originally carried valuable race horses and thoroughbred saddle horses.

Palletized-freight cars

In 1964 the cars were refitted to carry palletized cargo and small containers, and used between Montreal and Saint John, New Brunswick. As a result they were renumbered CP 4600 and CP 4601.

Baggage cars

A few years later the cars were converted for through-baggage-car service and eventually renumbered CP 2600 and CP 2601.

Display cars

In 1974 the cars were taken out of regular service and assigned to the CPR's Public Relations and Advertising department ( currently Government and Public Affairs ) as display cars. They were renumbered CP 80 and CP 81.

As display cars, CP 80 and CP 81 have shown off everything from a 32-foot ( 9.75 meter ) N-scale model railway layout, to a 17-foot ( 1.85 meter ), 2,000 Lb. ( 907 Kg. ), One-sixth actual size, CPR Royal Hudson locomotive. They also once housed a comprehensive display on CPR's $500 million Rogers Pass Project.

The cars are now each equipped with a diesel generator that powers their video monitors, play-back units, fans, track lighting, and illuminates their onboard back-lit transparencies.

CPR's logos

The cars were revamped for the historic Fall 1997 "Logotrain" tour launching CPR's new beaver logo.

As visitors board CP 80 they are first given a taste of CPR's history, with a railway artifacts display, an historic photo-wall, and enlarged bygone-era posters. The back end of the car features CPR's logos through the years, complemented by the video "Beaver Tracks" tracing logo changes throughout the Company's history. CP 81 shows us commodities important to the country and CPR, as well as pictures of CPR's Calgary head-office and the Network Management Center. Visitors then pass through a safety display including Operation Lifesaver video commercials. The "piece de resistance" as visitors exit the car is an actual General Electric AC4400CW console from CPR's new 4,400 horsepower, AC-traction locomotives.

These two cars were recently the second and third cars in the consist pulled by Hudson locomotive 2816, the Empress, from Vancouver to Calgary during the steam engines inaugural run after rebuilding.

Vital Statistics

Car Numbers:

CP 4560 / 4600 / 2600 / 80
CP 4565 / 4601 / 2601 / 81

No. in Class:

2

AAR type:

M510

Builder:

Canadian Car and Foundry

Enter Service:

February 1949

No. of Trucks:

2

No. of Axles:

4

Light Weight:

122,900 Lbs.
55,747 Kg.

Extreme Length:

83 ft. 11 in.
25.58 meters

Extreme Height:

13 ft. 9 in.
4.19 meters

Extreme Width:

10 ft. 7 in.
3.23 meters

Original Cost per Car:

$64,658.

Associated Links

Canadian Pacific Railway