The Canadian Pacific’s historic steam engine, The Empress 2816 makes a stop in Franklin Park, Illinois. This was part of the “Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour” that celebrates the merger of two railroads, the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, creating the CPKC railroad. This now becomes the first and only railroad network that connects Canada, The United States, and Mexico. This steam tour started in Canada on April 24, 2024 in Calgary, Alberta. It is scheduled to make only about 10 public exhibition stops along the 4,000-mile trip, and will end the tour on or about June 4, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. The Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour will be the first ever steam-powered passenger train in North America to traverse Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in a single trip. The Empress 2816 was built in 1930. It went through a two-year, $2,000,000 restoration that was completed in 2001. During the restoration, safety improvements were also made, and the firebox was converted from coal to oil firing.
More information about the CPKC Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour can be found at these two links:
www.cpkcr.com/en/media/CPKC-2024-Steam-Tour-Schedule-Dates
www.cpkcr.com/en/community/final-spike-steam-train
This video’s chapters:
0:00 Arrival of Empress 2816 in Franklin Park.
3:29 Builder’s Plate at front of engine.
4:09 View of engine by cab section.
4:37 Video panning of train.
5:00 Historic 1890s Switch Tower and train.
6:04 Empress 2816 departing Franklin Park.