SQUAMISH, British Columbia — A British Columbia railroad museum has restored a Canadian National FP9 to its historic red, black, and white zebra stripe scheme.
On Nov. 17, the West Coast Railway Association celebrated the public debut of CN No. 6520. The locomotive’s restoration was funded by the West Coast Railway Association, the Canadian National Railways Historical Society, Rapido Trains, and an individual, Jeff Birmingham.
No. 6520 was built for CN in 1957. The locomotive was eventually acquired by VIA Rail and later worked on an Ontario tourist railroad before coming to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish. No. 6520 is one of the first operating preserved locomotives to be repainted into the passenger version of the CN zebra stripe scheme. The heritage park, which is maintained by the railway association, features a number of historic locomotives, including Canadian Pacific “Royal Hudson” No. 2860.
No. 6520 will be used alongside the museum’s Canadian Pacific FP9 to power Polar Express excursions every weekend from Nov. 23 to Dec. 15. For more information, visit the museum’s website.
