History and details about locomotive CP 511, courtesy Ray Verdone of
cprsteam.org
This locomotive was built by ALCO - Schenectady Locomotive Works, Schenectady, New York, November 1902. Its builder's plate number was 26758. CP511 was originally built as number CP937. It entered CPR service as a brand new locomotive on that date (November 1902). CP937 was changed December 1907: Driver diameter was increased from 62 to 63 inches. The locomotive was reclassified from ST9 to D6a. - CP937 was renumbered to CP511. CP511 was changed October 1912: Cylinder dimensions were changed from compound pressure 22&35x26 to 20x26 inches. It was scrapped June 1944 after 41 years
CPR usually stamped every bell with the locomotive number on which it was installed. One can often observe the renumbering history of locomotives reflected on the bell. In this case, the bell’s numbers are somewhat ambiguous but I believe the story told here is most likely.
CPR Ran two locomotives with the number 511. One was a 4-4-0 which was acquired from the New Brunswick Railway company in September 1890. The original NBR number was 34 and the locomotive itself was built in 1885. It was scrapped in 1904. It is my opinion that this bell would not have belonged to this locomotive since I would not expect the CPR would have kept this bell unassigned (and un numbered) until the 1960’s when bells were made available for sale.
A more likely scenario is that this bell was assigned to a 4-6-0 numbered 511 in 1907. This CP511 remained in service and retained that number until it was scrapped in June 1944.
Since 4-6-0 type locomotives were the most common type of loco run by the CPR it is plausible that this bell was kept as a “spare” and perhaps even assigned to another 4-6-0 before being scrapped after the end of the steam era in the 1960’s. Details of this locomotive appear below.
Bell dimensions: 12" high & 16" diameter at the rim, stem is 3" long and is 2 3/8" wide. Bell weighs approximately 110 lbs and the crate weighs approximately 45 pounds. Please contact for shipping estimate.
Please note that these bells have been lightly polished but most may have some nicks etc. due to decades of use especially around the bottom rims of the bells.
