Field Report: Historic Railway Structures in Vancouver, B.C. – Part 3 of 3

Click on each image for a closer look!
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In our final posting from Jason Pelton’s trip to Vancouver, we feature CPR #374 which is restored and housed in a pavilion attached to the Drake Street Roundhouse. Wikipedia offers the following summary of the engine’s history:
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"Engine No. 374 was the steam engine which pulled the first transcontinental train to arrive in Vancouver, arriving on May 23, 1887. This happened as a year after its sister Engine No. 371 brought first Canadian Pacific Railway train to cross Canada into Port Moody. No. 374 was built by the CPR in 1886 and was one of eight similar 4-4-0 steam locomotives built that year in the CPR Montreal shops. While No. 371 was scrapped in 1915, No. 374 was completely rebuilt in 1914 and continued in service until 1945. It was then cosmetically restored to look similar to its original 1886 appearance and put on display at Kitsilano beach. It remained there until 1983 when it was moved to a warehouse on Granville Island and received a new round of restoration work. No. 374 was put on display on the turntable at the renovated CPR Drake Street roundhouse during Expo 86. In the 1990’s the roundhouse site was converted into a community centre as part of the Yaletown area redevelopment and a new building, the 374 Station Pavilion, was built to house and preserve No. 374.”
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A more extensive history of 374 and the development of the 374 Station Pavilion can be found at the West Coast Railway Association’s website by clicking here.
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Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Jason Pelton, from the Wikipedia and from the West Coast Railway Association website
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