Canadian Pacific Railway

N2 Class 2-8-0

These engines were rebuilt from earlier N3 class 2-8-0's. Many were later rebuilt again into P2 class 2-8-2's.
There were 166 engines in total. 125 built by MLW, 20 by CLC, 10 by Canada Foundry and one by Angus.

3850 was the first N3a CPR Angus 4/1909
3851-3885 ........... MLW 7/1910-9/1910
3840-3849 ............ MLW ............3/1911
3820-3839 ............CLC 8/1911-10/1911
3810-3819 ........... MLW 8/1911-9/1911
3800-3809 ......................MLW 10/1911
3886-3890 ......................MLW 10/1911
3891-3940 N3b .MLW 10/1912-12/1912
3941-3950 N3c.................. MLW 7/1913
3951-3959 ............. CF 11/1913-3/1914

N2a 3600-3690 . . . open cab Tender 5,000 gals. 12 tons
N2b 3691-3740 vestibule cab Tender 10, 000 gals.16 tons
N2c 3741-3760 vestibule cab Tender 5, 000 gals. 12 tons
Note: Some engines had non-standard tenders in latter years including 3716 7,000 gallons water and 2275 gallons oil;
3722 7,000 gallons water.

These N2 locomotives were said to be "under boilered" in that the two "engines" could consume steam faster than the fireman could make it! At least on hand-fired coal burners working the main line with heavy tonnage. Note: Each set of cylinders, motion, rods etc. comprise a separate "engine" that could in fact operate independently in an emergency such as a rod failure allowing the locomotive to keep working albeit at only half power. Note: The N2b's were referred to as Mudhens in Toronto.

Oil-fired 3604 in yard service Coquitlam 1953 L.B.Chapman collection

N2a class 3610 in yard service. Built as N3a 3810 MLW 50237 8/1911 Rebuilt 3/1925 to 3610
St.Luc 7/14/1951 Bruce Chapman Collection

N2a class 3616 one of twenty engines (3600-3619) built as N3a 3816 by MLW. #50243 9/1911 Rebuilt CPR 7/1928
Rebuilt cyl. 23" x 32" drv. 63" press. 190 lbs. t.e. 43,400 (43%) Bud Laws Collection
This engine was in yard service as can be seen by footboards and fire hose.
Note the box on the pilot. It is believed it was for green fusees used by switchmen in heavy fog conditions in Vancouver.

N2a 3624 one of twenty engines (3620-3639) built by CLC Built as 3824. CLC #989 8/1911
Rebuilt by CPR 6/1924 Bud Laws Collection

N2a 3642 one of ten engines (3640-3649) long-time regular yard engine at The Glen coach yard. MLW 48700 3/1911
October 1940 Windsor Station, Montreal. Bud Laws Collection

N2a 3650 one-only built by CPR 4/1909
Note the small headlight in front of regular headlight moved to one side. Two more photos below.
Kamloops October 17, 1940 7:30 p.m. Bud Laws Collection

3650 two more views (above and below) of unusual extra headlight.
Kamloops October 12, 1941 Bud Laws Collection

N2a 3651 first of 40 engines (3651-3690) built by MLW 48339 7/1910. Unknown location. Bud Laws Collection
Preserved in Lethbridge.

N2a 3657 in Toronto. Bud Laws Collection

3661 with wood pilot. Armstrong September 19, 1942 Bud Laws Collection

3663 note the stack deflector used in tunnels. Penticton April 1938 Bud Laws Collection

3665 oil-fired with wood pilot and stack exhaust deflector. Salmon Arm April 2, 1941 Bud Laws Collection

3665 with Kamloops to Revelstoke Way Freight at Salmon Arm April 2, 1941 Bud Laws Collection

3677 is departing from Alyth yard westbound and shows the "west end switchtender" jogging ahead to line switches.
That would be the head end brakeman riding on the pilot beam. c.1925-30 Cyril Littlebury/Steve Morris collection

3678 running passenger extra in Armstrong, BC 11/22/1940 Bud Laws Collection

N2a class 2-8-0 3688 built by MLW 10/1911 as N3a class 3888 rebuilt Angus 5/1927
3688 was in yard service as indicated by the footboards and fire hose on the tender.
This engine was converted to oil in 1952. Calgary September 3, 1953
Collection of Howard W. Ameling/Bud Laws Collection

N2b 3691-3740 All built by MLW

N2b 3692 sub class with vestibule cab. In yard service MLW 51539 10/1912
Montreal 12/1939 Bud Laws Collection

3692 with rear pilot! This would permit speed over 25 mph over unprotected crossings.
There was still a speed restriction of 45 mph with tender leading.
Note rear headlight and spare scoop (shovel).
Outremont 1951 Omer Lavallee/Ron Ritchie collection

Big question is: What was this engine assigned to?

3696 in an interesting little scene. Note cinder cars at left. Fredericton, NB Bud Laws Collection

3700 dead with stack covered and rod on running board. Foot boards and tender style indicate yard service.
Bud Laws Collection

3704 with small tender. Switching at Oshawa July 17, 1940. Bud Laws Collection

3706 oil-fired with big tender. MLW 51553 10/1912 Vancouver October 13, 1951
Walter Edwin Frost/City of Vancouver Archives.

3712 oil-fired with big tender. Typical Western Lines grey smokebox. Winnipeg May 1949 Bud Laws Collection

3714 with slanted illuminated number boards. Lambton 1946 Bud Laws Collection

3716 oil-fired. Dead engine. Main rod on running board. Stack covered. Bud Laws Collection
This photo undated and location unknown. Before becoming famous on BC Rail.

N2c 3741-3760

N2C 3751 Canada Foundry 993 11/1913 Ottawa West August 1955 Dr. Richard Leonard

There was only one N2 class engine assigned to Ottawa West and it was assigned to the Buckingham Swing a daily except Sunday local assignment. Normally the term swing refers to a relief job working the days off of various assignments often on different shifts thus the term swing shift. Usually, such an assignment would be called Buckingham Turn, short for turn around. Retired 8/1957 it was replaced by 3701 transferred from Lambton where 3700's were known as "mudhens". Last day for steam on the Buckingham Swing was April 19th.1958 after which 3701 worked a few odd yard jobs etc. then was stored out of service serviceable (OSS) until transferred to the New Brunswick District dead behind 1264 on train No.74 December 22, 1958 L.B.Chapman

3752 dead. It is all over. 3750 and 3752 were the last two steam engines to work in Saint John February 4, 1960.
They were also two of the last steam engines in New Brunswick the last being D-10 986 returning to
Mc.Adam from St.Andrews on April 14, 1960. Walter Pfefferle Collection

N2c 3759 CF #1001 3/14 One of only 10 (3951-3960) built by Canada Foundry in Toronto. Rebuilt Angus 11/1928.
(Note the handy switch broom!) Montreal 1959. Joseph Testagrose collection.

Again, this engine is equipped for yard service with fire hose (red box) and combination pilot. It is likely in transfer service.
3753 was a Lambton engine assigned early 1950's to the Parkdale transfer and was Jack "Windy" Close's "own" engine!
3759 lasted until the end of steam as did 3752 a New Brunswick District engine. Five others had been rebuilt as 5200's.

Note: N3b and c sub-class engines 3891-3960 were built with an all-weather enclosed cab a.k.a. vestibule cab. A few oil-fired 3600's got the new cabs but, most remained open cab until the end.