Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson

The Royal Hudsons are a series of semi-streamlined 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotives formerly owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). The engines were built in 1937. In 1939, King George VI allowed the CPR to use the term after Royal Hudson number 2850 transported the royal train across Canada with no need of replacement. These locomotives were in service between 1937 and 1960. Four of them have been preserved. No. 2839 was used to power excursions for the Southern Railway Steam Program between 1979 and 1980. No. 2860 was used for excursion service in British Columbia between 1974 and 1999, then again between 2006 and 2010.

In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada, arriving at Wolfe's Cove, Quebec, on 17 May 1939. This was the first time that a reigning monarch had visited Canada. The king and queen took a tour of the country by rail. The CPR and the Canadian National Railways (CNR) shared the honours of transporting the royal train across the country, with the CPR undertaking the westbound journey, from Quebec City to Vancouver.

The steam locomotive that the CPR used to pull the train was numbered 2850, a 4-6-4 built by Montreal Locomotive Works. Specially painted in silver and blue, the locomotive ran 3,224 mi (5,189 km) across Canada, through 25 changes of crew, without engine failure. The king, being a railfan, rode in the cab when possible. The king was so impressed with the performance of 2850 and its class, that after the tour, the king gave the CPR permission to use the term "Royal Hudson" for the semi-streamlined locomotives of the class (numbered 2820–2859; locomotives 2860–2864 were built one year later as Royal Hudsons) and to display royal crowns on the running board skirts. This was the only time a locomotive outside of the United Kingdom was given royal status by the reigning monarch.

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) owned a total of 65 class H1 Hudsons built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). Classes H1a and H1b, numbered 2800–2819, were not semi-streamlined and were not "Royal" Hudsons. The CPR owned 30 class H1c Royal Hudsons, numbered 2820–2849, built in 1937, 10 class H1d Royal Hudsons, numbered 2850–2859, built in 1938, and five class H1e Royal Hudsons, numbered 2860–2864, built in 1940. The class H1c and class H1d Royal Hudsons were used in passenger and freight service in Eastern Canada. The class H1e (Nos. 2860−2864) Royal Hudsons were all built as oil-burners for the service between Vancouver and Revelstoke where they worked until they were displaced by diesels. At the end of 1952 the H1c and H1d were assigned to the sheds in Montreal (10), Toronto (7), Fort William (4), Winnipeg (17) and Calgary (2) – the brackets showing the assigned number of locomotives. All five H1e were assigned to Vancouver.

The Royal Hudsons were used on all main lines of the CPR except Montreal–Saint John due to bridge weight restrictions. They worked almost all transcontinental passenger trains. The Dominion was hauled by a Royal Hudson 811 miles (1,305 km) from Toronto to Fort William and by another one 1,250 miles (2,010 km) further on to Calgary. There, a more powerful Selkirk took over till Revelstoke and another Royal Hudson brought the train over the last 379 miles (610 km) to Vancouver.

By 1960, all of the 20 Hudsons and 45 Royal Hudsons had been retired due to having been completely replaced by diesel locomotives.

One Royal Hudson, No. 2860, was later used in excursion service. A class H1e Royal Hudson, it was built for the CPR by MLW in June 1940. It was the first locomotive of five to be built new as a Royal Hudson and delivered with painted cast-brass crowns affixed to its skirts. Between 1940 and 1956, it hauled transcontinental passenger trains between Revelstoke and Vancouver. It was damaged in a derailment outside Vancouver in 1956, but by 1957, it had been refurbished and was transferred to Winnipeg for prairie service. It was withdrawn from service in May 1959, and sat on the scrap line for five years. She was sold to the Vancouver Railway Museum Association in 1964. However, the association was unable to find a place to display the locomotive, and it remained in storage at the Drake Street shops in Vancouver. Once again, the locomotive faced the risk of being scrapped, but she then was sold to Joe W. Hussey in 1970.

In 1973, Hussey sold No. 2860 to the British Columbia government. The locomotive was restored by Robert E. Swanson's Railway Appliance Research Ltd. team and the staff of the CPR's Drake Street Roundhouse shops beginning on November 25, 1973, and then operated by the British Columbia Department of Travel Industry with the cooperation of the British Columbia Railway. The BCR commenced a Royal Hudson steam excursion service between North Vancouver and Squamish on June 20, 1974. By the end of the 1974 tourist season, 47,295 passengers had been carried and the excursion was deemed successful. It was the only regularly scheduled steam excursion over mainline trackage in North America. The excursion operated between May and October, from Wednesday through Saturday. The 2860 also travelled North America in the late 1970s as a promotion for BC tourism. She quickly became one of British Columbia's main tourist attractions and an icon of Canadian steam power.