CPR 7013

    Story by FM

    CP no. 7013 CP no. 7013

    Forty-four years ago (1960) we were stooging around the CPR St. Luc Roundhouse in Montreal looking at the last of steam stored serviceable and for scrapping. No steam in service and although we hoped otherwise, none operated again. Sadly, there was a P1 2-8-2 in the lines, later scrapped. Anyway, it was January and cold. We were ducking back and forth into the roundhouse to warm up, as we had been told to stay away from the "action" around the diesel shop. There were steam engines and yard diesels inside but it was dark.

    CP 7013 rolled past, and the engineer stopped and invited us up. Next thing we were running it up and down the shop east lead past the ash pit and the coal tower. First diesel I had ever operated. As the shift was over, the plan was to put 7013 into the roundhouse to keep warm, so we got to ride onto the turntable, then inside and the unit was shut down. We noticed that 7013, plus 7012, also there, had horizontal shutters. Found out later 7014 had them too. Also 7012 had mixed trucks (Blunt/AAR), 7034 at the Glen also had the mixed trucks as I recall.

    A couple of years later we were using a 16mm movie camera, the wind up spring kind from the thirties to film train action at St. Luc Jct., and the first train along was CP 7013 handling a dimensional shipment. Still have the film, but now on video. Later we caught it again sorting and switching cars. Builder's plates on both sides of cab. Somewhere along the way, the builder's plate on the right side disappeared, leaving the left one only. 7013's paint scheme went from block thru script to multi-mark in the interim.

    Circa 1980, 7013 was tied up for good in the steam shop. A contact acquired the remaining builder's plate for me, then painted up in CP Rail white on black. I bathed the cast iron plate in paint remover and wrapped it in aluminum foil for a week or so. Then picked out the paint clots from the lettering and repainted it in CPR yellow on maroon as shown above.

    In 2002 I repatriated the plate to Montreal, to a friend and long term employee who lives about 1700 feet from the location of the action shot above of CP 7013 at South Jct. I suspect 7013 never left Montreal Terminals during its service, and the plate belongs there!


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