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.)

Solid Casting.

One of the unusual features about them is the fact that the cylinders and underframe will be cast in one solid piece, weighing in the neighbourhood of 65,000 pounds. This great casting, which is normally made up of a number of massive sections bolted together, takes in the cylinders, main frames, cradle frames, and all cross ties, and thereby achieves far greater rigidity than is otherwise obtained. The casting for each engine will have to be made by a firm of specialists, and brought to Montreal on two flat cars, and a special crane will have to be constructed at the Montreal Locomotive Works to carry the load. The tenders will also have a similar casting, embracing the bottom of the tank and under-frame in one solid piece. The tender has a capacity of 12,000 imperial gallons of water and 4,500 of oil.

“Boosters” will supplement the pulling powers of the new locomotives intended for passenger service. These auxiliaries aid in getting a heavy load into motion up to twelve miles per hour, after which speed they cease to function. The “Booster” is a separate unit acting on the wheels of the engine's trailing truck.

The oil-fired boiler, containing over two miles of piping, is constructed wholly of nickel steel and designed to withstand 280 pounds boiler pressure. In addition to the nickel steel boiler and fire-box plate and stay-bolts, all forgings will be of a new composition low carbon nickel steel, which has been experimented with during the past year with good results.

Delivery of the new engines is expected to start some time in the early summer.