Canadian Pacific 2317

Canadian Pacific 2317 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June,1923 by the Montreal Locomotive Works for the Canadian Pacific Railway. As a member of the G-3 Class, the 2317 was in used in fast passenger service until being retired in 1959 after having its duties taken over by diesel locomotives. The locomotive was placed in storage until 1965 when it was purchased for display in the Steamtown U.S.A. collection in Bellows Falls, Vermont. In 1978, the locomotive was restored to operating condition for the purpose of pulling excursion trains for Steamtown until it was taken out of service in 2010. Currently, the 2317 is stored awaiting a future overhaul.

History

2317 was built in 1923 for the Canadian Pacific Railway for fast express passenger trains. While little is known about its career on Canadian Pacific, it is known that it was stationed in Winnipeg, Manitoba for a good portion of its working life.^[1] Upon its retirement from active service in 1959, it was placed into storage. In 1965, seafood magnate and steam locomotive enthusiast F. Nelson Blount purchased the locomotive and moved it to Bellows Falls, Vermont, with the rest of his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection.

Steamtown

In 1978, 2317 was restored to operating condition and joined Steamtown's operating fleet, painted in the Canadian Pacific gray and Tuscan red livery (which it never wore in regular service). 2317 was moved with the rest of the Steamtown collection to Scranton, PA, arriving on 31 January 1984.^[1] The 2317 was fired up four days later for the "Grand Entrance Ceremony" on 4 February 1984. 2317 was fired up once more on 1 September 1984 for the first Steamtown excursion in Scranton which ran on the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western mainline between Scranton and Elmhurst, PA.^[1]

In 1986, 2317 was painted in the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's "Pocono Mountain Route" livery.^[1] It remained this way until after the National Park Service took over Steamtown in 1987 when it was repainted into the livery it wore in active service with Canadian Pacific.

2317 was present at the grand opening of Steamtown National Historic Site along with Baldwin Locomotive Works 26 and Canadian National 3254 and ran several excursions on the former Lackawanna main line. 2317 then settled down and would often pull Steamtown's excursions in tandem with 3254 until 2004 when problems with its trailing truck, dry pipe and tires were found. Between 2004 and 2007, 2317 only ran the "Scranton Limited" yard shuttle trains. New tires were installed in 2007, which allowed 2317 to pull a few of the longer excursions to East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and the Delaware Water Gap.

Current Status

After the end of the 2009 operating season, 2317 was used only sparingly as its flue-time was running short. 2317 last ran during Steamtown's 2010 Lackawanna Railfest. After which, 2317 was placed into storage in the Steamtown Roundhouse where it is viewable to the public. 2317 currently awaits FRA-mandated repairs before it can operate again.^[2]

References