Canadian Pacific 374

Canadian Pacific 374
CPR Engine No. 374 shown at the Drake Street Roundhouse in 2002.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Canadian Pacific Railway Serial number 1038 Build date May 1886
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-4-0 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 63 in (1.600 m) Adhesive weight 71,000 lb (32.2 t) Loco weight 115,000 lb (52.2 t) Boiler pressure 160 psi (1.10 MPa) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 15,000 lbf (66.72 kN) Factor of adh. 4.73
Career Operators Canadian Pacific Railway Numbers 374 until 1907, 92 until 1909, 245 until 1913, 158 until 1945 Retired July 1945 Disposition Static display at Drake Street Roundhouse, Vancouver

Engine No. 374 was the Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive which pulled the first transcontinental passenger train to arrive in Vancouver, arriving on May 23, 1887. This was a year after sister Engine No. 371 brought the first train to cross Canada into Port Moody, roughly 20 miles to the East. No. 374 was built by the CPR in 1886 and was one of eight similar steam locomotives built that year in their Montreal shops.

Engine 374 pulling the first passenger train into Vancouver - May 23, 1887. The event coincided with Queen Victoria's 50th Anniversary on the throne.

While No. 371 was scrapped in 1915, No. 374 was completely rebuilt in 1914 and continued in service until 1945. Because of its historical significance, it was donated it to the City of Vancouver upon its retirement, who placed on display in Kitsilano Beach Park. It suffered greatly from exposure to the elements and a lack of upkeep. It remained there until 1983, when a group of railway enthusiasts launched an effort to restore the engine in time for Expo 86. It was moved from the beach and spent the next few years in different warehouses around Vancouver while a crew of volunteers undertook the herculean task of restoring the engine. Completed in time for Expo, No. 374 was put on display on the railway turntable at the renovated former CPR Drake Street Roundhouse where it became a prime attraction.

In 1988 the Expo 86 site, including the Drake Street Roundhouse, was sold to Concord Pacific, and in the course of the False Creek North Development Plan, the developer agreed to convert and expand the buildings to comprise the Roundhouse Community Centre. The Community Centre was designed by Baker McGarva Hart and completed in 1997. The master-plan negotiation had made no provision for Engine 374 and so it was temporarily housed inside the roundhouse itself.

Successful fundraising efforts were undertaken by the Vancouver Parks Board and the Lions Club, among others, and a year later the new Engine 374 Pavilion was completed.

Now a central feature of the Yaletown area redevelopment, the Engine 374 Pavilion is open daily for public viewing from 10 AM to 4 PM during the Summer and 11 AM to 3 PM in the Winter. An anniversary celebration is held annually on the Sunday before Victoria Day. The Pavilion is staffed entirely by volunteers from the West Coast Railway Association and on average sees roughly 41,000 visitors per year as of 2015.

External links

• Engine 374, West Coast Railway Association website
• Engine 374, Roundhouse Community Centre website