Here’s an old post from years back, pulled from the remains of a badly crashed archive, fixed up, edited and made new again. The photos show a Fairbanks Morse model H16-66 locomotive and it’s a rare beast indeed. Today it’s one of two left. It’s first seen in High River Alberta at some point in the 1990s and again out in Nelson British Columbia in 2016.
Referred to as a “Baby Trainmaster (alt: Train Master)” by railway buffs, but never officially by the company that made them, this brawny engine appears as Canadian Pacific Railway #7009 and is one of only two examples of this model extant. Only a small number were produced for a select number of customers in the first place and the two survivors were similarly the final examples made. They were also the last ones to remain in service.
Fairbanks Morse H16-66 (CPR #7009): a rare, preserved locomotive seen at two different times in two different places. Channelling inner train-geeks with Chris Doering & Connie Biggart (BIGDoer/Synd)
Thanks to “Jason Sailer” for helping out and making this post possible – big hugs! Be like Jason…
Interestingly, the Canadian Pacific/CP Rail never owned this locomotive, nor did they purchase any of this model from the builder. Neither did any other Canadian railway and H16-66s were only sold in the US. The CPR did however own numerous similar looking Fairbanks Morse designed H16-44 and H24-66 models, built in Canada by the Canadian Locomotive Company of Kingston Ontario. That firm held the rights for FM locomotives in this country and also made all manner of heavy industrial equipment until closing in the late ’60s.
Scroll down for photos and to comment.
All H series locomotives have the same large burly look about them and while they proved less reliable when compared to the offerings of other builders, they made up for it by their raw pulling power. According to old timers we’ve spoken with, who knew them, they could really dig in and lug.
The unit is numbered in the 7000 to 7010 block reserved by the railway for demonstrator locomotives. The current owner wanted it painted to make it appear as though testing out for the CPR and that’s a plausible enough story. The railway did this often enough and other locomotives that have also appeared in the same numbering series include two FM/CLC CPA16-4s. These date from 1951 and were the very first Fairbanks Morse designed locomotives turned out by the Canadian Locomotive Company.
This locomotive was outshopped in early 1958 as Fairbanks Morse locomotive production waned. They stayed in the business into the early 1960s, but by this point had a limited output. It worked under various owners in the coal fields of Illinois.
At some point in the early 1980s a private individual from Ottawa Ontario purchased it and moved up here to Canada where it bounced around for a while. When seen by us it was stored in High River, in company with some other vintage railway cars and awaiting a permanent home.
Its location put it right next to a railway themed, dining car restaurant (still in business) and within a stone’s throw of the old CPR High River train station. That building somehow survived when so many other didn’t and now home to the High River Museum. We’re along the CPR’s MacLeod branchline here and the track got pulled a couple decades ago now.
The H16-66 ended up a rare model but that’s not odd given its rather specialized abilities. It did best on heavy but slow moving freights, and on lightly built lines. FM went on to build one more H16-66, late in ’58 and with that closed out the model’s run. The last one, recall, is the other we spoke of that survived and presently resides at a railway museum in the southern US.
At some point after the first photos were captured this locomotive moved to the CPR’s Ogden Shops and was repainted. It now wore the CPR’s traditional Tuscan red and grey scheme and looked great. On our first visit it displayed badly faded CP Rail colours and looked a little ragged.
In late 2012 this locomotive along with a second historical FM/CLC unit were seen heading west on a CPR freight, but their destination seemed a mystery.
At least to begin with and some thought perhaps they were headed to Squamish BC. There’s a large train museum in that community that certainly could give them a little love but when checked on next, however, they turned up in Nelson BC. That’s where both have been ever since.
They were first put in storage under tarps in the remains of the Nelson yard, where they were tagged and vandalized. Shortly after our visit, they were moved in behind the Canadian Pacific’s Nelson station, a short distance away and displayed there. Still with tagging based on photos we’ve seen of them recently.
Nelson was home the CPR shops that specialized in maintaining this make of locomotive so their is a significance to them being displayed here. Southern BC and parts of southwest Alberta were stomping grounds for CLC/FM locomotives and many lasted into service into the 1970s. That’s not bad, since all were from two decades before and always worked hard.
Some guides/sites/books list this model as an H-16-66 and others H16-66. We’ll use the terms interchangeably but some train-guys might argue one point or the other.
Officially however, at the Canadian Locomotive Company at least, they used the latter form. It’s confirmed by looking at some verbatim records listed in the book “Constructed in Kingston, a history of the Canadian Locomotive Company 1854 to 1968” by Donald McQueen and William Thomson. It’s then assumed the parent company Fairbanks Morse also used the same model naming conventions. If anyone even cares.
These pictures were scanned from 35mm prints and date, as best we can tell, from the 1990s. Any records that accompanied them are lost and admittedly, it’s us being sloppy. They were poor quality to start with, faded with age and indifferently scanned long ago.
We don’t recall the camera used to capture them (probably something cheap, old and probably out of tune), nor the film used (probably a bargain house brand).
What’s in a name? H = hood unit, 16 = horsepower in hundreds and 66 = six axles with all powered. Simple enough. FM/CLC locomotives used the firm’s unique opposed piston engines, with two cylinders acting against each other, verses one piston against a cylinder head that’s typical. For the eight cylinder engine that powered #7009 (assuming it’s even still inside), there were sixteen pistons and two crankshafts.
This arrangement made FM engines quite powerful, but also complicated. They were also a very tall and this is reflected in the boxy design of the H series locomotives. The H16-44 ended up the most common of family and otherwise quite similar to a H16-66 but with four axles. CPR/CP Rail had a fair number of 16-44 models and they earned their keep.
Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!
Date of adventure: 1990s and July 2016. Location: High River Alberta and Nelson British Columbia. Article references and thanks: Canadian Trackside Guides, John Burbridge’s local agent, and TrainWeb.org/CPRDieselRoster.
(A long read) After twelve years it's time to put a face to the name and come clean on something. That's rarely-seen Chris in the photo, one half of Team BIGDoer, my best friend for almost thirty years and orchestrator of everything you see here. For his entire adult life, he's battled a deep depression.
Mostly it's manageable, but there are extended bouts where it's crippling and his life comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes there are days or weeks where he's lost. Sleep does not come easy at this time and further aggravates the issue. As he ages, it's worsening and seems intent on destroying him from the inside.
If you see a lack of posts here, or ones poorly worded, confusing or simply off, it's from one of these periods.
Through all this, he remains as kind, thoughtful and loving as ever, but is somewhere else. To the family, it's just Chris and accepted as it should be. The kids and grandkids adore him no less. Until today, however, this has been hidden from the outside world, although closer friends and some readers were probably already suspect of his condition. I hope admitting this does not break the site.
He finds clarity when we're out and doing things, hiking or documenting something historic and it's only THE reason this page and our website exists. It's therapy. Then he's a new and passionate person, but the monster as he calls it always returns. The Beer Parlour Project has brought out a side I've never seen and when out in the field he's never been so on point and confident.
This post is not for sympathy but to inform. Just so you know where he is and here's what you can do to help (a last ditch request)...
If you see a missed comma or oddly worded sentence in a post, please be kind. You'll probably see his uncertainty when he's off and be nice there too. But if you like what you see, even if the write up could be presented better, post your encouragement. Say something and say it loud...it's important and will keep him sharing. Help Chris get better by cheering him on.
Other than some photos that are mine, everything else comes from him. All the tiring research and the writing (he admits he's NOT a writer), are his.
Chris puts every dollar he makes into this "project of a lifetime", and it's supplemented by donations from readers who enjoy the content. If you want to help...
Admittedly he was not thrilled with the idea of posting this but agrees it probably should be said, even if it makes him uneasy. He doesn't like appearing in photos either. He's so shy, thinks he looks goofy and hates his husky eyes. I love them and they're windows into a wonderful, complex and quiet, but tortured soul. It breaks my heart when he's in a bad space.
This image comes thanks to photographer Arturo Pianzola and was captured while exploring the historic Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam BC. Chris thought since he was in the area last year, he'd stop by to visit with a grandfather he never really knew, who spent his last years at the facility and is buried on the grounds.
Thanks for listening and your understanding. Hopefully we'll see you next week. Johanna (Connie).
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney 1985) and the same location in the Crowsnest Pass 2014. We're visiting the Pass over the new year, as we often do, and this time we'll be staying at a house that appears (briefly) in the film. How cool, eh? Chris has decided it's time on this visit to reshoot this and other Natty Gann comparison shots we did from ten years ago. Stay tuned!
This scene was shot in historic downtown Coleman and shows the former Holyk's Grocery. It was built in the early 1900s and the store closed in the '60s. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
From 2015. Rob Pohl and his strange old-style view camera joined us in documenting the Laing House (with permission). Head down to the comments to see an amazing coincidence with something I found inside.
From the Crossley slides, it's an undated view of Towers School, out near Cluny Alberta. It was originally called Swastika School but that's before the word and symbol were ruined by negative connotations. Built 1922. Gone? _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The same alley in downtown Calgary's west end, in the 1970s & today. You have to look hard to see the connection! The area was quite run down back then and is in stark contrast to all the shiny condo towers seen present day. Calgary Place West, an apartment block, appears in both images although it's barely a sliver in ours. Check the comments for more info.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Lost highways (2022): a section of old #93 in Southeastern BC. That BIGDoer-mobile is gone now but quite famous and had a following of its own. Old mine roads, cow paths, 4x4ing across fields - no problem and people would recognize us out in remote areas just by this car. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Comments are currently turned off