CPR 374
Throughout The Years
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1886 - Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a 4-4-0 steam locomotive
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1887 - May 23 the 374 pulled the first transcontinental passengers to Vancouver from Ontario.
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1914 - Ungraded from a wood burning engine to a coal burning engine.
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1945 - Retired and cosmetically restored back to wood burning and given to the city of Vancouver.
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1945 - 1983 Put on public display at Kitsilano (Kits) Beach.
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For decades on the beach children and family's enjoyed the train.
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The salt air, wear and tear, and caused a lot of damage to the 374.
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1983 - Sent to Granville Island for much needed major restoration.
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1985 - ESSO launches a Heritage Brick program to finish the final restoration at the Versatile Shipyards.
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1986 - Completely restored the 374 proudly sits on the Roundhouse Turntable at the ESSO Pavilion for EXPO 86
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After EXPO the 374 stayed outside on the turntable.
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1987 - The Roundhouse is declared a Provincial Heritage site.
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1990 - The Lions Club and 374 and Friends started to raise funds for a permanent home for the 374.
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1992 - May 23rd, 105 years to the day, the 374 is moved into its new (and current) home.
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2006 - July 25th, the West Coast Railway Association (W.C.R.A.) takes over custodianship of the 374.
A Historical Summary
When British Columbia agreed to join the confederation in 1871 it was conditional on Canada building a railroad through the Rocky Mountains to the west coast. With this, a national railroad had to be constructed and trains had to be built.
Canadian Pacific
1883 Canadian Pacific hired F.R.F. Brown as the company’s locomotive Superintendent, opened new shops in Montreal, and built their first locomotives.
Between May and July, 1886, eight 4-4-0 type, wood burning, passenger locomotives were constructed and numbered 371-378. These were sent to the Pacific division to operate on the Cascade section between North Bend and Port Moody. The 371 and 374 were key engines in Canadian history.
No. 371, hauled the first Pacific Express into Port Moody on July 4, 1886. This was the first scheduled train to cross Canada from sea to sea.
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No. 374, hauled the first passenger train, carrying 150 passengers, to go beyond Port Moody over the 12 mile extension to Vancouver on May 23rd, 1887, finally joining Canada from East to West.
When the CPR 374 arrived in Vancouver with the first transcontinental passenger train, the crowds cheered, the city band played, ships in the harbour blew their horns, and hundreds of flags decorated the young city.
It was a great day not only for Vancouver, but for the whole nation. The event heralded the completion of one of the greatest engineering feats of the century, a twin line of steel linking the new nation of Canada from coast to coast, ten years in construction.
The makeover
By 1914 coal engines were taking over. You can tell easily what kind of fuel a steam locomotive burns by its smokestack. despite being workhorses this change had great impact of both engines.
Wood burners have large funnel-like stacks. When using wood it creates a lot of soot and sparks which was a constant problem that the sparks from the trains would set fire to farmers’ haystacks. The funnel traps the soot and helps extinguished the sparks.
Coal burning engines have diamond shaped stacks. Coal has around 2–3 times the energy density of wood. The same boiler output would need a lot more wood than coal. This meant a larger and heavier tender and probably a larger firebox.
September 1914 - the CPR 374 had a complete rebuild, mostly on the original 1886 main frame. The 374 was converted to coal with all the updates giving the engine an additional thirty year lease on life.
October 1915 - Meanwhile, mostly in its original form, the 371 was scrapped.
Retirement
CPR 374 and the Royal Hudson
July 1945, After 58 years of faithful service, including WW1 and WW2, the CPR 374 was retired to make way for larger and more powerful diesel engines.
Then the locomotive was donated to the City of Vancouver as a memento of the original arrival in 1887. Prior to the delivery of the 374 to Vancouver, Canadian Pacific gave it a cosmetic restoration to the original 1886 design. To achieve this goal, it was necessary to remove some of the modern technology. This rendered the locomotive permanently inoperative.
Chillin' on the Beach
After delivery to Vancouver, the CPR 374 was made the responsibility of the Park Board for care and custody. The city of Vancouver placed the 374 on a section of track at Kitsilano Beach. As an iconic fixture for the next 38 years, people visited and kids played on the train. The 374 created some great and unforgettable memories for families.
You would think relaxing on the beach, getting some sun, and enjoying the salt air would be great, and it is, unless you're a locomotive made of steel. As time passed the CPR 374 became largely forgotten, ignored, and a victim of rust and vandalism.
Although a few volunteers attempted to maintain her, a lack of money, interest and proper shelter took their toll on the engine until 1981.
Major Restoration
In 1981, the West Coast Railway Association and the Canadian Railroad Historical Association began to promote the saving and restoration of the No. 374, and by 1983 had raised funds for a badly needed cosmetic restoration. The 374 was removed from Kits Beach and placed in a warehouse on Granville Island. There dedicated volunteers came to the engines rescue and began the herculean task of restoring the 374 to her former glory. For two years they worked diligently but more funds were needed.
In 1985, the engine was transported to North Vancouver’s Versatile Shipyards for final restoration. Additional funds to accomplish this were partially raised through the Heritage Brick Program sponsored by Imperial Oil Limited, (ESSO).
tHE rED bRICKS & Expo 86
In 1986 Vancouver was home to the World Exposition on Transportation and Communication (EXPO 86). The Roundhouse was the home of the ESSO Pavilion and the CPR 374 was their feature attraction.
The Heritage Brick Program was a tremendous success and raised $400,000. Individuals, company's, Corporations, sports teams, provinces, countries all bought a red brick for $19.86 with their name engraved on it.
February 13, 1986 the 374 was transported to the EXPO 86 RoundHouse and placed on the turntable. Restored to her former glory, it was a fitting tribute the Vancouver's historic transition from "Milltown to Metropolis". The personalized bricks were placed all around the engine and everyone was given a certificate which included the location of their brick.
After Expo
The 374 stayed at RoundHouse after EXPO. Now Canada’s most historic steam locomotive, Engine 374, faced an uncertain future. Except for a few shining moments at Expo 86, it’s been out of steam ever since.
In 1988, Concord pacific purchased the old EXPO land. As part of its development, Concord Pacific converted the Roundhouse into a Community Centre, giving both the building and surrounding area park land to the Parks Board. The Vancouver Park Board then took a major leap and agreed that the Roundhouse would be unlike any other community centre in Canada—a unique facility dedicated to community development through arts and culture—an arts-oriented community centre that would serve not only the residents of the area but all citizens of Vancouver.
In 1994, design began and the Park Board created the Roundhouse Advisory Committee to guide the development of the new community centre. Chaired by founding president Gerry Thorne, the Committee included past president Ingrid Alderson, past president Ralph McKnight, artists Ed Varney, Barb Clausen, Pamela Leamen, Sheila Foley and many others representing a variety of interests, including Evelyn Atkinson and Doug Starink representing Engine 374 and the railway enthusiasts.
Consistent support from then Park Board Commissioner Alan Fetherstonhaugh and dedicated Park Board staff, played a role on the political side.
March 1997 Concord turned the $9 million facility over to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation to own and operate, under the able guidance and direction of Coordinator Derek Simons. Its features include a performance centre, an exhibition hall, woodworking, pottery and dance studios, a full-size gymnasium, a cafe area, and various multi-purpose spaces. The architecture and design of the refurbished Roundhouse is stunning.
In addition to the Community Center, the 374 Pavilion was constructed attached to the RoundHouse. The Engine 374 museum is staffed by volunteers seven days per week. The Engine volunteers are enthusiastic supporters of all things “rail” and are happy to give visitors from all over the world a tour of the engine and provide some background on its interesting and colourful history as well as the history of the Roundhouse and Yaletown.
