Rolly Martin Country: CNR 1971 Last of the Coalburners

Back when the Turbotrain still bore a CN colour scheme, steam locomotive 6218 was completing the longest time in CNR excursion service of any CNR engine.

Regular inspections, periodic hydrostatic testing, completing any repairs to correct defects found, and official certification of the boiler and its appurtenances ... were necessary to maintain the operating status of a steam engine. Keeping a steam engine in use after the complete conversion to dieselization ... meant that steam shop facilities and staff were no longer organized and at hand to handle a boiler rebuilding as a routine matter.

In early 1971, CNR determined that about $80,000 (2025 dollars = $630,000) of repairs to the boiler and running gear of 6218 were necessary. In addition, it would be necessary to find qualified workers to complete these tasks. The company announced the retirement of 6218. In the summer of 1971, a series of excursions was organized to commemorate the end of 6218's career and the end of steam on CNR. (from: Canadian Rail, March 1971)

In all, the CNR excursion engines had hauled 150 trains carrying about 90,000 passengers between 1960 and 1971.

(Unknown to the public at this point, oil-fired CNR 6060 would be restored and used in CNR steam excursion service from 1973 until 1980)

This commemorative program was printed for two of the 1971 excursions. Having recently moved to Kingston, we were not able to repeat our previous steam excursion trips to Ottawa (6218) and Victoriaville (6167).

We probably picked this program up during the second-to-last day of 6218's operation on Saturday, 3 July 1971. On that weekend a number of short trips were operated between Belleville and Anson Junction. These localized operations were ideal for photographing the train after our ride. LC Gagnon selected the better 'fantripping' day ... and avoided the sentimental Sunday retirement trips, ceremonies ... and crowds.

The program documented the service history of CNR's excursion locomotives. It also outlined the unique 'social construct' of a steam fantrip ... the courtesies hoped for, the conditions to expect, and the safety behaviours required.

To help you avoid any tasks you'd like to postpone,

I'm including links to some earlier posts about steam fantrips.

Link to the 6167 trip:

CNR 1963 CRHA Excursion: 6167, Montreal to Victoriaville

6153 passes Point St Charles ... and maps showing local railway features:

CNR 6153 at Turcot Yard and Heading to Victoriaville (with maps)

Our first encounter with 6218:

First Visit to Turcot Yard, Montreal, 17 July 1961

A fantrip with 6218:

CNR 1964 CRHA Excursion: 6218, Montreal-Coteau-Cantic-St Johns, Part 1

As a parting gesture, CNR refitted 6218's smoke deflectors for display on its final trips and into its retirement.

Steam locomotives had constrained fields of view forward through tiny windows along the long barrel of the boiler. The engineer and fireman were expected to watch for the full rulebook inventory of signals and conditions which would affect the safe passage of their train. The effectiveness of this vigil was often made more difficult by steam and coal smoke swirling into their fields of view. This often led to engineers leaning out of their cabs to see the road ahead - weather permitting.

(See the 6218 winter operating photo above to imagine the poor visibility)

Smoke deflectors were often installed on large engines in high-speed service in the hope that they would help maintain a clear forward view. Heavy, fast trains faced the greatest risks if their crews missed a trackside signal or other safety-related indicator. In general, crews found them to provide no net benefit to safety and smoke deflectors were often removed from these engines before the end of steam in Canada.

The photo below shows 6218 with smoke deflectors during its earlier career in regular revenue service.

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Saturday, 3 July 1971

Belleville-Anson Junction excursions

From the woman knitting at the left, to the kid with the striped shirt and the portable reel-to-reel recorder - this (and snapshot photographer LC Gagnon) was the party we fielded for the 6218 excursion.

Our grandmother was not a railfan, but she was down from Valois, Quebec because she shared a birthday with one of her grandkids. An annual commuter to Vancouver via The Canadian, she declined a train ride, and instead enjoyed 'people watching' on the platform.

The six people described above travelled from Kingston to Belleville in a Volkswagen Beetle.

On the subject of 'coalburners' ... That morning, I remember the first, familiar, pulse-quickening sight of black clouds of coal smoke. They were aloft in the calm air and visible perhaps five miles from Belleville.

... Today, it seems strange to read the old regulations and understand that locomotives were not required to have their headlights lit by day ... however ... with coal smoke advertising their location, it would be hard for even the least observant drivers to miss the approach of most steam engines at a crossing.

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Details of the line between Belleville and Anson (Jct) - 1957

You'll notice that the short excursions were 20 miles in each direction, with a turn around a wye at both ends.

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Snapshots

The crowd-pleasing fantrip custom of a climb up the ladder to the cab, pausing for a short while in the cab, and down on the other side ... was in full swing here.