Canadian National 6060 is a

4-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels. This type of steam locomotive is commonly known as t ...

“Mountain”-type steam locomotive built in 1944 by the

Montreal Locomotive Works Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883 to 1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive ...

as the first of the U-1-f class for the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

(CN).

History

6060 was constructed in October 1944 by the Montreal Locomotive Works in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Quebec, as the prototype locomotive of the Canadian National Railway's (CN) U-1-f class 4-8-2 "Mountain types". It was initially assigned to pull main-line passenger trains until 1959, when it was retired and sat in storage on a

siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...

outside in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

, Manitoba, awaiting to be sent to the

scrap yard Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has monetary value, especially recovered me ...

, but was eventually rescued for preservation by CN

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

Harry R.J. Home, and was put on static display at the Jasper station in Jasper, Alberta, during 1962. Ten years later, CN reacquired 6060, and they restored it to operating condition for excursion service in 1971, as a replacement for U-2-g

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

6218, and after being restored by CN in 1973, hauled excursions for their steam excursion program until 1980, when CN ended the program. That same year, to commemorate the Province of Alberta's 75th anniversary, 6060 was presented to the people of Alberta as a gift. After more than five years of retirement, it was restored a second time with the help of Harry Home, the Province of Alberta and volunteers from the

Rocky Mountain Rail Society The Rocky Mountain Rail Society (RMRS) is a registered nonprofit organization of volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Canadian National Railway steam locomotive 6060, ''The Spirit of Alberta''. Their goal is to ensure that ''The Spirit of A ...

. 6060 travelled under her own power to

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, British Columbia, in 1986 to participate in the Steam Expo, part of the

Expo 86 The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communicatio ...

world's fair, alongside several other steam locomotives, including

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

(CPR)

4-6-4 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels. In France where the type was first used, it is known as t ...

2860, CPR

4-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The locomotiv ...

1201 Year 1201 ( MCCI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * July 31 – John Komnenos the Fat, a Byzantine aristocrat, attempts to usurp ...

, CN

4-6-0 A 4-6-0 steam locomotive, under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, has four leading wheels on two axles in a leading bogie and six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles with the abse ...

1392 Year 1392 ( MCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * June 13 – An assassination attempt by Pierre de Craon against Olivier de Clisson, Con ...

, and Union Pacific (UP)

0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and no trailing wheels. This was the most common wheel arrangemen ...

4466. After Expo 86 ended, the 6060 and 2860 doubleheaded back to Alberta, though when they got there, 6060 developed a mechanical failure, forcing it to be taken off the excursion, while 2860 returned to Vancouver. After several years of storage at the

Alberta Railway Museum The Alberta Railway Museum (ARM) is a railway museum located in the north end of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It houses a collection of railway equipment and buildings and has locomotives from both the Canadian National Railways (CNR) and Northern ...

near

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, 6060 was moved to Stettler in 1998 to operate regularly in the service of

Alberta Prairie Steam Tours Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions is a heritage railway originating in Stettler, Alberta. The train runs between Stettler and Big Valley. The trips last five to six hours, with a stopover (all excursions include a buffet meal). Many trains are ...

(APST). More than a decade later, it continued to transport thousands of excursion passengers every summer until it went out of service in 2010. Several years later, the APST began performing an overhaul on the locomotive, and , the overhaul is still under way.

References

External links

{{Commons category
Rocky Mountain Rail Society
- official website of Canadian National 6060 6060 4-8-2 locomotives MLW locomotives Preserved steam locomotives of Canada Railway locomotives introduced in 1944 Standard gauge locomotives of Canada

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links