Canadian Pacific’s 2816 Empress steam train will be making a stop in Ponoka during its summer travels to more than 40 communities.
The train, which re-entered active service in 2001 as a roving ambassador for CP railway, will travel north from Red Deer on July 30 arriving in town at 12:10 p.m. for a brief stop before departing for Edmonton at 1:30 p.m.
Patrons wishing to buy a ticket to ride the train that was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in December of 1930 can do so through the CP’s charitable partner, the Children’s Wish Foundation at www.childrenswish.ca
Last year, $50,000 was raised through ticket sales making the wishes of five special children with life-threatening illnesses come true.
The CPR Empress is the only surviving H1b Hudson left and is one of only a handful of preserved and operating CPR steam locomotives in North America.
Originally built in 1929 and named after the Hudson River, the CP Hudson- type locomotives were equipped with larger fire boxes enabling them to produce more steam at a higher pressure than their predecessors. The Hudsons were built as high-powered, fast passenger locomotives good to 55 mph.