Canadian Pacific (film)

Canadian Pacific is a 1949 historical Western, directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Randolph Scott and Jane Wyatt. Filmed in Cinecolor on location in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park, Morley Indian Reserve in Alberta and Yoho National Park in British Columbia, it spins a fanciful account of the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Plot

Tom Andrews (Randolph Scott) is a surveyor involved in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which is stalled by the Rocky Mountains. While mapping a route through the mountains, Andrews is shot at by Dirk Rourke (Victor Jory), a fur trader, and his accomplice, Cagle (Don Haggerty). When Andrews returns to the construction camp, he sees Cagle working there and attacks him. Dr Edith Cabot (Jane Wyatt) intervenes - she is a pacifist and disapproves of violence.

Andrews heads for Calgary to his girlfriend, Cecille Gautier (Nancy Olson). Andrews and Cecille's father (John Parrish) attend a meeting at which Rourke campaigns against the railway, claiming it will mean the end of trade in the area. Andrews tries to convince the crowd that the railway will benefit them, and that Rourke objects only because it will end his business monopoly. He and Rourke get into a fist fight, which is broken up by Père Lacombe (John Hamilton). To keep the peace (and because Cecille's father sides with Rourke), Andrews decides to return to work on the railway; Cecille, not understanding and upset at his intention to spend another year away, breaks their engagement.

Canadian Pacific 283

Canadian Pacific Railway no. 283 was a 4-4-0 locomotive built by the Hinkley Locomotive Works in 1883. The engine did not receive a class designation like most of the railway's locomotives received, and little is known about its service life, though it can be assumed that the engine was in general passenger and freight service throughout its career. The engine is notable for having pulled the funeral train of former Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald from Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario on June 10, 1891. It was scrapped in 1897.

References

Canadian Pacific 2816

Canadian Pacific 2816, named the Empress, is a 4-6-4 H1b Hudson type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930 for the Canadian Pacific Railway. After being used for heavy passenger service, the locomotive was retired in 1960 and donated to Steamtown, USA in Bellows Falls, Vermont. After an extensive restoration, the locomotive returned to service in 2001 and has been used by the Canadian Pacific Railway in occasional excursion service. The 2816 is the only non-streamlined H1 Hudson to have survived into preservation.

First career

Locomotive 2816 was one of ten H1b-class (the "H" meant the 4-6-4 wheel configuration, the "1" was the design number and the "b" meant it was the second production run) 4-6-4 Hudson built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930. It was first assigned to the line between Winnipeg and Fort William, Ontario. Later, it was transferred to service between Windsor, Ontario, and Quebec City, and finally it ran a commuter train between Montreal and Rigaud, Quebec. It made its last run on May 26, 1960, after more than 2 million miles (3.2×10^⁶ km) in active service. In 1963, the locomotive was sold to Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern Amusements Corp. Inc. (AKA: Steamtown, USA), which evolved into the Steamtown National Historic Site in 1986.

Canadian Pacific 2317

Canadian Pacific 2317 was one of several G-3 Class 4-6-2 Pacifics built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in June, 1923.

History

2317 was built in 1923 for the Canadian Pacific Railway for fast express passenger trains. While little is known about its career on Canadian Pacific, it is known that it was stationed in Winnipeg, Manitoba for a good portion of its working life. Upon its retirement from active service in 1959, it was placed into storage. In 1965, seafood magnate and steam locomotive enthusiast F. Nelson Blount purchased the locomotive and moved it to Bellows Falls, Vermont, with the rest of his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection.

In 1978, 2317 was restored to operating condition and joined Steamtown's operating fleet, painted in the Canadian Pacific gray and Tuscan red livery (which it never wore in regular service). 2317 was moved with the rest of the Steamtown collection to Scranton, PA, arriving on 31 January 1984. The 2317 was fired up four days later for the "Grand Entrance Ceremony" on 4 February 1984. 2317 was fired up once more on 1 September 1984 for the first Steamtown excursion in Scranton which ran on the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western mainline between Scranton and Elmhurst, PA.