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Canadian Pacific Paper Collectables

       
 
Introduction

To readers of this web site it is probably obvious there is a bias in favour of the Canadian Pacific Railway. This is because like most railfans one develops a favouritism towards one particular railway. Like many a packrat I've collected many railway items over the years but the preponderance would comprise CPR.
 
One common item accumulated by railfans is the paper collectable. While there are many different railway paper collectables in my collection most are Canadian Pacific. This month, instead of the usual photos of some railroad with a description, there will be a display of scanned CPR paper items such as envelopes, timetables, and folders.
 
Some of these images have been published on the web previously but there are a couple of unusual items you may not have seen before. Not to give anything away, you'll have to read the text with each item, to discover possible nuggets of knowledge about Canadian Pacific.

 
Envelopes

 Click to enlarge This corporate logo first appeared in 1929 when the company's expansion called for a new look. The shield survived, but the beaver went. "Canadian Pacific" occupied the top of the crest, leaving room below for the symbol of the company's different interests - a hotel crest, a ship, a truck, a telegraph pole, and for the railway, its new slogan, "World's Greatest Travel System". A simple black ink logo was used on small plain brown envelopes that were 6 x 3 1/2 inches ( 15.25 x 9 cm ) in size.
 
 Click to enlarge By the 1950s the logo once more contained a beaver but was reduced to a simpler form, free of borders and raised points, and appeared on all cars of "The Canadian". Customers purchasing tickets were often accompanied by this interesting and colourful envelope. It was 6 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches ( 17 x 9 cm ) in size.
 
 Click to enlarge Jumping over several corporate logos to 1968 the CP Rail "Multimark" appeared. Canadian Pacific felt its growing multi-faceted enterprise needed a symbol that could be adapted to its different businesses. The Multimark was a triangle and semicircle with a square block signifying direction, global capability, and stability. The Canadian Pacific Railway became known as CP Rail. Naturally the envelopes changed too. You could still purchase a ticket on "The Canadian" which now carried a red stripe and multimark on its stainless steel cars. This envelope was 8 1/8 x 3 1/2 inches ( 20.5 x 9 cm ) in size.
 
 

At some point during the 1950s these passengers are about to board
a sparkling clean "Canadian" somewhere in Canada. Judging by the
gentleman's hat it would most likely be in Calgary, Alberta, next to
the Palliser Hotel. It's probably a CPR publicity shot -
Date/photographer unknown.


Timetables

 Click to enlarge While CPR produced a public system-wide timetable that contained all the passenger trains running on its trackage numerous small timetables, pocket size, were printed for the convenience of the public. This pocket size timetable of "The Canadian" would make a great addition to any paper collection. The timetable is 4 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches ( 11.5 x 8 cm ) in size and opens to 4 1/2 x 6 3/8 inches ( 11.5 x 16.25 cm ).
 
 Click to enlarge In the year 1969 "The Canadian" was still in operation but it now carried the CP Rail Multimark livery. The red and brown beaver logos attached to both sides of each car were removed and sold through a marketing scheme known as "CP Bygones". At that time you could purchase an original logo from one of the cars for the huge sum of $10. "The Canadian" also carried a lighted drumhead with the logo on the last car of each train, a "Park" series dome-observation-sleeper, so-named because each car carried the name of one of Canada's National Parks. The timetable is 3 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches ( 8.25 x 15.75 cm ) in size and opens to 6 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches ( 15.75 x 16.5 cm ).
 
 Click to enlarge At sometime during the CP Rail Multimark period one page public timetables on light card stock were produced for the RDC (Rail Diesel Car) fleet also known as "Budd" cars because they were manufactured by the Budd Company in the United States of America. CP named them "Dayliners". Several scheduled routes were covered such as the Victoria to Courtenay run on the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N) of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The example shown here covers the RDC service between Calgary and Edmonton. At one time trains used to cross the High Level Bridge in Edmonton and stop at the North Side station but by the time of the Budd cars service terminated at the station in Edmonton South. This timetable is 4 1/8 x 8 3/16 inches ( 10.5 x 20.75 cm ) in size with the schedule printed on the reverse side. Click to enlarge
 
Of course, if you wanted to ride the E&N Dayliner, you had to take a CPR ferry from the mainland. Prior to the Government of British Columbia taking over the ferry service between the mainland, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands, CPR had an extensive fleet of car ferries serving Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, and even Alaska. This timetable is 2 7/8 x 5 7/8 inches ( 7.4 x 14.9 cm ) in size and opens to 8 5/8 x 5 7/8 inches ( 22 x 14.9 cm ).

 
Folders

 Click to enlarge Should you have arrived in Victoria by E&N Dayliner from Nanaimo or CPR ferry there was one stop that was a must. That's a stop to take High Tea in the Empress Hotel. This folder, or it may be a menu, shows the price of High Tea to be $3.50 per person but does not contain a date. Canadian Pacific no longer owns the hotel but you can still enjoy High Tea there today. The Fairmont Empress now names it "Afternoon Royal Tea" and it will cost you $30 today! Per person, of course. No torn jeans, short shorts, beach wear, flip-flops, jogging pants, or tank tops, reservations are required. Please Note:  For the comfort of those around you, it is requested that cell phones be turned off during Afternoon Tea. This paper item is 4 3/8 x 7 7/16 inches ( 11.1 x 18.9 cm ) in size.
 
 Click to enlarge It's been a long time since one could ride in a Canadian Pacific dome car but with the hints in this folder you will have a better chance getting perfect photos from CP's dome cars now operated by VIA Rail. The curved glass of the domes is tinted a blue colour. Taking a colour photo through the glass without correction produces an odd colour on the finished image. I haven't tried it with a digital camera but suspect that would be problematical too. The folder is 3 x 5 1/2 inches ( 7.5 x 13.9 cm ) in size and opens to 5 15/16 x 5 1/2 inches ( 15.1 x 13.9 cm ).
 
Now here's an interesting folder. I'll bet there are few railfans out there  Click to enlarge who have heard of Deluxe Moving & Storage. That's correct, Canadian Pacific owned a moving company, just like United Van Lines. This folder is 7 5/8 x 3 1/4 inches ( 19.3 x 8.2 cm ) in size and opens to 7 5/8 x 6 1/2 inches ( 19.3 x 16.5 cm ).

 
Other Items

The "Royal Canadian Pacific" is today's luxury trainset. Comprised of heritage passenger equipment once frequented by Kings, Queens, Prime Ministers, and American Presidents this trainset is pulled by diesel-electric locomotive "F" units. It offers deluxe tours, food, and service from Calgary through the Rocky Mountains to southern British Columbia returning via the Crowsnest Pass. Additionally, the train has made special trips across Canada and even into the United States.  Click to enlarge While the cost is prohibitive for the average railfan large corporations sometimes book the train for their special guests. At one time those two famous movie directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola chartered the train for a trip across the prairies. This item is a small booklet containing glossy photos of the train, its dining arrangements, and interior accommodation in the refurbished heritage business cars of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The booklet is 9 1/4 x 5 7/16 inches ( 23.5 x 13.9 cm ) in size.
 
Some time ago, unfortunately there is no date, Canadian Pacific published a 9 1/2 x 12 inch folder named "Canada's Great Railway Adventure" containing various fact sheets and drawings of their freight equipment. This was prior to publishing their "Fact Book" which is currently available as a download from their web site. All the equipment drawings included were lettered in the CP Rail paint scheme:
 
 Click to enlarge    Click to enlarge    Click to enlarge
 
 
For Sale at  
 
1893 CPR Pass signed by William Van Horne
 
1894 CPR Public Timetable
 
1938 CPR System-wide Public Timetable
 
1957 CPR Across Canada brochure
 
1967 CPR Atlantic Region Employee Timetable
 
 
Associated Web Sites

Canadian Pacific Railway
 
Royal Canadian Pacific
 
Fairmont Empress Hotel
 
 
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