Canadian Pacific In The Maritimes - Part III
1940s - The War Years (continued)

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

West St. John, NB
On October 2, 1943 Canadian Pacific Steamship's 10,000 to cargo-express ship "Beaverhill" was preparing for its departure from Saint John, NB for Great Britain, included onboard ship was Christmas mail-parcels for the Canadian Military for Christmas. This particular ship, the last remaining "Beaver" class ship to survive out of 4 other sisters.

As the ship was being assisted by tugs--a towing hawser snapped and wrapped itself around a propeller, and with wrong set of wind and tide, went out of control in the harbour, was stranded on Hillsyard Reef near the Reversing Falls Bridge where CPR line passed to and from Saint John. The Beaverhill capsized, only to break in half as the tide ebbed. Jim Leask, then the CP roundhouse foreman at Bay Shore took a photgraph of the ship--only to have the RCMP later coming to the roundhouse and took the film out of his camera. On December 11, 1946 after the ship being capsize there for almost two years, the stern section was refloated and towed later out to sea and scuttled of Grand Manan Island.

CPR's two 4-8-2s #2900 and #2901 holding down the McAdam-Saint John end of Montreal-Saint John passenger trains #39, #40, #41 and #42 were being assessed for possible rebuilding--being built by CPs Angus Shops in Montreal in 1914 and over the years a number of cosmetic upgrades, their retirement days were coming. The motive power department in Montreal after their assessment of both locomotives, considered it too costly.

Rumours around in the 1940s, CPR were considering a new fleet of 4-8-2s to be given the 4000 number series. CP already had drawings on new proposed steam power 4-8-4s a design between the Royal Hudsons of 2800 class and in between the design of the T1-cs (2-10-4) #5930 to #5935. At the same time four 4-4-4s were off the drawing board.

4-8-2 #2901 for some reason lost its "brass Bell" for a war-time bell--an altogether non-sounding CP bell. During 1944 #2901 left the Maritime railroad scene and moved to Montreal where she was retired in late 1944. This left only 4-8-2 #2900 holding down Montreal trains Saint John to Mcadam. To replace 4-8-2 #2901, which was the regular assignment on trains #39 and #40, #2900 was moved off trains #41 and #42.

On trains #41 and #42 light 4-6-2s of 2500 and 2600s were temporary replacment power double-heading the heavy westbound train #41 "Atlantic Limited" to McAdam--where the semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2s of 2390 series and 2400s took over westbound and eastbound on the Montreal-McAdam segment.

Between February and March of 1945 more new 2400 G-3s were coming out of Canadian Locomotive Co. at Kingston , Ont #2443 to #2462, with #2443 to #2450 being assigned to Western Canada, and #2451 to #2462 being assigned to Eastern Lines.

New semi-streamline 2400 heavy 4-6-2s at that time all with 8-wheel tenders commenced their runs Montreal-McAdam on passenger trains #39, #40, #41, and #42. They all started appearing in Black and gold pin stripe, with boilers, firebox, cyliner box all chrome.

New semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2s that ran as far as McAdam, NB from Montreal--eventually to be seen running to Saint John were: #2453, #2455, #2457, #2459 and #2461--all with war-time silver color bells.

Later in 1945, 4-8-2 #2900 left the Maritimes for retirement at Montreal. Semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2s commenced handling all for Saint John-Montreal passenger trains. In tuscan red-grey-gold-black scheme: *#2394, *#2395, *#2396, *#2397 and *#2402. Eventually the above 2400s received the Glamorius CP paint scheme, and replacing the war-time bell with the standard CP heavy brass bells.

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İİ1999, Donald Scott, all rights reserved.