Canadian Pacific's Hudson 2815

Photos and transcription by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted December, 2011

At Roundhouse Park on Bremner Boulevard just west of Lower Simcoe Street, inside the roundhouse at the entrance to Leon's store, can be seen this plaque painted on a wall. Here's what it tells us:

Plaque coordinates: 43.641224 -79.386861

It's a crisp late winter day in March, 1935. Since late last night, Canadian Pacific's Hudson 2815 has been drowsing in the steamy warmth of Toronto's John Street roundhouse, while the shop forces deal with the myriad tasks of servicing and light maintenance in preparation for the H1b's next passenger service assignment. Both the locomotive and shop are just five years old.

And despite the Great Depression, railways are the preferred mode of inter-city travel for Canadians, from coast to coast. John Street boasts Canada's first installation of a Direct Steaming system. This means that locomotives laying over between runs can be maintained under shop steam without a fire on the grates. When the engine arrived last evening, 2815's fire was dropped completely, a layer of fresh coal was placed on the grates and the engine rolled into its stall on the steam pressure remaining in the boiler. Once in the roundhouse, it was connected through its blow-off valve to the Direct Steaming system.

Now, 2815 is marked up for train 37, due to depart Toronto Union Station at 5:20 pm for Windsor. The Direct Steaming connection has been removed. Steam sighs from the cylinder cocks and relief valves. A hostler removes the safety chain from the rear driver and clambers into the cab. And as a helper swings open the great doors of stall 2, the first light of 2815's new day glistens off the tender flanks.

Outside the roundhouse, the dry coal on the grates will be ignited, and within literally minutes, 2815 will be working up to full boiler pressure, and awaiting its crew for another day's work in the service of "The World's Greatest Travel System".

text by James A. Brown

Related websites
steam locomotive
Great Depression

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Transportation

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