HISTORY OF THE STELCO 40 - TORONTO, HAMILTON & BUFFALO 42
Built in 1912 at the Montreal Locomotive Works the Stelco 40 was built for the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo Railway* as a B-2 Class 0-6-0 steam locomotive and weighed in at 166,000 lbs., or 83 tons. She had 21x28" cylinders, 51" drivers and a boiler pressure of 180 psi.
She was one of 13 B-2's numbering from 42 to 54 ordered by TH&B and built by the Montreal Locomotive Works and Canadian Locomotive Company. Three of these were requisitioned by the war board and sold to Canadian National in 1918.
Railway Heritage Centre and Train Display
History of the Stelco 40 - Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo 42
Originally numbered as TH&B 42, she was renumbered to TH&B 40 in 1947 to make room on the #50 series roster for the newly arrived diesel switchers. TH&B 40 was retired in April of 1955 but saw occasional service as a roundhouse switcher and a stationary boiler.
TH&B 42's tender, also built by the Montreal Locomotive Works, had a 5,500 gallon water tank and a coal bin to hold a nine (9) ton load. Empty the tender weighed 48,185 lbs and fully loaded a weight of 112, 000 lbs or 56 tons.
In November 1955, she was given the tender from TH&B 41 as the tender from 41 was in much better condition than her original tender.
* The Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway was incorporated in 1884 to build from Toronto via Hamilton to the International Bridge over the Niagara River. It was jointly controlled by the New York Central and Canadian Pacific for many years C in the late 1980s CP Rail would acquire sole control, and fold the TH&B into its own operations. TH&B cars can still be found in service, but in ever-dwindling numbers. (Ian Cranstone)
In June 1959 she was sold to Stelco Steel of Hamilton and was known as Stelco 40.
Brantford, May 21, 1934 O.P. Maus Collection
Photo courtesy of John Spring
Sources:
Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railway Historical Society
Ian Cranstone
John Spring
Lindsay & District Model Railroaders - March 2010
Photo courtesy of John Spring.
Photo courtesy of Russ Moore.
Copyright 2010 Lindsay & District Model Railroaders
In 1969 (at the grand old age of 57) she was retired from Stelco and was given a first class overhaul by her beloved shop crews at Stelco who recognized her historical significance. She was then donated by Stelco to the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa where she was occasionally steamed up and displayed.
In 1989 Stelco 40 was transferred from the National Museum to the Town of Lindsay where she spent a number of years locked away in the now demolished Shaft Machine building eventually being relocated to the Old Mill Park in the year 2000 and in 2009 to Memorial Park.
The Stelco 40 is to be restored to her origins as TH&B 42.
