Power type Steam Serial number 54896 Configuration 4-6-4T | Order number Q-241 Build date September 1914 | |
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Builder Montreal Locomotive Works | ||
The Canadian National #47 is a preserved 4-6-4 tank locomotive in the United States of America. It is one of only three preserved CN 4-6-4Ts (CN #49 at the Canadian Railway Museum, Delson, Quebec and CN #46 at Vallée-Jonction, Quebec), and is the only Baltic type suburban tank locomotive remaining in the USA.
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History
The #47 was built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in September 1914 for the Grand Trunk Railway as its number 1542, class K2, but became a CN locomotive after the creation of the Canadian National Railway in 1923. Its CN classification was X-10-a. Along with its sister locomotives, #47 was based in Montreal and was used exclusively in commuter service. Following retirement in 1959, #47 was sold to F. Nelson Blount, and it became a part of his Steamtown, USA collection. #47 was the first locomotive to run as a Steamtown excursion locomotive, and was intended to become the primary excursion power. It had been given a fresh overhaul in 1958 and was in top mechanical condition when acquired. However, it steamed for only 5 weeks in 1961 as the ICC denied its boiler certification. The maintenance records had been lost in a roundhouse fire in Canada, and it was not possible to verify her boiler condition to Government inspectors without an expensive overhaul.
Today
Currently, (September 2014) Canadian National #47 is preserved at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania.