Canadian Steam Locomotives

Canadian Steam Locomotives

(Hastings County Community Archives Photo)

Collection of engines lined up for Railway Week, 22-28 June 1964, Belleville, Ontario. Locomotive numbers are, right to left: 247, 40, 5700, 6167, 6400, 6534.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3349361)

Grand Trunk Locomotive 2194. As the tender is full of wood and the smokestack supports that is what was being used for fuel, it would appear that the picture is likely from the late 1880's to early 1890's.  (Larry Walton)

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

A locomotive is a self-propelled vehicle which hauls nonpowered vehicles on railway track. The first locomotive used in Canada was the Dorchester, built by Robert Stephenson and Co in England (1835). It ran between La Prairie and St-Jean, Qué, on Canada's first railway, the Champlain and Saint Lawrence (1836). It had a 0-4-0 wheel arrangement (no front truck, no rear truck, 4 main wheels) with 1.2 m diameter driving wheels. In working order it weighed 5½ t and ran at an average speed of 23 km/h.

The first locomotive to be constructed in Canada was built by the James Good family (1853) of Toronto. Named Toronto, the locomotive had a set of 4 driving wheels and 4 small front wheels for better travel through curves. This wheel configuration, 4-4-0, was referred to as the American type and was the predominant style of locomotive during the 1850-90 period. By 1887 the Canadian Pacific Railway owned nearly 400 of these locomotives.

The Pacific locomotive was introduced in Canada in 1905 to provide faster service for passenger trains. This locomotive had larger cylinders than the American, greater boiler capacity and tremendous hauling power. During the first part of the 20th century locomotives continued to grow in size and power output.

In 1927  the Northern locomotive was introduced by Canadian National Railway. It had wheels in 4-8-4 configuration and was used for freight and passenger service east of the Rockies. At about the same time, CPR brought into service 2 types of locomotives, the Royal Hudson (4-6-4 configuration) and the Selkirk. The Royal Hudson locomotive was used for high-speed passenger service. The Selkirks (2-10-4 configuration) were the largest locomotives to operate in Canada and were used in the Rockies between Calgary and Kamloops.

The diesel engine, invented by Rudolf Diesel in the late 1890s, was first used in a diesel-electric locomotive in the US (1924). CN Railways operated the first diesel-electric locomotive in Canada. Built in 1929, it was actually 2 locomotives coupled, developing 950 kW of power each.

Until the end of the Second World War diesel locomotives in use in Canada were low-horsepower switching engines. After the war, railways began to use diesel-electric locomotives for main-line freight and passenger service. By 1960 both CN and CP railways had stopped using steam locomotives in regularly scheduled trains.

Canadian Steam Locomotives

The first locomotive to be constructed in Canada was built by the James Good family (1853) of Toronto. Named Toronto, the locomotive had a set of 4 driving wheels and 4 small front wheels for better travel through curves.

Grand Trunk Railway, in an albumen print circa 1860 (courtesy NGC)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3527110)

Steam locomotive No. 864.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3646664)

The Royal Scot, steam locomotive at Exhibition Park, Toronto, Ontario, 4 May 1933.

If you have photographs of trains listed here that you are willing to share, or know of preserved Canadian trains missing from this list, updates would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at [email protected].

Steam locomotives

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3348228)

Locomotives Samson and Albion on a flatcar, ca 1928.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3570089)

Railway Centenary - Dorchester Model at Toronto Messrs. Moran and Shifty ? Champlain & St. Lawrence Railway.

(Author Photo)

This early 0-6-0 steam locomotive named "Samson" was used by the General Mining Association in 1838.  It is on display in the Museum of Industry, Stellarton, Nova Scotia.

The Champlain & St. Lawrence Railway was the first Canadian railway, chartered in 1832.  It ran for a distance of just over 22.5 km (14 miles) from 21 July 1836 and linked Laprairie on Lake Champlain with the city of Montreal in Quebec.  A 0-4-0 Stephenson Samson steam locomotive pulled two coaches on a round-trip from Laprairie.  In 1851 an extension was added to this rail line to Rouses Point in New York.

(Library and Archives Canada Photos, MIKAN No. 3348226)

This early 0-6-0 steam locomotive operated from Montreal, Quebec.

(Library and Archives Canada Photos, MIKAN No. 3348227)

This early 0-6-0 steam locomotive operated from Montreal, Quebec.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN Nos. 3194178)

Grand Trunk Railway Locomotive No. 209, “Trevithick”, Montreal, 1860.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3630113)

Grand Trunk Railway Locomotive No. 209, “Trevithick”, Montreal, 1860.

Grand Trunk Railway No. 417 with Marquis of Lorne, Governor General of Canada.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3273291)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607688)

Early 2-4-0 Locomotive “John Bridge” and crew.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607670)

S & L locomotive 1 n.d.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3194433)

CPR Locomotive No. 222 on a railway trestle, Dec 1883.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3206038)

City of Winnipeg, Hydro Locomotive No. 3.  Built 4/1882 by Dubs & Co. Glasgow, Scotland for CPR.  Rebuilt CPR 7/1909.  CPR No. 22 sold November 1918.  Currently operated by Prairie Dog Central for steam excursions.  If you look at the man walking away from the engine, he is dressed much like anyone in the last 20 years. So the picture itself is very recent.  (Larry Walton)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3230761)

Canadian Northern Railway 4-4-0 Locomotive No. 3, “Josephine”, 1892-1919.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3516141)

Great Western Railway Locomotive No. 126, Freight Type, ca. 1834-1892.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3224561)

CPR Locomotive No. 218, Algoma Mixed service, 9 July 1887.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4619806)

Lake Erie and Detroit River 2-6-0 Locomotive No. 34.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4619807)

Lake Erie and Detroit River 2-8-0 Locomotive No. 51.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3192191)

Locomotive No. 5, 4-4-0, Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Company, Hunter Street tunnel.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3353743)

Great Western Railway, Locomotive No. 8, Dakin.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No.3574532)

Royal Tour Group seated on front of engine of Royal Train, Glacier, British Columbia, between 29 Sep and 4 Oct1901.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3260709)

Wreck of an artillery train, Enterprise, Ontario, 9 Jun 1903.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3623266)

St. Lawrence & Ottawa Railway Locomotive No. 9, "Lucy Dalton".

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3192161)

Locomotive No. 17 of the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Company.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3348653)

Old cylinder Shay type locomotive, Hutton, British Columbia.  You can see the three cylinders and drive shafts running to the front and back trucks.  (Larry Walton)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3229413)

Locomotive No. 82, Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Company, ca 1910.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3225940)

Locomotive No. 106, Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Company, under a high level bridge.

‍

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3238955)

Grand Trunk Pacific Engine 123, the first engine to arrive in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, 1911.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4399952)

Steam Engine No. 1057, which was built in December of 1912 by Montreal Locomotive Works.  The 1057 ran excursions in Saskatchewan, Owen Sound, and Havelock. It was put on display in 1960 but was restored to working order in Toronto in the 1970s. Since then it has run between Toronto and Orangeville, Guelph to Goderich, and for three years it was sponsored by the federal government to run between Ottawa and Wakefield. Its latest placement has been on the South Simcoe Railway in Tottenham, Ontario.  Dominion Day, 1974.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391379)

G.T.P. locomotive, first train to leave Prince Rupert.  1915.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391662)

Toronto-Hamilton Highway Commission Engine No. 2, Oakville, 22 Sep 1915.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391637)

Quebec & Lake St. John Railway, Engine Frank Ross.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391661)

Toronto-Hamilton Highway Commission Engine No. 3 and train with cement.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3816862)

G.T.P. locomotive, Prince Rupert.  1915.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3395300)

Canadian Light Railroad Officers making use of an observation car, built in their yards near Lens. September, 1917.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3395289)

A Canadian narrow guage armoured train taking ammunition up to the line through a badly shelled village, September 1917.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391628)

Locomotive No. 37, Quebec Central Railway.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391493)

G.T.R. Roundhouse. Engine 369.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3516147)

Canadian Northern Railway 2-8-0 Locomotive No. 2489.  This is a builders photo that was supplied when the engine was built for the Canadian Northern in 1918.  (Larry Walton)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3353742)

Grand Western Railway Locomotive No. 103.  The Great Western Railway was taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway in August of 1882, therefore this photo was taken sometime before 1883.  (Larry Walton)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3353744)

Grand Western Railway Locomotive "Scotia", 1936.  The Great Western Railway was taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway in August of 1882, therefore this photo was taken sometime before 1883.  (Larry Walton)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4298014)

Enine No. 26 on a railway bridge.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3353739)

Grenville & Carillon Railway Locomotive, Ottawa.  The Carillon and Grenville Railway (CAGR) operated from 1854-1910 and was a broad gauge (5ft 6in) road, 12 miles long.  (Larry Walton)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607655)

Locomotive No. 197, a Newfoundland narrow gauge (3ft 6in) engine.  (Larry Walton)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391668)

Locomotive No. 120 of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway, 1907.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3226071)

Temiscouata Railway Company Locomotive, ca 1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3226069)

Temiscouata Railway Company Locomotive, c1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3527116)

Crane lifting a steel water tank away from Locomotive No. 6016, in Quebec.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607656)

Locomotive No. 407, Palmerston, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3392712)

Canada Atlantic Railway Train. October, 1893.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3422786)

Canada Atlantic train, June 1893.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3392710)

Canada Atlantic Railway Train. October, 1893.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3516145)

Canadian Northern Railway Locomotive No. 416, 1899-1918.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 5093110)

Canadian Northern Railway #1018 on first run out of Victoria, British Columbia, 1915.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3623581)

Manitoba and Northwestern Railway Locomotive No. 7, 1890.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607661)

Newfoundland Railway Locomotive No. 1002.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3192268)

Ottawa and Gatineau Railway Locomotive No. 7, Gracefield, Quebec, 1890.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607667)

QRL&P Locomotive No. 3.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3231617)

Quebec & Lake St-John Railway Locomotive, ca 1870s.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3402670)

Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway Locomotive No. 23, “Lotbinière”, 1878.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391671)

Toronto & Northern Railway Locomotive No. 6, “Uxbridge”.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3229407)

Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway Locomotive No. 16, 1920s.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4620256)

Pere Marquette, 2-6-0, locomotive No. 816, 1922.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3277536)

M.C.R.R. (C.S.Div.) 8403 on Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Engineers Special train, Windsor to Niagara Falls, Ontario passing St. Thomas without stopping.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3402404)

Canadian Northern Railway locomotive No. 2036 at Mair station Saskatchewan.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3402416)

Train carrying Parliamentary and Press party over the Canadian Northern Railways system from Quebec City to Vancouver, October 1915.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3402414)

Northern Railway of Canada - the first train into Meaford, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391295)

Train Crew, first train over the Grand Trunk Pacific, Scott, Saskatchewan, ca 1900-1910.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 2265701)

Locomotive stopped on a platform, ca 1930s.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3611405)

Central Rail Road of New Jersey No. Engine No.775, never operated in Canada.  No. 775 was a 4-6-0 Camelback on the C.N.J.  (Larry Walton)

(Photo courtesy of Anita Bibeau)

Grand Trunk Locomotive No. 1295.  The number us on both the tender and the dome behind the smokestack.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3590725)

NT Bullet Train.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3353741)

Great Western Canada Railway, "Backstone Baker" Standard Freight Locomotive, likely taken some time near the turn of the century.

(Photo courtesy of Anita Bibeau)

Grand Trunk Locomotive derailment.

(Photo courtesy of Anita Bibeau)

Grand Trunk Locomotive derailment.

(Photo courtesy of Anita Bibeau)

Grand Trunk Locomotive No. 505.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3527095)

Central Vermont Railway Locomotive No. 702.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3607472)

Borden's Milk Tank Car No. 522.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391657)

Engine No. 14 (110 tons), Sydney & Louisburg Railway, Dominion Coal Co., Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3391658)

Engine No. 15 (121 tons), Sydney & Louisburg Railway, Dominion Coal Co., Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

(M. Tiple Photo)

Baldwin Pacific Class 4-6-2 steam locomotive at Humbermouth Historic Train site, Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

(Tony Hisgett Photo

)White Pass & Yukon Route narrow gauge locomotive No. 73.

(Explorer1940 Photo)

White Pass Railway Engine 73.

(Masterhatch Photo)

M&S Locomotive in Bienfait, Saskatchewan.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3554025)

Montreal Locomotive Works, Locomotive No. 1007 for the Newfoundland Railway, May 1926.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3554026)

Montreal Locomotive Works, Locomotive 1007, engine, May 1941.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3197890)

View of a firebox and chassis of an X-Dominion locomotive being suspended by an overhead crane during construction of the locomotive, Nov 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3194192)

Cleaning a fast freight locomotive in the roundhouse, Edmonton, Alberta, Jan 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3224776)

No. 15 4-6-2 Class K-1 medium Pacific of the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo Railway, built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1923.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3224779)

No. 15 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive of the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo Railway, 1934.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3224774)

No. 16 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive of the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo Railway, 1932.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3224775)

No. 16 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive of the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo Railway leaving the Sunnyside station for Hamilton and Buffalo at twilight.

(alvintrusty Photo)

Inside the Age of Steam Roundhouse, showing a few of the 18 train stalls.

‍Steam Locomotives in New Brunswick

(Author Photos)

Engine No. 5270. Class: J-7-a. Wheel Configuration: 4-6-2. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad Line: CNR. Builder:  Montreal Locomotive Works No. 59482. Year: 1918. Location: Centennial Park, Moncton, NB.

Engine No. 1009. Class: F-1-b. Wheel Configuration: 4-6-0. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad Line: CNR, Salem & Hillsborough Railroad. Builder:  Montreal Locomotive Works No. 51132. Year: 1912. Location: Hillsborough, NB.

Engine No. unknown. Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 0-4-0T. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad Line: Wilkes Barre. Builder:  TBC. Year: TBC. Location: TBC.

Engine No. 2. Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 0-6-0T. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad Line: Comm Portland Cement. Builder:  TBC. Year: TBC. Location: TBC.

Engine No. 308. Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 4-4-2T. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad Line: New South Wales G. Builder:  TBC. Year: TBC. Location: TBC.

Steam Locomotives in Nova Scotia

Engine No. 1521. Class: H-6-b. Wheel Configuration: 4-6-0. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad Line: CNR. Builder:  Montreal Locomotive Works. Year: 1905. Location: Upper Clements Theme Park, Clementsport, NS.

Engine No. 5. Class: Small Industrial Locomotive. Wheel Configuration: 0-4-0T. Gauge: 30”. Railroad Line: Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Co, later Dominion Steel & Coal, Trenton Works, Trenton, NS. Builder:  Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia. Name: "The Cute One". Year: 1917. Location: Museum of Industry, Stellarton, NS, Baldwin, 1917.

Engine No. 151. Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 0-4-0T. Gauge: 36”. Railroad Line: Dominion Steel, Sydney Steel Division, NS. Builder:  Montreal Locomotive Works.

Year: 1942. Location: Museum of Industry, Stellarton, NS, Baldwin, 1917.

Engine No. unknown. Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 0-6-0. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad Line: General Mining Association. Builder: Rayne & Burn. Name: “Albion”

Year: 1854. Location; Museum of Industry, Stellarton, NS.

(Author Photo)

Engine No. unknown. Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 0-6-0. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad: General Mining Association. Builder: Hackworth.

Name: “Samson”. Year: 1838. Location: Museum of Industry, Stellarton, NS.

The Albion locomotive is a British-made locomotive brought to Stellarton (then Albion Mines) by the General Mining Association. The identity of the builder is not clear. It has a plate on the front that says, “Rayne & Burn Engineers Newcastle Upon Tyne 1854”. It had been thought at one time that it might have been made by Timothy Hackworth like Samson, but experts have determined it to be “School of Hackworth”.

Albion has unusual angled cylinders, positioned high on the boiler barrel and inclined thirty degrees downward to drive the centre set of wheels. From 1830 most locomotives had horizontal cylinders. Hackworth is known to have continued using angled cylinders until 1845 although connected to the rear instead of the center wheels. (Nova Scotia Museum)

Engine No. 7260. Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 0-6-0. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad: Intercolonial Railway (No. 809). Later with CNR (No. 7075), then Intercolonial Coal, then Drummond Coal Company, Westville, 1964. Builder: Canadian Locomotive Company, Kingston, Ontario. Year: 1906. Location: Museum of Industry, Stellarton, NS.

Engine No. 42 (16). Class: unknown. Wheel Configuration: 2-6-0. Gauge: 4’-8½”. Railroad: Dominion Coal (1901), Sydney & Louisbourg Railway (1952), Acadia Coal, Stellarton (1955), Cape Breton Steam Railway (1973). Builder: Schenectady Locomotive Works, No. 27301. Year: 1899. Location: Museum of Industry, Stellarton, NS.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3353773)

Dominion of Canada engine No. 4489 - Lehigh & New England Railway, 1937. 4489 Dominion of Canada is an LNER Class A4 steam locomotive. It is a 4-6-2 locomotive built to the same design by Sir Nigel Gresley as the more famous Mallard. There were 35 A4 locomotives built in total. Originally numbered 4489, it was renumbered 10 on 10 May 1946, under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme of Edward Thompson and, after nationalisation in 1948, British Railways added 60000 to its number so it became 60010 on 27 October 1948. It was renumbered back to 4489 following a cosmetic restoration at the National Railway Museum in York during late 2012 and early 2013. (Wikipedia)

(Stiffcollar Photo)

Dominion of Canada engine No. 4489, The locomotive was built in Doncaster works in May 1937 as Works Number 1854. It was originally to be named Buzzard but initially received the name Woodcock instead until it was renamed Dominion of Canada by High Commissioner of Canada, H. Vincent Massey on 15 June 1937. No. 4489 underwent trials, the only one of the 'Coronation' A4s so treated, and left in works grey lined in white. It had apple green painted coupled wheels. At this point it wore the name Woodcock, but this was removed before final painting and release to traffic. The Canadian Pacific Railway issue whistle was fitted 15 July 1937 for the unveiling and naming. The CPR-type bell fitted was steam operated and was actually used, as a photograph from 19 August 1939, illustrates. In 1937, locomotive 4489 was the locomotive used to try and take back the speed record previously taken by the LMS' passenger train, the Coronation Scot, which clocked at 114 mph (183 km/h). Unfortunately, Locomotive 4489 achieved 109.5 mph (176 km/h) down Stoke Bank. It suffered damage in a collision at Hatfield and required attention at Doncaster Works from 31 January to 18 March 1939.

Allocated to Kings Cross from new, it was reallocated to Grantham on 7 April 1957. The next shed was Kings Cross again on 15 September 1957. New England was the next allocation on 16 June 1963, after the closure of Kings Cross. The final allocation was to Aberdeen on 20 October 1963 to be used, along with other displaced A4s, primarily for the three-hour Aberdeen to Glasgow express service. (Wikipedia)