According to the Montreal “Gazette,” a fleet of monster locomotives that will revolutionise freight and passenger traffic in the West and that mark an epoch in the transportation history of Canada, have been ordered by the Canadian Pacific Railway from the Montreal Locomotive Works for service through the mountains in British Columbia. These twenty oil-burning giants will be used to speed freight and passenger trains through the Rockies, and will each of them do the work of two or more of the lighter locomotives. When in operation they will release for service elsewhere on the Company's lines, considerable motive power equipment.

These engines, technically known as the “2-10-4” type—that is, two wheels on the leading truck, ten 63in. drivers, and four wheels on the trailing truck—are the greatest ever constructed or operated in the British Empire. Each engine and tender measures overall 97 feet in length, and weighs together 725,000 pounds, being 78 times heavier than Stephenson's historic “Rocket.” They will have a tractive effort of no less than 78,000 pounds and will be able to develop over 4,200 horsepower, or about 85 times as much power as the “Rocket,” at a capital cost of 45 times as much. The cylinders are 25 1/2 inches in diameter and the stroke is 32 inches.

The new engines have been conceived, experimented with and designed by the motive power department of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and will be built wholly in Canada. Many features of their design were tried out in the twin “3100” models, produced recently by the company's Montreal Angus shops, and now in operation over its eastern lines. (One of these latter locomotives was illustrated in our January, 1929, issue.)