First I would like to say hi to all those reading, this is going to be my first post. I’ve been chasing steam locomotives for many years, thought I could share some information with you all as I have read many things you all have wrote. Being from Southern Ontario Canada I’m going to start with some Steam info around here.

-- On Feb 27 the City of Guelph Ontario requested proposals (RFP) from contractors for the re-location of CN #6167 to the south side of the CNR / GEXR right of way. Directly across from the Via / C.N.R. / Grand Trunk Railway Station.

Visit the website http://guelpharts.ca/steamlocomotive6167/

-- CPR #1095 in Kingston Ontario is going to be getting cosmetic restoration, a group has formed and from my understanding the city is helping out also.

Visit there website http://www.virtualkingston.ca/engine1095/

-- CNR #6213 was successfully moved to the John Street roundhouse last year and currently is located under the old coaling tower on the property

-- CPR #894 in Kitchener Ontario has gone from rusting away to painted and looking pretty much as it did in operation, currently the Waterloo regional museum is being built next to the locomotive.

-- Essex #9 is in St. Jacobs Ontario Formerly in St. Thomas, is still outside waiting for the SOLARS shops to be finished so that they can move it inside and finish up the maintenance on it, so once again it can operate. I hope to see it back up and running this year.

If I am wrong or misinformed please correct me, I will post more info as I find out
Tom

Tom,

First of all welcome aboard. Although I live in Maryland, as a former VIA Rail employee, I have a passion for Canadian steam. I prefer CP over CN but there is much to like about both.

We've been hearing about 6167's restoration and 6213's move. Now if you could just go down to Fort Erie and give someone a good kick in the backside over the condition of 6218.

Kevin Gillespie
Moderator
Railway Preservation News

So the cat's out of the bag. Now that the move of 6167 is public, I supose I can add a few details. The deadline for proposals was Feb 25, although no one from the committee has told me what the proposals recieved were.

In the end, the locomotive will be moved to the other side of the tracks, onto a new concrete pad, which looks pretty solid from the engineering drawings, although I have no idea what the enclosure will look like. I have mentioned how nice it was be to build some sort of glass enclosure that completely islolates the engine from nature and vandals, but I doubt that wil happen. Its also been mentioned that the locomotive will somehow be incorperated into a new platform that GO transit plans to build (in addition to rearranging the exist passing tracks and sidings. It seems the GO train is coming (back?) to Guelph.

As for the move itself, I have no idea as of yet what the procedure will be. There are several possiblities, such as lifting it out with cranes, or loading it onto a platform and trailer like we did with 6213, or connecting 6167's siding to the mainline and towing it into place.

It seems that the move is likely to place over the next few months. I think the city is in a hurry to start the revamping of the bus terminal they've been talking about for years and years, as funding for projects like this from the Federal Government is only available for a limited time.

As with all shots in the dark like this, the move has the potential to go smootly or horribly wrong (we had the same fears with 6213, but fortuneatly, things worked out great!).

As for 6218, I'm not even sure if there is anyone to kick!

Here's some links to check out:

Canadian National #5588 "Spirit of Windsor"
http://www.ctmhv.com/The_Museum/spirit_of_windsor.htm
http://is-is.facebook.com/group.php?v=w ... 4819890865
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM14 ... otive_5588

Canadian National #6167
http://www.ghra.ca/6167.html
http://www.trainweb.org/j.dimech/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBoE2IsRG6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwLTUwKD ... re=related
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM36 ... ph_Ontario

Canadian National #6218
http://skipg.homeip.net/gallery/Fort-Er ... eum/CN0669
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw5TuM2VDTQ
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image ... 40c14bf329

The fate of 6218 is exceptionally sad, as it finished service long after 6167. I'm not certain a complete cosmetic restoration is even possible. Nobody has cleaned the auger, the smoke box is rotten, and Fort Erie uses it as a calling card to visitors!

It has been public for weeks Joe!! A call for tenders has been on the City of Guelph's website for a while now!! I assume the tender call was published in the Guelph Mercury also.

I came across this blog which has fairly recent pictures of 6218. The photos actually make it look better than it really is, but the lack of care is still obvious, smashed gauges and all. And don't you just love that florescent green cab interior??!! :P
http://rightinniagara.blogspot.com/2008/05/niagara-then-and-now-cn-steam.html

Its just that everyone had been asking me to stay quiet about it! Which is what I did.

I decided on tuesday to take a short trip around my area stopped in Guelph to see CN# 6167 then up to Palmerston to see CN#81 and last stopped in St. Jacobs and was lucky enough to get a tour of the Waterloo central shops and yard by a man named Carson. Also saw Essex #9 under a make shift shelter until the shops are done. Took some photos of the Locomotives thoughht I would share them
Tom

I had a look at the link for 6218 and she doesn't look too bad. From the pics the drivers side guages are broken. Nothing an hour or two can't fix. The cab looks very complete clean and dry. Yes 25 years without servicing leaves its mark but it looks in pretty good condition overall. I wish our cab was like that when we first got involved with 6069.

don't let look's decieve you, that engine is a disaster. First off, most of the stuff in the cab has nothing to do with the actual engine, its just random hardware that someone stuffed in there. All if not most of the windows are all gone.

That engine is missing so many parts, and wasn't even assembled correctly after the restoration. That's why you will find an alemite grease fitting from the main rod shoved into the steam intake on the air pump.

In addition to the smoke box being all rotted out, all the fittings on top of the cylinders were taken out which now allows water to enter the cylinders.

I could write a book about how wrecked that engine is...

Ummm, Joe, you did write a book about it. I printed it off, showed it to 2 of thier board. They said it was great reading material and opened thier eyes to a few things. Also gave them a good laugh. I have other info for you, i'll email it to you.

As for Ontario Steam, another engine scheduled to move this year is Hydro Electric Power Commission 0-4-0ST #46 from Uptergrove. Can't say where it's going right now, but we're planning for a mid summer move.

Oh Yeah! (I forgot...) I just wish I took more photos that illustrate just how dire and pathetic her situation is. Unfortunatley, I was so dissapointed with the whole mess that I didn't even keep any photos (except for the lower res ones on my site)...

Here's the "book":

http://www.trainweb.org/j.dimech/journal/070929.html

Here's the latest scoop on 6167.

http://www.guelphtribune.ca:80/news/article/205660