Steam and Diesel Side-by-Side - CLC in 1955

Entitled "When the Eras Met in Kingston", this account by a former CN Public Relations officer, was written on the occasion of CN's acceptance of its one and only Trainmaster at Kingston. CN 3000, later renumbered 2900 was actually built at FM’s Beloit, Wisconsin plant and shipped along with CP 8900 to CLC. When CLC’s Vice-President of Manufacturing handed over the unit’s throttle handle to CN’s J. Ernest Kerr on August 19, 1955 neither of them could know the one-of-a-kind prototype would be scrapped a mere 11 years later.

By 1955, six years had passed since a Canadian railway had ordered new steam locomotives. But all the plant, technology and skills to do so lingered on  Canadian Locomotive Company had built some of Canada's finest steam locomotives, but having seen the handwriting on the wall, had linked up with Fairbanks-Morse in the USA to market their diesel-electric designs in Canada and participate in some aspects of producing the product.

The hot item in the F-M catalogue at the time was the Trainmaster; delivering 2,400 horsepower in one unit. It was designed to perform almost as well as two first-generation units at considerably lower cost, and be adaptable to road passenger, freight or yard work. The two major Canadian railways each ordered one unit on a trial basis, an incentive being that final assembly and painting would be done at the CLC plant in Kingston, Ontario. The builder's designation was H-24-66, the CNR order was numbered C-636 and the unit's serial number was FM24L862. CNR placed its unit in class CRG-24-a and numbered it 3000. The per unit price at that time was $240,000.

I was assigned by CNR to act as Public Relations officer for the handing-over ceremony at Kingston on August 19, 1955. The unit was rolled out into the sunshine and photographed with many CNR, Fairbanks-Morse and CLC officers arrayed alongside. There was a formal hand-over with little speeches proclaiming the merits of this impressive (for its day) unit. Receiving it on behalf of CNR was J. Ernest Kerr, senior locomotive engineer at Belleville, dressed in the typical working garb of the day. He had started work on the Grand Trunk in 1911 and in 1929 had piloted CNR's first road diesel locomotive, number 9000.

For a railway enthusiast, as I was then and still am, this was a plum assignment. I was in on an historical moment and had a chance to explore the new unit inside and out.

 

But lurking in the shadows was another big CLC contract; one which had at least as much appeal. The plant was in the process of churning out a series of Pacific-type steam locomotives for India State Railways, and these could be seen in and around the plant on the same day. There were 120 locomotives in the order which came by way of the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a federal Government foreign aid organization. They were given CLC order number C-630 and serial numbers 2730-2849.

I watched as pipefitters, mechanics and boilermakers put these big 4-6-2 locomotives together, and tested them under steam. For the purpose, certain sections of the plant had to be equipped with dual-gauge track to accommodate the broad- gauge Indian engines. The contrast was striking. On one track a brand new semi-streamlined locomotive exhausting live steam from a blow-down valve following a boiler test, and on the next, the CLC Trainmaster, numbered CNR 3000, rumbling quietly to itself.

Inside the plant, two assembly lines were in operation. One was producing a series of road-switcher diesel units, smaller than the Trainmaster, for CNR, and right beside it, the Indian locomotives were being put together. Parts typical of each were strategically positioned on the plant floor, ready for installation: tender with buffer beam, or a steam cylinder block standing near a partly assembled diesel truck. The diesels were CNR Class H-12-44 numbers 1630-1639 ; CLC order number C-633.

This lone Trainmaster served CNR as a transfer unit (later numbered 2900), ending service as the ore dock switcher at Thunder Bay in 1966. CNR did not pursue the Trainmaster concept, preferring units of lesser horsepower and lighter axle loading for greater flexibility. Eleven years is not a long life for a locomotive, but the Trainmaster suffered by being all alone, and it turned out that its opposed-piston diesel motor was troublesome. Although this motor design had proved successful for F-M in maritime applications, it was never a winner on the rails. 

In another note of contrast, this series of Indian steam locomotives ran in mainline service for many years and were noted for their reliability. There were three reasons why the Indian Railways continued so long with steam. First, the technology was within the reach of railway staff. Second, there was no incentive to reduce manpower on their railways, and third, coal was abundant and cheap.

As a true steam fan, I was delighted to see new steam under construction at that late date, but secretly mourned its passing in Canada. Years later I took a modest degree of comfort from knowing tbat the Trainmaster had died while the Indian Pacifics chugged on and on.

--by Lorne Perry (with valued advice from Bill Thomson, Bath, Ontario). Published in the Fiftieth Anniversary Issue No. 472 of the Canadian Railway Historical Association's Canadian Rail, September-October 1999.