Canadian Pacific Steam Locomotive No. 2659 Leaving Hornby Station on May 15, 1954
Description
- Creator
- Dick George, Photographer
- Media Type
- Image
- Item Type
- Photographs
- Description
- This photograph of Canadian Pacific steam engine No. 2659 leading steam engine No. 5145 and freight train, was taken on May 15, 1954 as the train went west from Hornby Station, Trafalgar Township.
The knowledgeable photographer noted: "Hornby, Ontario - May 15, 1954 - 10:55 a.m. Extra West - Toronto to London 2659 & 5145. 2659 will assist to Orr's Lake just west of Galt. Then cut off and back to Galt. There it turns on a wye and returns to Lambton yard, Toronto, as a light engine."
To explain the note: Two steam locomotives are pulling the train west from Toronto because the grades west to the top of the Niagara escarpment require extra power to this day.
An "assist" engine was commonly assigned to help the train until it reached level terrain where the power of one engine would be sufficient. It would be easier to have the assist engine in front for coupling, uncoupling and time saving. (Thus, as per the photographer's note, the lead engine No. 5145 will turn back west of Galt, now Cambridge, Ontario.)
If you enlarge the photograph, you can see the engineer at the window of steam engine No. 5145. There was probably an engineer in No. 2659 as well. There were no automatic controls at the time and every engine needed an operator.
The photographer noted that steam locomotive No. 2659 was built in Montreal by Locomotive Works in June 1913. It was scrapped by Angus Shops of Montreal in May 1961.
Steam engine No. 5145 was built in Montreal by Locomotive Works in August 1913 and scrapped in March 1961 by Angus Shops, Montreal.
The last regular scheduled steam engine was in early 1963 so there are very few people left alive that had direct experience moving long trains with what essentially is a large tea pot with wheels.
Construction of the Credit Valley Railway Line, with a stop at Hornby, was begun in 1874 by George Laidlaw, opened from Toronto (Parkdale) to Milton in 1877 and finished in 1881. The CPR then took over the nearly bankrupt company in 1883.
The Hornby Station was on the east side of Trafalgar Road (Seventh Line). The station agent and his family lived in the back. Ticket service, baggage handling, telegraph service and freight shed were in front. John Garrett was the first ticket agent; over the years, Mr. Stout was agent in about 1910, Mr. Riordin in the 1930's, Mr. Kennedy from 1940 to 1945 when the CPR closed the ticket office, Mr. St. John in the early 1950's until the station was closed in 1955. The building was demolished in 1963.
Mr. Hugh O'Connor also worked as stationmaster at Hornby, likely in the 1940's and 1950's. His farm was on Lot 12 Con. 8 NDS Trafalgar Township and the train tracks bordered his farm. - Date of Publication
- 15 May 1954
- Date Of Event
- May 15, 1954
- Subject(s)
- Local identifier
- TTLMS000289
- Collection
- Trafalgar Township Historical Society
- Geographic Coverage
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.56681 Longitude: -79.83293
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- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Recommended Citation
- Canadian Pacific Steam Locomotive No. 2659 Leaving Hornby Station on May 15, 1954
- Contact
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Trafalgar Township Historical Society Sponsor: Jeff Knoll, Local & Regional Councillor for Oakville Ward 5 – Town of Oakville/Regional Municipality of Halton
