The CPR was given huge grants of land in Western Canada as part payment for
constructing the transcontinental line. To generate traffic it was necessary to colonize the
land . The CPR started an aggressive promotion program as early as 1881 to encourage
settlers to come from Europe, Great Britain and Eastern Canada.
Lured by the promise of free land, passenger volume grew from 4,338,000 in 1901 to
15,481,000 in the peak year of 1913. If you were a settler bound for the Great North West
chances are you rode in a Colonist car. The cars were pretty Spartan. Usually the seats
were made from wooden slats and were not comfortable. The cars were heated by coal
stoves which also served for cooking. Most settlers brought their own food and cooked
their meals on these stoves. Pull down upper berths were the sleeping accommodations
but the passengers supplied their own bedding. Lighting was by Pintch gas lights.
No. 2514 is one of very few surviving CPR Colonist -Sleeper cars. They were built by
the Railway to bring settlers to Western Canada. During both World War I and World
War II these cars were used extensively as troop carriers. No. 2514 was taken out of
service in the early 1950's at Winnipeg.
It was then assigned to work train service and assigned to southern Alberta where it had
bunks installed as well as a galley. In the late 1950's it was moved to Vancouver Island
for use on the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway. It and an open end car of 1880's vintage
worked with CPR crane No. 414325 on all the wrecks on the E & N. The crane survives
and is part of the Prince George Railway Museum collection.
No. 2514 was acquired by the WCRA in 1989. It was in derelict condition and has
undergone several years of stabilization & restoration. The exterior is now nearly
complete but much remains to be done to the interior.
