 CN 4-8-4 6400 (built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1936) was one of seven steam locomotives waiting to be placed in the locomotive pavilion. CRCML F2-2591. The Ottawa Citizen edition of Saturday November 17, 2007 used the above headline as an introduction to a story on the creation of the Canada Museum of Science and Technology forty years ago. The story contained many illuminating memories from David Baird who at 47 years of age in October 1966 was given the task of "overseeing the conception, design, and installation of a national museum of science" - only one year before opening was required. One of the pictures accompanying the article showed the cab of CN 4-8-4 locomotive 6218 stating "In the summer of 1967, secretary of state Judy Lamarsh and Jack Pickersgill, president of the Canadian Transport Commission, rode onto the museum grounds, aboard a steam locomotive donated by CN." We now know that 6218 did not become part of the collection, but many other CN locomotives did. In an accompanying article about a new book written by Sharon Babaian about the history of the museum there is the following paragraph. "The museum also received donations of equipment, especially steam locomotives, from the national railways." Nowhere does it
mention the efforts of
getting those locomotives into their display bay. By
coincidence on that same weekend I
happened to be cataloguing the John Frayne collection of slides for the
Craig
Memorial Library when the above stories appeared. There,
in John's pictures were some
fascinating slides of some of the locomotives being placed. It was interesting to see that CN switchers
could be used. Compare that work with
the story that  CN 4-6-4 5700 (built by Montreal Locomotive
Works in 1930) was another of the seven locomotives waiting to be
placed in the locomotive pavilion.
It was moved to St.Thomas in 1988. CRCML F2-2592.  CN 4-4-0 No. 40 (built by Portland in 1872)
from CN's Museum Train (two of the five Museum cars acquired by the
Museum are in the background) was delivered to the Museum in 1967 and
is pending movement to a warehouse at the rear of the Museum.
CRCML F2-2594.
 CP 4-6-0 926 was built by Canadian Pacific in 1911. CRCML F2-2596.  Former GT 2-6-0 713 (built by GTR in 1900),
also from CN's Museum Train, is pushed into her stall in the locomotive
pavilion by CN SW1200RS 1284. In 1988, the 713 was relocated to the
Canadian Railway Museum in Saint-Constant, Quebec.
 On the back track are CP 4-6-2 1201 (built
by CP in 1944), CP 4-6-4 2858 (built by MLW in 1938), CP 4-8-4 3100
(built by CP in 1928), GT 2-6-0 713 (built by GTR in 1900) and CN 4-6-4
5700 (built by MLW in 1930 as CN 5703) awaiting their turn to be placed
in the locomotive pavilion. Additional equipment was to be placed in a
warehouse behind the Museum. CRCML F2-2597.
 Waiting to go into the locomotive pavilion. CRCML F2-2599.  Waiting to go into the locomotive pavilion, CRCML F2-2600.  CN SW1200RS 1296 pushes CP 4-6-2 1201 (the
last steam locomotive built new by CP) into the locomotive pavilion in
1967. Just six years later, a hole was knocked in the pavilion wall,
track was again laid across the parking lot, and 1201 was extricated
from her display. She was hauled to John Street Roundhouse in Toronto
for a rebuild. She returned to Ottawa in June 1976 for the start of a
15 year excursion career that saw her visit both the Pacific Ocean
(Vancouver in 1985-86) and the Atlantic Ocean (Saint John, NB, in
1989). She was last in steam on October 14, 1990, on a
Ottawa-Hawkesbury excursion and today resides in the warehouse behind
the Museum. CRCML F2-2602.
 Seven steam locomotives
have been placed in the locomotive pavilion, and soon workmen will be
completing the wall and installing four doors. From left to right are
CN 4-8-4 6400, CP 4-8-4 3100, CP 4-6-4 2858, CN 4-6-4 5700 [nee 5703],
CP 4-6-2 1201, CP 4-6-0 926 and GT 2-6-0 713.  Steam crane CV 4251 (built in 1919) and boom car CV 4313 with 1907 built Jordan spreader CP 402818, all owned by the Bytown Railway Society are ready to be placed on the museum siding. CRCML F2-2610. Bytown Railway Society, Branchline, January 2008, page 20. |