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Canadian Pacific Selkirks 2-10-4

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Canadian Pacific Selkirks 2-10-4
Posted by SPer on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 12:57 PM

Were the Canadian Pacific Selkirk 2-10-4 used only for passenger service and nothing else .it seems that none of them were used for freight. after the diesels came they were put in storage and that's it.

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Posted by NorthWest on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 8:21 PM

The Selkirks were used for freight, and passenger.

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/texas/?page=cp

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Posted by cx500 on Saturday, January 11, 2014 1:58 PM

While designed for primarily passenger service they were used in both.  The semi-streamlined ones normally hauled the prestige trains.

Once displaced from the Calgary-Revelstoke territory by diesels about 1952, they saw several more years service in freight service out of Calgary, especially to the east but also north and south.

John

NDG
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Posted by NDG on Sunday, January 12, 2014 7:56 PM

Thank You Very Much!

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, January 13, 2014 1:57 PM

The CP E-8's were not built with manual transition and did not have manual transition when they ran to Boston on the B&M.   If they ever had manual transition on the CPit was because of modifications or unrepaired failures after the Allouette was converted to Budd cars.

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Posted by De Luxe on Friday, January 17, 2014 4:33 PM

I heard that the streamlined Selkirks occasionally even pulled the streamlined Canadian between 1955 and 1960 in case the diesels broke down or something like that. But I never saw any photo evidence about that yet. Just a rumor?

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Posted by AgentKid on Friday, January 17, 2014 6:33 PM

De Luxe
But I never saw any photo evidence about that yet.

Yes, it did happen. I did have a photo of it in a book that I lost during a move in the early nineties, and I have been looking for another copy of that book since.

The caption in the photo sort of implied tongue-in-cheek that the CPR publicity department went out and threw photographers of such events into gunny sacks and left them in a ditch somewhere!

One of the two most astounding passenger train photo events I have ever seen. The other showing a mixed consist of Toronto Go Train commuter cars mixed with CPR heavyweight coaches behind CPR 2816 on a Royal Hudson tour. That is why those Bombardier commuter cars have those tapered ends. The diaphragms do line up, so they can be used with single level cars.

Bruce

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by De Luxe on Friday, January 17, 2014 9:15 PM

Wow, so it´s true! Damn! What a sight it must have been sitting in the dome coach or dome observation and watching the Selkirk steaming and working hard up front in the curves!

I so hope for you to track down this book again one day and then send me a copy of that photo via private message!

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, January 19, 2014 10:41 AM

On the last eastbound and westbound Cities trains leaving temrinals the day before Amtrak startup, UP coupled 844 (possiboy 8444 at the time) at the front of these trains, forward of the A-B-B-A E-unit combinations.  I enjoyed the front seat of the forward dome on the eastbound to watch the performance, into Cheyenne.

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Posted by NorthWest on Sunday, January 19, 2014 10:49 AM
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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, January 19, 2014 10:53 AM

YES.   I had a ticket roomette to Chicago, then coach to NYC via Amtrak.  I got off at Elgine, stayed overnight with friend and colleague Peter Tappan, then upgraded to slumbercoach or sleepercoach for the Amtrak Broadway to NY.   It was a train I really wanted to ride, and  lucked out.   No dome diner, but otherwise first class in every way.

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Posted by NorthWest on Sunday, January 19, 2014 10:59 AM

Wow. Just thinking of the sound.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, January 19, 2014 11:04 AM

It was just great.    And everyhing thing was in first-class shape!   I have seen a photo of the rear with the sigin "ADIOS" acriss the gate acriss the diaphragm, and my face can be seen with others above the sign and gate.  I am not sure where I saw this photo.   Service and food was the normal excellent.

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