Canadian Pacific / New Brunswick 4-4-0 Locomotives in Canada

Class A1e (Locobase 6553)

Data from 1947 CP Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

This class came out of the CP shops in September 1887 and in its original form may have looked like the locomotive described in Locobase 9065 (which see). This data shows the superheater that was added sometime after 1910. See Locobase 4484 for the identical rebuild applied to 63"-drivered A2s.

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Class A2m, A2q (Locobase 4484)

Data from 1947 CP Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange and the CP 1911-24 book added by Stanley in August 2013.

Production of the saturated originals in this class took place from 1883 to 1889; see Locobase 15694 for the A5h. The design mirrored that of the A1s (Locobase 6553) except for the smaller drivers, which suited local mixed trains on a relatively slow schedule.

The class as shown in this entry reflects the CPR's widespread adoption of superheaters even on aging Eight-wheelers like these. Gene Connelly's list (supplied by Allen Stanley in August 2013) shows that the later A2m ID encompassed at least 17 locomotives built by the CPR, Dubs, Rhode Island, Rogers, and the Canadian Locomotive Works. The 14 A2qs mostly include the CPR-built engines that immediately preceded those 70" passenger engines that were later reclassified A1e.

Most of the A2m class operated into the 1930s with 63, 67, and 70 heading to the ferro-knackers as late as 1937.

The 136 was preserved and continued in museum road service by the South Simcoe Railway Heritage Corporation in the Beeton Creek Valley as recently as the 31 August 2016 update of this entry. 136 has appeared frequently on the Canadian-produced Murdoch Mysteries.

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Class A3a (Locobase 15682)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See Locobase 1103 for 1882 plans for the western portion of the CP, then under construction.

To serve the construction trains and local mixed traffic, the Canadian Pacific bought a series of 17" x 24" Eight-wheelers with 63" drivers that they later place in the A3 class. All had the same power dimensions (except for slight variations in boiler pressure), deep, narrow fireboxes, and, as delivered, 62" drivers. Other subclasses appear in this database, distinguished by differences in tube counts and other boiler variations.

Locobase hasn't straightened out all of the various numbering schemes, which accounts for the absence of road numbers.

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Class A3b (Locobase 15683)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See Locobase 1103 for 1882 plans for the western portion of the CP, then under construction.

These are essentially duplicates of the A3as from Kingston, but with slightly fewer, but longer firetubes that the CPR calculated resulted in the same heating surface areas.

Locobase hasn't straightened out all of the various numbering schemes, which accounts for the absence of road numbers.

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Class A3c (Locobase 15684)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See Locobase 1103 for 1882 plans for the western portion of the CP, then under construction.

Production by the Kingston Works for the CP in 1882 included several tweaks of the same design. This small set of Eight-wheelers had more tubes in a shorter boiler than the A3a or A3b and a bigger firebox.

Locobase hasn't straightened out all of the various numbering schemes, which accounts for the absence of road numbers.

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Class A3e (Locobase 15685)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See Locobase 1103 for 1882 plans for the western portion of the CP, then under construction.

Locobase doesn't know how many of the original CLC locomotives were built with the same specifications as the two Eight-wheelers shown in the 1911 CPR book. It was the biggest variant of the A3 class in terms of heating surface area and was produced several years later.

Locobase hasn't straightened out all of the various numbering schemes, which accounts for the absence of road numbers.

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Class A3h (Locobase 15686)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See Locobase 1103 for 1882 plans for the western portion of the CP, then under construction. Works numbers were 1089-1090 in February 1882.

Very similar to most other A3s, this pair was broken up when the 61 was scrapped in April 1907. The 60 remained on the roster for another 15 years and was renumbered twice (15, then 7054) before being scrapped in March 1922.

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Class A4a/A4b (Locobase 15687)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. The Canadian Pacific produced works numbers 1001, 1011-1015 in 1883, 1038-1042 and 1046 in 1886. The Canadian Locomotive Company delivered works numbers 305-306 in 1886.

Of very similar size to the A3 supplied to the CPR in 1882 (Locobases 15682-15686), these Eight-wheelers nevertheless had different boilers. Instead of the straight boilers of the earlier engines, these had their steam domes over the firebox and a sharply tapered course down to the front courses. They also had drivers sized for the higher speeds needed for passenger service.

Three A4c provided by Rogers in August 1883 and two earlier A4d from Portland Locomotive Works in 1874 also had 17" x 24" cylinders and 69" drivers, but smaller boilers.

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Class A5a/A5b (Locobase 15688)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. The Canadian Pacific produced works numbers 1002-1010 in 1883, 1067-1068 in 1886; these had road numbers 105-113. The Canadian Locomotive Company delivered works numbers 300-304 in 1886.

These engines were identical to the A4a and A4b (Locobase 15687), but had 63" drivers. Like the latter, the two subclasses later applied represent deliveries from the CPR shops and the CLC, respectively.

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Class A5e (Locobase 15689)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See Locobase 1103 for 1882 plans for the western portion of the CP, then under construction. Works numbers were 1339-1349 in March 1883.

These are repeats of the 1882 Ocean Staters shown in Locobase 15686, but with more weight on the drivers. Apparently the extra weight made a difference in longevity as the Winnipeg shops added superheaters to several, creating A5ms in the process. The others were scrapped over a long period beginning with 122 in May 1899 (after a wreck?). Three were scrapped in 1911, one in September 1916, one in September 1921. The last two saturated-boiler engines in the class were broken up in July and September 1926 (7112 and 7109, respectively).

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Class A5f (Locobase 15692)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See Locobase 1103 for 1882 plans for the western portion of the CP, then under construction. Works numbers were 1201-1204, 1248-1253, 1260-1263 in 1882.

This batch continued the run of Ocean State locomotives that filled the CPR's ranks in the early 1880s. They resembled many of their siblings except for a slight increase in heating surface area. Two were rebuilt with bigger boilers and a larger firebox; see Locobase 15692.

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Class A5h (Locobase 15694)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 3322-3325, 3327, 3329-3334 in August 1883.

The CPR's buying and building spree in the early 1880s accumulated scores of Eight-wheelers of very similar power and size. These Paterson, NJ, products fit right in.

After more than twenty years, the class was renumbered; by that time, they'd acquired thicker tires that increased their driver diameter by an inch to 63" (1,600 mm) .

Perhaps only one of the class was superheated as a class A5m. Others were superheated as A2m; see Locobase 4484. The rest were scrapped one by one beginning in 1910 and ending in 1930.

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Class A5k (Locobase 15693)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

About twenty years after Rhode Island Locomotive Works delivered a class of mixed-traffic Eight-wheelers (Locobase 15692), the CPR rebuilt at least two of them--original works numbers 1203, 1248--in their Winnipeg shops by installing a new boiler and firebox. Although neither was ever superheated, the makeover extended their careers until January and February 1930, respectively.

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Class A5m, A5n (Locobase 15695)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Most A5m were A5d originally delivered by Dubs in 1882; see Locobase . The twoA5n came from Manchester in 1888 (works numbers 1400-1401).

All of superheated makeovers of 1880s-era Eight-wheelers used the same combination of tubes and flues. For some reason probably related to the original Dubs layout, the tubes and flues in this set were an inch or so shorter and the total heating surface area came up 10 sq ft (0.93 sq m).

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Class A6a (Locobase 15701)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Road 205 built in November 1886, 206-207 in April 1887, 208-210 in May, 211-212 in June, 213-215 in July, 216 in August, 217-218 in September .

Locobase 15700 shows the mixed-traffic Eight-wheeler delivered to the CPR earlier in 1883. This class repeated the dimensions of that batch except for rolling on taller drives better suited for primarily passenger service.

Rhode Island delivered anA6b as 219 in 1891 with similar dimensions.

209, 215-218 were renumbered in 1907 as 382, 388-391 in 1907 and again as 21, 27-30 in 1913. 219 was renumbered 31.

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Class A7a (Locobase 15700)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. The CPR produced the batch as 1030-1032, 1034-1037, 1043-1045, 1069 as road numbers 230-233, 237-239, 234-236, 240.

Locobase 15688 shows the mixed-traffic Eight-wheeler delivered to the CPR in 1883. This class repeated the dimensions of that batch except for weighing 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) more.

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Class B1a (Locobase 15702)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 1398-1401 in 1888.

The CP bought the NBR soon after these engines were delivered and renumbered them often. A B class engine had 18" cylinders, so when the CPR fitted 17" to 250-251, they classed them A2N. The other two kept their 18" cylinders, were renumbered them 140-141. 142 went to disposal in December 1915.

143 never was converted to 17" but remained in service with the remaining two locomotives from the original order until all three were discarded in October 1936.

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Class B2a (Locobase 9065)

Data from "Passenger Locomotive for the Canadian Pacific Railway", Engineering, Volume 42 (1 October 1886), pp. 346, 355. See also Transactions of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineer (Canadian Society of Civil Engineers), v.3-4 (1889-90), the January 3, 1889 session. Works numbers were 1016-1017, 1019-1020 in 1884, 1022-1024 in 1886.

As part of the CSCE President Samuel Keefer's address, he included information from Mr Francis R F Brown, Mechanical Superintendent of the CPR about the standard passenger engine used by the CP east of the Rockies.

It was in all likelihood extracted from the Engineering report published more than two years earlier. That article's accompanying engraving showed a typical Eight-wheeler with the ornately styled steam dome perched over the firebox crown, a coned section leading forward to the front, straight-backed courses, and a large diamond stack with big oil-burning headlight. The forward driver had a splasher inboard of the straight running board.

Succeeding B2bs had the same dimensions, but 18" x 24" cylinders.

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Class B2b (Locobase 15703)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. The CPR built these in July 1884 (267), August (268), February 1887 (269), March (270-271), February 1888 (272-273), March (274-276).

Locobase 9065 shows the short-stroke B2a design described at some length in an 1889 presentation. This class followed immediately after the B2a and had more orthodox cylinder dimensions that enclosed slightly less volume.

Several were superheated beginning in 1911; see Locobase 15704.

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Class B2c (Locobase 15704)

Data from CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Locobase shows the saturated-boiler original of these engines in 1884-1887. Beginning in 1911, the CPR conducted a full rebuild of ten of the B2a/B2b locomotives. The 277 went through first in June 1911. Then came 276 (July 1912), 268 (August 1912), 271 (June 1913, 264 (August 1913), 170 (August 1914), 180 (September 1914), 183 (October 1914), and, quite belatedly, 172 (March 1918).

The makeover included a brand-new superheated boiler and firebox, new cab, shorter wheelbase for the leading truck. The boiler's center line now ran 2 ft 2 in (660 mm) higher off the track. See the very similar C1a Ten-wheeler update in Locobase 15707.

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Class Joseph Whitehead (Locobase 15696)

Data from DeGolyer, Volume 8, p. 127 and Volume 9, p. 59. See also Harvey Elson, "Contractor's Locomotives in the Construction of the CPR", Canadian Rail, No 349 (July 1981), pp. 14+. (Thanks to Larry Walton for his 11 November 2020 email correcting Kenora's spelling.) Works numbers were 4319 in May 1878, 4516 in January 1879, 4624 in May, 4714 in July 1879.

Joseph Whitehead's company won the contract to build the line between Winnipeg, Manitoba and Rat Portage (later, and most likely gratefully, renamed Kenora).

After their stint supporting the great transcontinental project, they were taken into the CPR's roster in 1882. Given the very low factor of adhesion of the original combination of tractive effort and weight on the drivers, an increase in driver diameter to 62" or 63' must have followed very shortly.

4 was scrapped by the CPR in December 1898. 2 remained on the rolls until it was scrapped in September 1902. 3 was given class ID A2f in 1903 and scrapped in September 1909. Two month earlier, the CPR had sold the 5 to the Orford Mountain Railway as their #3, but its second career lasted less than a year before it was scrapped in March 1910.

NB: Firebox heating surface area is an estimate based on the very similar Missouri-Kansas-Texas Eight-wheelers built at the same time by the same builder (and found in Locobase 7706). Both had fireboxes measuring 65" x 34 1/2" with a depth of 66" (1,651 x 876 mm, depth of 1,676 mm). All other key measurements were identical as well. The only difference was a driver diameter of 61" in the MKT locomotives. The heating surface areas for the MKT engines come from the 1904 MKT Locomotive Diagram book.

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Class SA/A5d (Locobase 1103)

Some data supplied by Bill Hallett for Bryan Attewell ([] Steam locomotive simulator (April 2000), supplemented and corrected by CP 1911-24 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also The Railway News, Vol 37 (25 February 1882), p. 294. (Thanks to Chad Corrin for his 14 March 2018 email asking about CPR 146. It led Locobase to a recent roster update that expanded this class considerably--and answered his question.) Works numbers included 1570 in March 1882, 1578-1580 in April, 1581-1584 in May, 1586-1594 in June, 1595-1599 in July.

Compared to other A5 Eight-wheelers, these English engines had straighter, smaller boilers. The Railway News quoted the US's Railroad Gazette report of an order for 25 CPR engines based on a Baldwin design. They were credited with 66" drivers. Their boilers were different from the American pattern and used 1/2" plate "with butt joints quadruple riveted in the longitudinal seams." Unlike most British engines, the Canadian engines would burn coal in steel fireboxes. (In 1888, Dubs would take over management of the Canadian Locomotive & Engine Company, Ltd--aka Canadian Locomotive Company. Their role in the company ended with the CL&EC's bankruptcy in 1900.)

Hoping to counteract what he termed as misrepresentations of the company's plans, the company's secretary Drinkwater revealed plans for the 1883 building season: "[I]t is the intention of the company to push the work of construction from Winnipeg westward with the utmost possible vigour during ihe coming season, with the object of opening the country for settlement as early as possible, and to facilitate the transport of men and material to the heavier work in the Rocky Mountains, which it is the purpose of the company to attend simultaneously from east and west in the spring of 1883."

A mark of the zeal with which this transcon was built, was Drinkwater's claim: "To accomplish this, the company will have to perform a feat unparalleled in railroad history, of laying the rails on 500 miles of track on one continuous line in about six months, but if the season is not very unfavourable, they believe their arrangements are such as will insure success.

The class was renumbered in 1907 to 131-158 and again in 1913, this time in a jumbled series of road numbers.

29 never was renumbered as it was sold to Souris Coal Mining Company in June 1903. 86, ex-133, ex-22--wound up on the Winnipeg River Railway as their #3 in November 1918. All of the others were scrapped after their CP service; few lasted beyond the end of 1930.