Canadian National 2141

Canadian National 2141
No. 2141 awaiting to depart with an excursion train, July 11, 2011
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderCanadian Locomotive Company
Serial number1059
ModelM-3-d
Build dateApril 1912
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-8-0
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.57 in (1,400 mm)
Loco weight114,000 lb (52,000 kg)
Fuel type
Fuel capacity3,000 lb (1.4 tonnes)
Water cap.6,000 US gallons (23,000 L; 5,000 imp gal)
Boiler pressure180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size23 in × 26 in (584 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearStephenson
Performance figures
Tractive effort35,000 lbf (156 kN)
Career
Operators
ClassM-3-d
Numbers
  • CNoR 2141
  • CN 2141
  • KHRX 2141
NicknamesSpirit of Kamloops
RetiredJuly 4, 1958
PreservedOctober 29, 1961
RestoredAugust 25, 2001
Current ownerKamloops Heritage Railway Society
DispositionUndergoing major overhaul
References:[1][2][3]

Canadian National 2141 is a M-3-d class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive, built in 1912 by the Canadian Locomotive Company (CLC), in Kingston, Ontario for the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR), it is preserved and operated by the Kamloops Heritage Railway (KHRX).

History

No. 2141 was built in April 1912 by the Canadian Locomotive Company (CLC), in Kingston, Ontario for the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR), which later merged into the Canadian National Railway (CN).[1][2][3][4][5] The locomotive spent many years working on both drag freights and passenger trains throughout Ontario, Montreal and British Columbia for forty-six years.[1][2][3][6][4] It was originally built as a coal burner, but was later converted to burn oil in 1948.[1][2][4]

In 1950, No. 2141 was moved to Vancouver Island to work along sister engine No. 2149, there, it worked hauling logging trains and various other freight trains throughout Youbou, British Columbia, Cowichan Bay, and Victoria, British Columbia for eight years until it was retired from revenue service on July 4, 1958.[2][7][4][8]

It was stored outside of the Point Ellice Roundhouse for three years awaiting to be scrapped, until October 29, 1961, when it was purchased and sold to City of Kamloops mayor Jack Fitzwater for $2,000.[1][3][6][4][8][5] No. 2141 was eventually moved to the City of Kamloops and was preserved for static display at Riverside Park, were it remained for the next thirty-three years.[1][3][6][4][8][5]

In 1993, the City of Kamloops was approached by a private enterprise group and was asked about the possibility of restoring and operate the engine for tourist operations in Alberta.[1][3][2] In February 1994, No. 2141 was removed from display by the newly formed 2141 Steam Locomotive Restoration Society, it was moved into a warehouse located in River Street in Kamloops were restoration work officially began.[1][2][3][6][4] On July 31, 2001, the Kamloops city council approved $1 million dollars in No. 2141's restoration and loaned $360,183 to the Kamloops Heritage Railway Society to help construct a shop building to house and maintain the locomotive.[9]

On August 24, No. 2141 underwent a successful test fire and the following day, it moved under its own power for the first time in forty-three years.[1][2][3][6][9] On January 15, 2002 after final assembly and more testing, No. 2141 was moved to its new home in Lorne Street, Kamloops, British Columbia under its own power and now proclaimed as the Spirit of Kamloops, hauled its inaugural run for the Kamloops Heritage Railway (KHRX) on June 26.[1][3]

On September 27, 2003, Canadian Pacific 2816 visited the KHRX and took part in a doubleheader excursion with No. 2141.[10] On August 1, 2004, No. 2141 veered off the KHRX property and ran a special steam excursion on a 36-mile round trip from Kamloops to Vinsulla, British Columbia and return.[3]

In 2013, No. 2141 was taken out of service to undergo its federally-mandated 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.[3] It returned to service in the summer of 2015.[3][11]

In 2020, it was taken out of service again and placed in storage inside the KHRX engine house due to the railway suspending operations over the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][12][4] This was also due to the increased amount of freight traffic, mainly the export of American coal through Kamloops via Canadian Pacific Railway to the Canadian National Kamloops North yard via the rail bridge over the North Thompson River.[3][12][4] It was originally scheduled to return to service in the fall of 2021 for an excursion trip to Armstrong, but those plans fell through and it would remained in storage.[13]

In 2024, a new board of directors for the KHRX was established and began work on rebuilding No. 2141 to operation again, Canadian National has also offered to let KHRX operate the engine on 71 miles of track to the Okanagan Subdivision, between Campbell Creek and Vernon.[12][14]

On June 3, 2025, No. 2141 emerged from the shops for the first time in six years, running under compressed air.[15][12] The KHRX plans to have No. 2141 in service again sometime in 2026.[6][12][7][16][17]

Apperences in media

In 2009, No. 2141 was briefly renumbered as No. 238 and re-modified with a wood-burning smokestack, ornate headlight and a large 1800's style cowcatcher to look like an old western style engine for filming of the television miniseries film Iron Road, starring Sun Li and Luke Macfarlane.[3][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Canadian Rail" (PDF). Canadian Rail (517): 43–47. March 2007. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Our Fleet". kamrail.com. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Our Past". Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kamloops Heritage Railway Society celebrates the 'magic' in reviving its beloved 113-year-old steam train". thewrennews.ca. August 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d "Canadian Rail" (PDF). Canadian Rail (521): 239–243. November–December 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2026.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Gomez, Michelle (December 21, 2024). "Historic Kamloops, B.C., steam train may soon return with a multi-city excursion". cbc.ca. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  7. ^ a b Franz, Justin (December 23, 2024). "Kamloops Heritage Railway Looks to Resume Operation in 2026". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c "Kamloops Central" (PDF). Canadian Rail (436): 170. September 1993. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Branchline" (PDF). Canadian's Rail Magazine: 14, 20. October 2001. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  10. ^ Ingles, J. David (September 2004). "Railroad News & Photos - In the upper Midwest, it's a steamy summer". Trains. Vol. 64, no. 9. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 8–9. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "Kamloops' beloved 2141 engine back on track". cbc.ca. January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  12. ^ a b c d e Franz, Justin (June 6, 2025). "Canadian National 2-8-0 Restoration Forges Ahead". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  13. ^ Black Press Media Staff (June 29, 2021). "2141 steam train eyeing Kamloops to Armstrong route this fall". The Morning Star. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  14. ^ Knox, Roger (January 20, 2025). "Kamloops Heritage Railway plan to visit Vernon gathering steam". The Northern View. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  15. ^ Kaiser, Victor (June 3, 2025). "WATCH: Iconic 2141 steam locomotive emerges from storage for first time in nearly six years". CFJC Today. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  16. ^ Hastings, Marty (December 19, 2024). "Kamloops Heritage Railway Society reveals plan to restore Spirit of Kamloops, create one of world's longest steam-powered train excursions". CFJC Today. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  17. ^ Brady, Sean (January 13, 2025). "Steam train to return to the local tracks". Kamloops Chronicle. Retrieved February 6, 2026.

Further reading

  • Tourist Trains 2004. Kalmbach Publishing Company. February 2004. p. 400.
  • Woodall's Publications Corp (2008). Woodall's Eastern Campground Directory. Woodall Publishing Company. p. 136. ISBN 978-0762746194.
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