12 April 2007
Steam Locomotive's Trip Won't Trigger Union Protest
Vancouver British Columbia - Even though it will be
operating with Canadian National Railway management at the controls, striking railway workers will not target a vintage locomotive's
trip from Squamish to White Rock this weekend.
The refurbished Royal Hudson, a 67-year-old steam locomotive, is making its first run in eight years this weekend,
venturing from its Squamish railway yard home to White Rock to celebrate the oceanside city's 50th anniversary.
Rotating strikes that began this week across the country after United Transportation Union workers rejected a tentative wage agreement
will not affect the Royal Hudson's trip, according to a union representative.
"We're picketing in a limited and strategic manner to minimize the impact to the general public," said David Moorhouse, union
secretary-treasurer for CN railway workers.
That's good news for the White Rock consultant who arranged for the Royal Hudson to travel from Squamish on CN track without
passengers, before stopping in Vancouver to pick up more than 500 people, then heading to White Rock on another railway's line. More
than 1,000 tickets have been sold for the round trip, which will feature not only the vintage locomotive but a diesel locomotive,
generator, and observation car, as well as eight coaches.
Rene Duson said there are more than 400 hopefuls on a ticket waiting list, and he could have sold 10,000 tickets for the
two-hour trip.
"People are tired of living in an age of cellphones, e-mails, and faxes - they just want to go back in time,"
Mr. Duson said.
Mr. Moorhouse said the union is more concerned with getting CN management back to the bargaining table than it is with picketing CN
management operating the steam engine, which is sister to the locomotive that escorted the 1939 cross-country royal tour.
"CN will do what they have to do to run the train," Mr. Moorhouse said. "We can't do anything about that."
Built in 1940, the Royal Hudson 2860 ran for 16 years on the Vancouver-to-Revelstoke run with a top speed of 193
kilometres an hour before a first retirement in 1956. Refitted and put back into service by a local steam society in 1974, the
locomotive was a fixture on the West Coast, travelling from Vancouver to Squamish as a tourist train for 25 years.
Facing a $2.5-million boiler replacement in 1999, the train was again retired. But with money raised from donations and
government grants, the Royal Hudson underwent a $627,000 boiler restoration two years ago and passed certification last fall to hit
the rails.
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