Visit Heritage Park
1900 Heritage Dr. S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2V 2X3
Email: info@heritagepark.ca
Phone: 403.268.8500
C.P.R. Steam Crane & Tender
Closed
Hours of Operation
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Monday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Tuesday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Wednesday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Thursday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Friday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Saturday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
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Sunday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Exhibit Details
Category
Train
About the C.P.R. Steam Crane & Tender
Railways depended on powerful steam cranes and highly skilled crews to remove the heavy wreckage of train accidents. Divisional points were required to have the equipment and a specifically trained crew on standby to attend a wreck or derailment. While a prompt response could save human lives, it was also a priority to clear the line to enable regular service to resume and allow the wreckage to be salvaged.
During the dieselization of the railways in the 1950s, selected tenders from scrapped steam locomotives were retained as spare water tanks for use with steam-powered cranes, shovels and pile drivers. C.P.R. Steam Crane #414328 was built in 1920. Its tender C.P.R. #415722 was built in 1907. The two were paired in 1953 and saw active service in southern Alberta until the mid-1970s. The crane and tender have both been faithfully restored by Heritage Park.
