CP 2816 "The Empress" Final Spike Steam Tour

[AndyWS]

As most of you probably know, to celebrate the CPKC merger, the preserved 1930-built H-1b class 4-6-4 Hudson Canadian Pacific Railway No. 2816 was restored and fired up for a grand tri-national tour. Anyone caught or made plans to catch this steam train at any particular crossings along the route?

I caught part of its move through Wisconsin on Monday, May 6th. I didn't shoot any crossing signals, though as there aren't really any of interest left along the Watertown/C&M Subs.

[Hopen111]

It was quite a treat to see! I managed to chase it from Muscatine to northern Missouri before I was finally done.

image_2024-05-16_173647408.png (68.69 KiB) Viewed 8894 times

I'll be posting my own stuff soon about 2816 later. It will also be heading back in June and July, CPKC 2816 will probably leave Kansas City at around 8 AM like last time.

[AndyWS]

Nice! I just saw the return trip schedule has been released, looks like it's set to bypass Wisconsin/Illinois this time and take the Marquette/River Subs from Davenport to St. Paul on the 26th of June. That day being a Wednesday, I'd have to take off from work to catch it. Might be worth doing, since I'd like to see more of it than the four runbys I got on 5/6.

[KCMO Railfan]

On national train day I got to catch 2816 on the CPKC Kansas City Sub over in Birmingham, MO as it was traveling south to Knoche Yard where it sat for a week for the event in Kansas City. I didn't go to the event, but I did catch the train again on Tuesday as it passed through Grandview on the former KCS owned Pittsburg Sub. I will be uploading that video tonight after I get off work.

[KCMO Railfan]

Here's the video I took of 2816 from when the train passed through Birmingham on the Kansas City Sub on National Train Day. The crowd wasn't as packed as it was down the line by the crossover junction with the NS KC District. Ik it was packed Tuesday down in Grandview when it left Knoche Yard at 7am that day.

[AndyWS]

Nice video! By coincidence, you're not the same person who posts on TalkWeather as "KCMO Railfan," are you?

CPKC has revised the return schedule; and according to the Trains Magazine website, they'll be doing a one-off public excursion on the IAIS in Illinois on Saturday, June 29. The run from Davenport-St. Paul has been bumped to Monday, July 1.

[KCMO Railfan]

Nice video! By coincidence, you're not the same person who posts on TalkWeather as "KCMO Railfan," are you?

CPKC has revised the return schedule; and according to the Trains Magazine website, they'll be doing a one-off public excursion on the IAIS in Illinois on Saturday, June 29. The run from Davenport-St. Paul has been bumped to Monday, July 1.

Yes. I do happen to be on TalkWeather under my YT name. I occasionally post on there (mostly within the topic about missing tornado footage), but yeah I happen to be on that forum as well. Back on topic of 2816, I also seen the return schedule. I hope to catch it again on June 25th when it arrives to KC via the Pittsburg Sub (depending on what time it'll arrive to Kansas City).

[AndyWS]

Cool! I'm "CheeselandSkies" on there. Ironically, just the day after I posted about it, it was announced the IAIS excursion with CP 2816 is cancelled. Not sure when or if I'll be able to catch any of the return trip.

[AndyWS]

Sad news. Apparently, 2816 has struck and killed a trespasser in Mexico (trackside crowd control being completely ineffective there per numerous videos and photos that have come out). Unknown if or how this will affect plans for the rest of the tour.

[Hopen111]

Thankfully it should be out of Mexico by now right?