Old Time Trains

Accelerating rapidly out of Guelph Junction at 8:15 a.m., Train No. 20, the "Canadian", gets underway for Toronto on Saturday, August 21, 1954. Because of tight timing on this portion of the trip, it is unlikely that even with two locomotives the crews can regain much of the 45 minutes that the train is behind schedule. In fact, the assisting of No. 2410 is superfluous as most of the eastbound trip is downgrade, so it is just a case of deadheading No. 3002 back home to John Street, Toronto. On the previous Friday afternoon, Train No. 629, the fast Toronto to London service, had operated as a conventional train, utilizing No. 3002 as power. On weekdays this train consisted of two Budd RDC cars but due to heavy weekend traffic, these were supplemented with conventional cars and hauled by steam. On the Saturday morning, the two Budd cars returned to Toronto as Train No. 630. For some time 4-4-4 Jubilee F2a's, Nos. 3002 and 3000, were regular power on these fast London trains but were bumped with the appearance of the Budd cars in the fall of 1953. They remained at John Street until 1955 as emergency engines and for the weekend jaunt to London.

By late 1955, No. 3002 had been transferred to London but did not see much service there and by early 1956 was laid up, awaiting repairs at Angus Shops. By October, her status was "Repair On Demand" and by May 1957, she was authorized to be scrapped. The end came on June 10, 1957.

No. 2410 is seen filling in for 4-6-4 "Royal Hudson", No. 2856, which was assigned to Train Nos. 19 and 20, at this time. On this day the "Royal Hudson" had failed at London so 4-6-2 Pacific No. 2410 had been pressed into service. She was a London freight engine, which from appearances seems to have been recently shopped and looks very smart in her black paint job. For many years this engine operated out of London and Toronto in freight service, occasionally seeing passenger work when power was short. She had her hour of glory on May 24, 1954, when she pulled the second section of the Metropolitan Opera Tour special which was booked for Toronto from Chicago. In service until the middle of 1958, she was withdrawn at London in the fall and scrapped at Angus on December 16th the same year.

Train No. 20 was known as the "Canadian" for many years. Leaving Chicago the train was No. 358 of the New York Central, and was a combined train called the "Canadian-Niagara". It ran via Detroit where it was split, the CPR section becoming Train No. 20 and the NYC section continuing on to Buffalo, N.Y. as No. 358, the "Niagara". The consist of Train No. 20 included two sleepers from Chicago, one sleeper from Detroit, and one or two through coaches from Chicago, plus a parlour car with dining service from London. W.H.N. Rossiter

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Accelerating rapidly out of Guelph Junction at 8:15 a.m., Train No. 20, the "Canadian", gets underway for Toronto on Saturday, August 21, 1954. Because of tight timing on this portion of the trip, it is unlikely that even with two locomotives the crews can regain much of the 45 minutes that the train is behind schedule. In fact, the assisting of No. 2410 is superfluous as most of the eastbound trip is downgrade, so it is just a case of deadheading No. 3002 back home to John Street, Toronto. On the previous Friday afternoon, Train No. 629, the fast Toronto to London service, had operated as a conventional train, utilizing No. 3002 as power. On weekdays this train consisted of two Budd RDC cars but due to heavy weekend traffic, these were supplemented with conventional cars and hauled by steam. On the Saturday morning, the two Budd cars returned to Toronto as Train No. 630. For some time 4-4-4 Jubilee F2a's, Nos. 3002 and 3000, were regular power on these fast London trains but were bumped with the appearance of the Budd cars in the fall of 1953. They remained at John Street until 1955 as emergency engines and for the weekend jaunt to London.

By late 1955, No. 3002 had been transferred to London but did not see much service there and by early 1956 was laid up, awaiting repairs at Angus Shops. By October, her status was "Repair On Demand" and by May 1957, she was authorized to be scrapped. The end came on June 10, 1957.

No. 2410 is seen filling in for 4-6-4 "Royal Hudson", No. 2856, which was assigned to Train Nos. 19 and 20, at this time. On this day the "Royal Hudson" had failed at London so 4-6-2 Pacific No. 2410 had been pressed into service. She was a London freight engine, which from appearances seems to have been recently shopped and looks very smart in her black paint job. For many years this engine operated out of London and Toronto in freight service, occasionally seeing passenger work when power was short. She had her hour of glory on May 24, 1954, when she pulled the second section of the Metropolitan Opera Tour special which was booked for Toronto from Chicago. In service until the middle of 1958, she was withdrawn at London in the fall and scrapped at Angus on December 16th the same year.

Train No. 20 was known as the "Canadian" for many years. Leaving Chicago the train was No. 358 of the New York Central, and was a combined train called the "Canadian-Niagara". It ran via Detroit where it was split, the CPR section becoming Train No. 20 and the NYC section continuing on to Buffalo, N.Y. as No. 358, the "Niagara". The consist of Train No. 20 included two sleepers from Chicago, one sleeper from Detroit, and one or two through coaches from Chicago, plus a parlour car with dining service from London. W.H.N. Rossiter