Today’s random pick – that is a photo pulled by chance from our library with zero consideration of what it contains – is of Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s Empress #2816. This steam locomotive travelled all around North America in 2024 (the Final Spike Steam Tour) and it’s seen here passing by the grain terminal in Cassils Alberta.
We chased the engine for a time east from Calgary, along with quite the entourage of others, but in spite of this managed to find solitude. We picked out of the way spots or places less popular and let the throngs duke it out elsewhere. Still, we bumped into a few good friends along the way and made some new ones.
The Empress emerged from the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930 and retired by the railway thirty years later. It then became part of the Steamtown collection (USA) before the CPKC (then the CPR) reacquired it in the late 1990s. The railway has used it for promotional tours from time to time ever since.
We really enjoyed the pursuit and even in spite of the number of people following it, managed to get intimate with today’s subject. We did it as a for us trip, but hope you enjoy the photo all the same.
Short Subjects: Reports a few paragraphs in length and brief in nature. Think silly little snippets, vignettes and things of that sort. You’ll be in and out in no time.
Comments are (OFF)