The Railways of Canada Archives -- Former Canadian Pacific Railway Passenger Services to Montreal Via State of Maine-Saint John-Halifax

Former Canadian Pacific Railway
Passenger Services to Montreal
Via State of Maine-Saint John-Halifax

Part III

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

Remarks: Symbol * Denotes CPR Steam In
Tuscan Red-Grey-Black-Gold Paint Scheme.

Back to World War II equipment handling CPR troop trains Eastbound Montreal-Saint John-then continuing onward via CN to Moncton-Halifax.

Head-end equipment: Wood-steel underframe express-refers: 5500, 5600 & 5700 series Heavy-weight arch roof baggage or express- 4300's, 4400 series (Commonwealth Trucks) Wood-steel underframe Fruit-Express (forget number series) Almost flat roof. Passenger Equipment: 2700 series, 2800 series Heavy-weight Dining cars of "W" series and others series Sleeping cars-various including "Arch Roof "Grand" series heavy-weights.-Single room sleepers (Officers) "Glen" series Compartment sleepers (Non-Commissioned & Officers)

After the War-westbound movements-about the same series of cars with the exception of rebuild during the 1940's dining cars "Blomindon" and "Bear River" rebuilt for the CP's Dominion Atlantic Railway in Nova Scotia-assigned to westbound Military movements. The Bear River was a proto-type for Post-War dining cars (A beautiful car inside blue ceiling with silver stars-aboard this car in Moncton) Coach yard in Moncton during War years and afterwards bringing trrops back home packed with CPR passenger equipment.

From 1947 for a number of years eastbound CPR dead-head passenger cars in Moncton coach yard-to go east to pick up passengers on westbound CP "Empress" arrivals for Liverpool-streamlined light-weight express & baggage cars; wood-steel underframe express refers of 5500 5600 and 5700 series; streamlined light-weight "Deluxe" coaches of 2100 series, heavy-weight dining cars, "Glen" series sleepers plus other-end of train "Mount" series or "Cape" series, or "Fort" series Buffet-Parlor Solarium sleepers. Likely missed the the "Georgian Bay", and its two other counterparts which were similiar to the Cape or Mount series cars.

During the war years the "Glen" and "Grand" series cars was about the only years these cars could be observed east of Montreal

From 1947 on until the 1960's "Empress" liner boat trains could be found running Montreal-Saint John & return with the same equipment except the "Grand" series. Also rebuilt "R" series cars a common sight on CP boat trains, "S", "N'", "T", "V" series sleepers etc; with 2100 seried "Deluxe" coaches.

Canadian Pacific's "Beaverbrae" (2nd) an ex German ship given to CP by War Reparations was assigned to immigrant & refugee passenger service from Continental Europe-crrying 800 passengers called at West St. John during the Winter in the late 1940's and 1950's-CPR running westbound boat trains across Canada.

During the late 1940's and 1950's semi-streamlined 2-8-2's in 1952 engines 5424 and 5426 were assigned to "Empress" boat trains between Montreal & Saint John and return. Pure express trains ran on this route traffic to and from CP "Empresses".

In 1950 the 26,500 ton "Empress of Scotland" (2nd) ex Empress of Japan (2nd) from the Pacific Fleet called at Halifax westbound from Liverpool enroute to New York to originate CP's West Indies-South America winter cruise season. Again CPR special boat trains would operate to Montreal via Saint John and the CPR route.

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