Current location:

Canada Science and Technology Museum

Provenance:

Canadian National Railways (CNR) donated Locomotive 6400 to the Museum in June 1967. The company had kept the locomotive as part of its historical collection after it had been retired from active service in the 1950s.

Technical history:

The design of CN 6400, a semi-streamlined locomotive, was a result of wind tunnel research conducted by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in the 1930s. NRC researchers were looking for ways to improve smoke clearance around the locomotive cabs of steam trains. Instead of making changes to its existing locomotive designs, CNR used the research to have an entirely new style of locomotive built.  

History:

CNR took delivery of five 6400 series locomotives from Montreal Locomotive Works in 1936. Intended for passenger service (primarily in southern Ontario and Quebec), these locomotives, with their sleek modern style, also became an important marketing tool for the company. The 6400 was one of the CNR locomotives used to pull the Royal Train in 1939 and was also a featured attraction at the New York World’s Fair the same year. It is the only one of its class preserved.