Selkirk locomotive

Selkirk steam locomotive 2-10-4 built by Montreal Locomotive Works, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The first of these large engines with 2-10-4 wheel arrangement were built in July 1929. Altogether twenty were constructed before the end of the year bearing numbers 5900 to 5919. The Canadian Pacific Railway's classification was T 1a. These locomotives weighed 375 short tons (340 metric tonnes) fully loaded. They were the largest and most powerful in the British Empire. Named after the Selkirk range of mountains they crossed.

Montreal Locomotive Works built another ten of these successful mountain locomotives during November and December of 1938. The Canadian Pacific Railway assigned them T 1b class. They were numbered from 5920 to 5929. Modifications led the T 1b to be ten tons or tonnes lighter while increasing steam pressure from 275 to 285 lbf/in² (1.90 to 1.97 MPa). A further six Selkirks classed T 1c were built by the Montreal Locomotive Works shop in 1949. They were the last standard gauge steam locomotives built in Canada for a Canadian railroad. They were the same as the T 1b except for a few refinements, including two cross-compound air compressors to speed recharging of the air brake system. They were all equipped with boosters (some shortly after being built) and all were built as oil burners. The tenders held 12,000 gallons (Imperial measure) (55,000 litres) of water and 4,100 gallons (18,600 L) of fuel oil. They had to be equipped with two pair of six wheel trucks because the total tender weight was 148 short tons (134 metric tonnes).

These last Selkirks were taken out of service in 1959. All but two were scrapped. None of the earlier T1a's were preserved. Their heavier looking, non-streamlined appearance, were better examples of the heavy mountain steam power look. The 5935 is preserved in Delson, Quebec while the 5931 (renumbered 5934) is in Calgary's Heritage Park. These later T 1's were semi-streamlined and were painted with CPR tuscan red panels along their running boards and on the tender sides with gold leaf border trim.

The locomotives were assigned to handle both freight and passenger trains westward between Calgary and Revelstoke a distance of 262 miles (422 km). The Laggan Subdivision covered the first 137 miles (220 km) and included the Field Hill and the famous Spiral Tunnels; while the second, the Mountain Subdivision covered the remaining 126 miles (203 km) which included the famous Rogers Pass and the Connaught Tunnel. The Grades encountered were a maximum of 2.2 per cent (1 in 45), with curves of 12 degrees or 480 foot (146 m) radius. Rated at 77% t.e. or 77,000 pounds-force (343 kilonewtons) tractive effort on the lesser grades they could haul 1,050 short tons (950 tonnes) unassisted and without the booster cut-in. The booster engine added an additional 12,000 lbf (53 kN) of t.e up to a maximum of 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). Due to their extreme weight they could not proceed to Vancouver. They were also used for 23 miles (37 km) west of Revelstoke to Taft assisting freight and passenger trains up the steep grade to the Three Valley Gap at Clanwilliam.

When diesels began operation between Calgary and Revelstoke in the early 1950s the Selkirks were assigned to work the Brooks, Alberta and Maple Creek, Saskatchewan subdivisions between Calgary and Swift Current, Saskatchewan. They were also used to haul freight trains north of their new Alyth terminal as far as Edmonton, Alberta.

References

• C.P.Atkins, B.Sc. Loco Profile 35 Canadian Pacific Selkirks Profile Publications Ltd. Windsor, England 1973.
• CPR Form M.P.330 Classification and Dimensions of Locomotives Revised February 1,1947 Issued by the Chief of Motive Power & Rolling Stock