Canadian National 6213 is a preserved

4-8-4 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and four trailing wheels on two axles. The type w ...

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

on static display in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada at the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) on the lands of the former CPR John St. Roundhouse. It was on active duty until 1959 and was donated by

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 ...

(CNR) to the

City of Toronto government The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a rec ...

in 1960. It was on display at

Exhibition Place Exhibition Place is a publicly owned mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The site includes exhibit, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments ...

until 2009 when it was moved to its current location.

History

No. 6213 was built in 1942 at 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 ...

. It was part of the

's (CNR) fleet of 200 U-2-g class "Confederations", later "Northerns". No.6213 was retired from active duty in 1959. At the request of the

, the locomotive was donated by CNR to the City of Toronto government in 1960 and put on static display at

. At the request of the Parks Department, it was placed beside the

Stanley Barracks New Fort York, later the Stanley Barracks, is a former British and Canadian military base in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It was built in 1840–1841 to replace Toronto's original Fort York at the mouth of Ga ...

' Officers' Quarters, delivered there by temporary rail track. It was officially turned over to the

Mayor of Toronto The mayor of Toronto is the head of Toronto City Council and chief executive officer of the municipal government. The mayor is elected alongside city council every four years on the fourth Monday of October; there are no term limits. While in ...

Nathan Phillips on September 8, 1960. Since 6213's retirement, the members of The Toronto Locomotive Preservation Society (TLPS), her primary caretaker, have faithfully worked to preserve the locomotive. It was moved to the John St. Roundhouse in 2009 at a cost of , paid for by

Leon's Furniture Leon's Furniture Ltd. () (Meubles Léon Limité in Quebec) is a Canadian furniture retailer which first opened its store in 1909 in Welland, Ontario. The controlling interest in the company is owned by the Leon family, while some shares are trad ...

, which opened a store in the Roundhouse. The turntable and small trackage at the Roundhouse allows for the locomotive to be pushed and pulled into various spurs of the Toronto Railway Museum park. This has enhanced the TLPS' ability to inspect, grease and lube her moving parts, something key to her ongoing mechanical wellness and preservation. Plans are in the works for the summer of 2019, wherein the engine and tender will be subject to a significant cosmetic restoration. This will be the second significant makeover 6213 has had since retirement and reflects the City of Toronto's ongoing financial commitment to preserve its above-average condition "park locomotive". No. 6213 had only recently been through a significant refit at CNR's Stratford Shops before retirement and is, therefore, an ideal candidate for restoration to live steam at some point in the future. The TLPS continues to explore possible options of restoring this locomotive to operating condition.

Gallery

File:CN 6213 4-8-4 steam locomotive at John St Roundhouse Toronto Aug 2009.jpg, CN 6213 at

John Street Roundhouse Roundhouse Park is a 17 acre (6.9 ha) park in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is in the former Railway Lands. It features the John Street Roundhouse, a preserved locomotive roundhouse which is home to the Toronto Railway Museu ...

in Toronto, Aug 2009 File:locomotive.jpg, Detail of 6213

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite news , work=

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

, url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/midnight-train-across-toronto/article4170784/ , title=Midnight train across Toronto , date=May 30, 2009 , first=Paul , last=French , access-date=October 2, 2019 {{cite journal , journal=Branchline , title=A Northern Saga , first=James A. , last=Brown , url=https://www.bytownrailwaysociety.ca/phocadownload/branchline/2009/2009-07-08.pdf , publisher=Bytown Railway Society , via=www.bytownrailwaysociety.ca , access-date=October 2, 2019 , pages=3–6 , issue=July-August 2009 , year=2009 {{cite web , url=http://www.trha.ca/cnr6213.html , title=Steam Locomotive No. 6213 , publisher=Toronto Railway Historical Association , website=trha.ca , date= , access-date=August 13, 2012 Canadian National Railway 6213 4-8-4 locomotives Steam locomotives of Canada Preserved steam locomotives of Canada Individual locomotives of Canada

History

Gallery

See also

References