Royal Hudson 4-6-4

The Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 or ' Hudson' type engines, prior to diesels, were responsible for most main-line work between Montreal and Vancouver, a distance of almost 2,900 miles, and only in the Rocky Mountains did they give way to the famous 'Selkirk' 2-10-4s.

The first of the type appeared in 1929 as Class ' HI a,' and a year later a further ten were built with smoke deflectors and other minor modifications, Class ' Hlb.' With 6 ft. 3 in. driving wheels, two 22 in. x 30 in cylinders and 275-lb. boiler pressure, the tractive effort was a little over 45,000 Ib.; not very large machines by North American standards, the Hudsons were nevertheless capable of tackling loads of 1,500 tons and over when required.

No more appeared until 1937, when forty streamlined locomotives Classes ' Hlc ' and ' Hld ' were built, some fitted with booster engines on the trailing truck. So far all the locomotives were equipped with mechanical stokers, but in 1940 the final live appeared as oil-burners, again fitted with boosters.

Most of the class where painted black with brown panelling on the running-plates and tendeer, but in 1939 No. 2850 of Class ' H1d ' was specially painted and embellished to work the Royal train over most of its journey on the C.P.R. Subsequently all the Hudsons carried a coronet on the front end of the running plate , our picture shows No. 2850 in its role of Royal Engine. All Canadian steam was replaced by diesel power by the end of the 1960's.