Steam conquers Canada’s mountains.
The latest issue in the popular Great Canadian
Locomotives Series pays tribute to the Selkirk—
a locomotive that embodied ingenuity and determination
in railway engineering as it provided
travellers with the first—and spectacular—route
through Canada’s impenetrable mountains.
Highlights:
This 99.99% pure silver coin celebrates Canada’s rich railroading
heritage by bringing its powerful “mountaineering” locomotive into
the spotlight. Its name “Selkirk” is engraved along the coin’s edge and
its design is a highly collectible example of traditional engraving—
a unique must-have for train enthusiasts and numismatists alike!
Coin design:
The sleek lines of engine 5935, one of two surviving locomotives from
the last generation of Selkirks introduced in 1949—on display in Saint-
Constant (Quebec).
Theme:
From the moment the decision was made to build
a railway across Canada, the mountains on the
western part of the continent have stood as a towering
challenge to laying tracks and travelling along them.
In 1929, the Montreal Locomotive Works built a
new series of massive 2-10-4 engines for Canadian
Pacific Railway to handle the heavy grades between
Calgary (Alberta) and Revelstoke (British Columbia).
Named for the Selkirk Mountains that they crossed,
these non-articulated locomotives tackled the Spiral
Tunnels, the Field Hill and the Connaught Tunnel;
marvels of railway engineering that continue to
astound to this day.
The Selkirks carried freight and passengers. They
burned oil rather than coal to reduce their weight and
to eliminate the sparks from coal-burning engines that
could potentially ignite the heavily forested route.
A total 36 locomotives were built; the 1929 T1-a’s
(Nos. 5900 to 5919); the 1938 T1-b’s (Nos. 5920
to 5929) that were lighter with increased steam
pressure; and the 1949 T1-c’s (Nos. 5930 to 5935)
with two cross-compound air compressors to
recharge the all-important air brakes faster.
With the arrival of diesel locomotives in the early
1950’s, the Selkirks began serving other routes
in Alberta and Saskatchewan. They were taken
out of service in 1959 and only two engines were
preserved; no. 5931 is in Calgary’s Heritage Park
(Alberta) and no. 5935 is at Exporail in Saint-Constant
(Quebec). While handsome in appearance, these
later, more streamlined models do not have the
bulkier, powerhouse appearance of the original T1-a
locomotives.
$3 Fine Silver Coin - Return of the Tyee (2010)
Unisex Active Loonie Watch
$20 Fine Silver Coin - Great Canadian Locomotives: Jubilee (2009)
