To celebrate the first anniversary of the merger, CPKC announced the Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour with 7 stops between Calgary and Mexico City. The train was pulled by Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson no. 2816, a Montreal-built 1930 vintage steam locomotive meticulously restored in 2001 and 2023, respectively. Together with a pair of F Units, the train was witnessed by tens of thousands as it made its way across the CPKC network.
On May 18th, steam engine 2816 and the first CPKC-branded diesel locomotive were publicly displayed at Kansas City’s historic Union Station. The diesel, formerly Canadian Pacific no. 9375, was repainted near Kansas City at Mid-America Car in a new livery designed and approved by company employees. This livery, featuring CP red, yellow, and black also includes the Canadian, USA, and Mexican flags beneath the cab side windows.
On May 23, 2024, Kansas City Southern ES44AC no. 4805 was unveiled in CPKC’s new scheme, making it the first former “Southern Belle” adorned in the livery. It too is sublettered for its original owner – KCS – a practice that will likely continue for accounting purposes as CPKC integrates and manages its locomotive fleet, now exceeding 2,300 units.
While KCS 4805 and CP 9375 are both GE ES44AC locomotives and now wear the CPKC livery, there are notable differences between them based on their origins, physical features, and operational markings. Our Rivet Counter series model renders numerous variations of cabs, dynamic brakes, doors, grilles, trucks, etc between the two road numbers.
