Engine No. 374 is the

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) locomotive that pulled the first transcontinental passenger train to arrive in

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 ...

, arriving on May 23, 1887. This was a year after sister Engine No. 371 brought the first train to cross Canada into

Port Moody Port Moody is a city in British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It envelops the east end of Burrard Inlet and is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south a ...

, roughly to the east.

History

No. 374 was built by the CPR in 1886 and was one of eight similar steam locomotives built that year in their Montreal shops. While No. 371 was scrapped in 1915, No. 374 was completely rebuilt in 1914 and continued in service until 1945. Because of its historical significance, it was donated to the City of Vancouver upon its retirement, which placed it on display in Kitsilano Beach Park. It suffered greatly from exposure to the elements and a lack of upkeep. It remained there until 1983, when a group of railway enthusiasts launched an effort to restore the engine in time for

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 ...

. It was moved from the beach and spent the next few years in different warehouses around Vancouver while a crew of volunteers undertook the task of restoring the engine. Completed in time for Expo, No. 374 was put on display on the

turntable A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

at the renovated former CPR Drake Street Roundhouse where it became a prime attraction. In 1988 the Expo 86 site, including the Drake Street Roundhouse, was sold to Concord Pacific, and in the course of the

False Creek False Creek (french: Faux ruisseau) is a short narrow inlet in the heart of Vancouver, separating the Downtown and West End neighbourhoods from the rest of the city. It is one of the four main bodies of water bordering Vancouver, along with ...

North Development Plan, the developer agreed to convert and expand the buildings to comprise the Roundhouse Community Centre. The Community Centre was designed by Baker McGarva Hart and completed in 1997. The plan for the development had made no mention of the 374 and it was temporarily housed inside the roundhouse itself while it was decided what to do with the engine. Successful fundraising efforts were undertaken by the

Vancouver Parks Board The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, commonly referred to as the Vancouver Park Board, is the elected board with exclusive possession, jurisdiction and control over public parks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Established by sectio ...

and the

Lions Club The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , ...

, among others, and a year later the new Engine 374 Pavilion was completed. Now a central feature of the Yaletown area redevelopment, the Engine 374 Pavilion is open daily for public viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the summer and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the winter. An anniversary celebration is held annually on the Sunday before

Victoria Day Victoria Day (french: Fête de la Reine, lit=Celebration of the Queen) is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday preceding May 25. Initially in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday, it has since been celebrated as the offi ...

. The pavilion is staffed entirely by volunteers from the

West Coast Railway Association Founded in 1961, the West Coast Railway Association (WCRA) is a non-profit society dedicated to preserving British Columbia's railway heritage. The society operates the Railway Museum of British Columbia and the CN Roundhouse & Conference Cent ...

and on average sees roughly 41,000 visitors per year as of 2015.

External links

Engine 374, West Coast Railway Association website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Pacific 0374 History of Vancouver 0374 Preserved steam locomotives of Canada History of rail transport in Canada Railway locomotives introduced in 1886 4-4-0 locomotives Individual locomotives of Canada Standard gauge locomotives of Canada