CP FM unpreserved

Mike LaBouliere · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 9:24 am

http://naphotos.nerail.org/showpic/?pho ... bydate%3A1

Found this online, doesn't appear to be saved, what is the status on this unit? also what model of an FM is it?

Richard · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 10:37 am

Interesting question and photograph. Without knowing where the picture was taken, it would be difficult to assess the unit's status. Supposedly one FM C-Liner and one Trainmaster were preserved by the Canadian Pacific, but I don't think either has seen conservation or cosmetic restoration. Who can correct me with facts?

glueck@maine.edu

Duncan Campbell · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:06 pm

There is one CP Trainmaster (8905) at the Canadian Railway Museum in Montreal, Quebec that has been at least cosmetically refurbished. According to the CRM web site,it is the ONLY Trainmaster remaining of 127 built. There is a photo if you access the coollection.

Duncan_ev_campbell@hotmail.com

Richard Jenkins · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:48 pm

Now that's interesting, the engine in the photo posted on NERAIL (below) certainly looks like a Trainmaster, but it's clearly not the Canadian Railway Museum's engine, which is supposedly the only survivor. According to the caption this photo was only taken last Friday - if that's true, then this is a great find! Sounds like this thing should definitely be preserved somewhere, perhaps this side of the border since the Canadians already have one.

rjenkins@railfan.net

Richard Jenkins · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:53 pm

Here's another photo of the same engine posted on NERAIL. According to the caption it's in Calgary. From the position of the number under the cab window, it looks like there might be a missing digit after the "355".

CP 355 photo on NERAIL site

rjenkins@railfan.net

Dave Crosby · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 2:59 pm

Wow!

Between that and the two cut-down N&W trainmasters that went to RMDI in Pittston, PA last month someone could really make something there...

Dave Crosby

bing@epix.net

Richard Jenkins · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 3:42 pm

I did some poking around on the unofficial CP diesel roster site. Couldn't find anything about a "355", but on closer examination of the second photo, I realized the first number there is actually an 8, and there should indeed be a fourth digit though there's very little evidence in the photo to say what it is.

Anyway, CP nos. 8550 through 8556 were H-16-44's delivered by CLC in 1955, while 8557-59 were MLW RS10's. I started looking at the available photos on the site of the 8550-series engines, and found the following disposition note for no. 8554:

"Retired (1975-06-20); held by CP for preservation; donated (1992) to 'The Locomotive & Railway Historical Society of Western Canada' and was stored (as of 2000) in a north east Calgary warehouse."

Sounds like that has to be the one.

CP 8554 on the CP diesel roster site
rjenkins@railfan.net

Richard · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 5:31 pm

Good detective work, Richard. This brings up the question yet again; how many FM units are preserved, and in which motive power classes? Are any left in Mexico from ChP or NdeM ?

Glad the Canadians were on the stick with FM units. Why were the US railroads/railfans asleep at the switch when our FM's came up for retirement?

glueck@maine.edu

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2003 7:59 pm

OPkay, I have a source of FM engines and parts, and I'm in contact with the RMDI crews regarding those slugs.

Would someone contact the reported owners of that Canadian FM and see if they're gonna follow through? This would be a prime addition to Roanoke, Strasburg, Union, or a couple other places...........

LNER4472NOSPAM@bcpl.net

L Beckman · **Posted:** Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:07 am

> OPkay, I have a source of FM engines and
> parts, and I'm in contact with the RMDI
> crews regarding those slugs.

> Would someone contact the reported owners of
> that Canadian FM and see if they're gonna
> follow through? This would be a prime
> addition to Roanoke, Strasburg, Union, or a
> couple other places...........

For the record; what railroads (besides CP) operated these "Baby TM's"?

Thanks!

midlandblb@cs.com

Art Schwartz · **Posted:** Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:33 am

> For the record; what railroads (besides CP)
> operated these "Baby TM's"?

> Thanks!
There were several distinct variations of the H16-44. I think only the last version, with the electric drive radiator fans, are considered "Baby Trainmasters". I know that the New Haven, the AC&Y and the Virginian all had this variation, as well as the CP and the CH-P in Mexico. Undoubtedly,there were other owners. Some that come to mind as probably using this model are the B&O, CN, P&WV and MILW. The older variations that I remember were on the CNJ and the Long Island.

artschwartz@sprintmail.com

Bob Davis · **Posted:** Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:45 am

> There is one CP Trainmaster (8905) at the
> Canadian Railway Museum in Montreal, Quebec
> that has been at least cosmetically
> refurbished. According to the CRM web
> site,it is the ONLY Trainmaster remaining of
> 127 built. There is a photo if you access
> the coollection.
I have viewed the CP Trainmaster at CRM and was grateful to our friends up north for preserving it. (having ridden behind the SP version on commute trains between 1967-73). Did not think to ask whether it ran or not (was busy admiring other rare examples of "neat stuff on wheels"). Anybody know its operational status?

brunettedavis@aol.com

JJ · **Posted:** Tue Aug 05, 2003 10:29 am

> Good detective work, Richard. This brings up
> the question yet again; how many FM units
> are preserved, and in which motive power
> classes? Are any left in Mexico from ChP or
> NdeM ?

The Diesel Shop website offers listings of preserved diesels. Here's the link for F-M's.

http://www.ole.net/~rcraig/PRSVDfm.HTML

Rob Davis · **Posted:** Tue Aug 05, 2003 11:02 am

Andy,

What kind of Frankenstien do you want to build?

(User Above) wrote:

:
:-)

The CPR H-16-44 is a 4-axle FM that - from info I have - is realtively intact. The slugs are 6-axle full-size Train Masters, aren't they?

The CPR's baby's were built by CLC for FM. They have the late carbody which closely matches a handful of US roads - Virginian and NH among them.

I would hope the Calgary group finds away to keep her preserved in Canada, her country of birth and operation.

Rob

> OPkay, I have a source of FM engines and
> parts, and I'm in contact with the RMDI
> crews regarding those slugs.

> Would someone contact the reported owners of
> that Canadian FM and see if they're gonna
> follow through? This would be a prime
> addition to Roanoke, Strasburg, Union, or a
> couple other places...........

trains@robertjohndavis.com

Duncan Campbell · **Posted:** Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:20 pm

> I have viewed the CP Trainmaster at CRM and
> was grateful to our friends up north for
> preserving it. (having ridden behind the SP
> version on commute trains between 1967-73).
> Did not think to ask whether it ran or not
> (was busy admiring other rare examples of
> "neat stuff on wheels"). Anybody
> know its operational status?

I finally tracked down a photo of 8905 in its refurbished state. I do not believe it is operational.

Duncan_ev_campbell@hotmail.com