Canadian Pacific Northerns

The Canadian Pacific Railway had only two Northerns which were built in 1928 in its Angus Shops in Montreal. These 4-8-4s, built with 75" drivers, were designed as dual-purpose locomotives. However, they were used continuously for 25 years on night passenger trains between Toronto and Montreal. The pair carried road numbers 3100 and 3101.

CPR favored its fleet of Hudsons for passenger service and rejected the Northerns because it concluded that they were too heavy and too slow for main line passenger trains.

Both of these step-children from CPR's steam era survive today and are on display, one at IPSCO Inc. in Regina, SK and the other at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa, ON.

Specifications for Class K-1a
Wheel Arrangement:	4-8-4
Length:	97' - 4"
Drivers:	75" dia.
Weight on Drivers:	250,000 lbs
Total Locomotive Weight:	423,000 lbs
Locomotive & Tender Weight:	709,000 lbs
Grate Area:	93.5 sq ft
Cylinders (dia. x stroke):	(2) 25.5" x 30"
Boiler Pressure:	275 psi
Tractive Effort:	60,800 lbs
Tender Capacity:
Water:	15,000 gals.
Coal:	20 tons

Canadian Pacific Northerns

Photos

References