The Chicago Express, with 1271 assisting 2857, in all its glory, stops momentarily for a bag of mail at Hornby on April 22,1955. This was a one day stand for steam as No. 21 had been diesel-hauled for a year, and it was only the third instance of steam on the train since diesel-electrics took over on March 8,1954.

There were to be two more steam-hauled trips after this photograph was taken, the last one taking place on January 2,1957, when Nos. 1221 and 2409 handled the train. This instance was due to the impending strike of firemen later the same day, and steam was used so that diesel units would not be stranded at remote points.

In steam days, Train No. 21 required an assist to Orr's Lake if the consist was over ten cars. The assist power for this train was most interesting as it had considerable variety, due to the fact that it was a breaking-in run for freshly outshopped engines. Power such as F1 's, F2's, G1 's, G3's, H1a's, H1 b's, and Royal Hudsons, could be seen on the assist which was a photographer's delight. One of the finest looking combinations that I ever saw on Train No. 21 was two of the earlier Hudsons, Nos. 2806 and 2816, turned out in pristine condition. It was 1949 and N.R. Crump, then Vice-President, was making a trip to Windsor in his private car. Unfortunately, this event went unrecorded by my camera.

No. 1271, the last of the G5c class Pacifics, was a John Street engine for most of her career, seeing frequent service in the summer of 1957 and 1958 on the boat train to Port McNicoll. In 1959, she was assigned occasionally to the Hamilton and Peterborough runs, but was scrapped at Angus on December 6, 1960.

No. 2857 H1d class Royal Hudson saw many years of service on the Toronto to Windsor run, during which time she was involved in several level crossing accidents. The worst that I recall, took place on September 17,1951, when she was on Train No. 38, the Royal York. Five miles east of Chatham she crashed into an empty low-bed trailer truck. Unfortunately, she was derailed and turned over, dragging four cars off the rails and tearing up 150 feet of track. The steam turret in the cab broke and immediately scalded the crew. Fireman Carl Stirling was killed almost instantly and Engineman Fred Chubb died a day or so later. The truck driver also died. The ironic part of this tragic affair was that Engineer Chubb was to attend a weiner roast that evening to celebrate his forthcoming retirement, only a few weeks away.

No. 2857 was repaired at Angus Shops and saw almost nine more years of service. She retired in a blaze of glory as she hauled her last train, a fan trip sponsored by the Upper Canada Railway Society, from Toronto to Port McNicoll and back on June 5,1960. On September 13, 1960, she arrived at Angus Shops for the last time, and was scrapped on April 10,1961. W.H.N.Rossiter