Canadian Pacific Railway
Class K-1-a 4-8-4 Northern
The K-1-a 4-8-4s were the only new locomotives produced during the "Temple" era of the Canadian Pacific. Built in 1928 at the Angus Shops, only two locomotives were in this class, numbers 3100 and 3101. These locomotives were modified under Bowen's administration in the 1930s. By the 1940s, running board valences and smoke deflectors had been added, and the K-1-a's had acquired the renowned tuscan red panels on the valances and the cab and tender sides.
As built the engine number is on the cab sides. Later, when the streamline panel was added the number went there. At that time the cab got the CP emblem. Later, the CP emblem changed to the Beaver.
/Steam/4_8_4_Northern/3101b_original_1928_BudLaws_Collection.jpg)
K1a 3101 original appearance. (CPR October 1928) at the Glen, in Montreal. June 1933 Bud Laws Collection
/Steam/4_8_4_Northern/3100b_smoke_deflectors_ElwinKHeath_BudLaws_Collection.jpg)
K1a 3100 complete with smoke deflectors at the Glen in Montreal. Elwin K. Heath/Bud Laws Collection
/Steam/4_8_4_Northern/3100c_end_of_working_life_1959_BudLaws_Collection.jpg)
3100 at Winnipeg in freight service - a sadly neglected looking engine near the end of its working life. August 16,1959 Bud Laws Collection
| Class K-1-a circa 1930s; gold-trimmed black passenger livery | ||
|---|---|---|
| DP-2145.00 Canadian Pacific Railway #3100 Class K-1-a 4-8-4 Northern-type, ca. 1930s, black/gold stripe passenger scheme, 12,000-gal/21-ton coal tender, Elesco FWH, boiler-tube pilot | ||
| DP-2145.01 Canadian Pacific Railway #3101 Class K-1-a 4-8-4 Northern-type, ca. 1930s, black/gold stripe passenger scheme, 12,000-gal/21-ton coal tender, Elesco FWH, boiler-tube pilot | ||
| Class K-1-a circa 1940s, smoke deflectors installed; Tuscan red panels on tender and cab sides, running board valances and smoke deflectors | ||
| DP-2146.00 Canadian Pacific Railway #3100 Class K-1-a 4-8-4 Northern-type, ca. 1940s, tuscan/gold stripe/black passenger scheme, 12,000-gal/21-ton coal tender, Elesco FWH, boiler-tube pilot | ||
| DP-2146.01 Canadian Pacific Railway #3101 Class K-1-a 4-8-4 Northern-type, ca. 1940s, tuscan/gold stripe/black passenger scheme, 12,000-gal/21-ton coal tender, Elesco FWH, boiler-tube pilot | ||
| Class K-1-a circa 1950s, smoke deflectors removed; Tuscan red panels on tender and cab sides and running board valances | ||
| DP-2147.00 Canadian Pacific Railway #3100 Class K-1-a 4-8-4 Northern-type, ca. 1950s, tuscan/gold stripe/black passenger scheme, 12,000-gal/21-ton coal tender, Elesco FWH, boiler-tube pilot, smoke deflectors removed | ||
| DP-2147.01 Canadian Pacific Railway #3101 Class K-1-a 4-8-4 Northern-type, ca. 1950s, tuscan/gold stripe/black passenger scheme, 12,000-gal/21-ton coal tender, Elesco FWH, boiler-tube pilot, smoke deflectors removed | ||
* * * * *
More historical notes, sent to us by a customer - Doug Cummings. We at PWRS, decided to share them with you here…
Two built in Angus shops. Built for and assigned to the night sleeper trains that ran between Montreal and Toronto, these were long and heavy trains and beyond the capability of the Hudsons, so two locomotives were designed and built specifically for these trains. They worked them regularly until bumped off by diesels sometime around 1954. The exact date is known, but I do not have it at my finger tips.
They were then moved west and worked (still as coal burners) out of Winnipeg, working as far west as Calgary. Around 1957 they received oil tenders from two Selkirk's and were converted to oil burning, at which time they were restricted to operating between Calgary and Moose Jaw. They were still painted maroon while working as coal burners, at least up to late 1957. Moose Jaw was as far east as they had facilities for fueling oil burning locomotives.
After conversion to oil burning, that part of the locomotives that was still painted red, such as the valance panels etc., was repainted in lined black, and they worked the rest of their days this way. By mid-1958 they were out of service.

