No. 10393 Electro-Motive FP-7AA Diesel Locomotive, heading up the "Dominion" Streamlined Passenger Train

 Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway started out in 1850 as a twelve-mile run on the Saint Lawrence River northeast of Montreal. By 1885, the road had become transcontinental, with financing by the Canadian government, to compete with the United States cross-country rail system, completed in 1869. The Canadian route stretched from Montreal to Vancouver, some 2880 miles, and by the 1920s Canadian Pacific offered five fine heavyweight Pullman-equipped transcontinental trains daily, including the "Soo-Pacific Express," the "Imperial Limited," the "Dominion," and the all-sleepers "Mountaineer" and "Trans-Canada Limited."

Post World War II, the Canadian Pacific in 1953 ordered 173 new Budd-built lightweight stainless steel coaches, sleepers, and diners, including the new sensation, dome cars (CPR called them "Scenic Domes").  These replaced the aging heavyweight cars in use from the 1920s. Then, in 1955, Canadian Pacific introduced a completely new streamlined train with the new cars, the "Canadian," on the Montreal-Vancouver route, with service starting in April of that year (see No. 10531). The train featured two dome cars, becoming the longest dome-car journey in the world and the premier passenger train in Canada. The food and service were excellent, and the views of the unspoiled prairies, lakes, and mountains spectacular.  Trip time was 71 hours over the 2,880 miles Montreal-Vancouver for the "Canadian."  

 The "Canadian" had a companion train that was refurbished with the new cars, including dome cars, at the same time on the Montreal-Vancouver route - this was the "Dominion," a fine heavyweight Canadian Pacific train with a long-established tradition, starting out as the "Imperial Limited" early in the twentieth century, evolving into the "Dominion" in 1928. The "Dominion" made more stops than the "Canadian" and required half a day more time to cross the country, so it was not quite the prestige train the "Canadian" was, but the "Dominion" as every bit as comfortable and modern as the "Canadian."  At this time there were four Canadian Pacific transcontinental trainsets, two in each direction, the "Canadian" and the "Dominion." 

With the arrival of the jet-powered passenger plane and improved national highway systems, passenger train revenues declined in the United States and Canada in the 1960s. Like Amtrak in the U.S., VIA Rail Canada took over passenger operations throughout Canada, in January, 1976. The "Canadian" survived into the 2000s, but as a lesser train under VIA Rail between Toronto (since 1978) and Vancouver (2007).  The "Dominion" had been retired in 1966.

In the 1950s, diesel power began to assert itself, being more efficient than traditional steam propulsion. Diesel and steam shared main-line duties in the 1950s, with steam being phased out by 1960 on the Canadian Pacific in favor of the newer multi-unit diesel locomotives, such as Electro-Motive's FP-7s. The FP-7 "A" and "B" units were introduced to Canadian railroads in 1952 and manufactured until 1956.  They were rated at 1500 horsepower per unit.

No. 10393 represents an accurate semi-scale model of Canadian Pacific's FP-7 AA diesel locomotive by Electro-Motive, heading up the 5-car streamlined dome-equipped "Dominion" in stainless steel silver with maroon stripes as it would have been seen on its Montreal-Vancouver run 1955-1966.  The locomotive and cars (see No. 10394) are in "0" gauge by K-Line.