Some hard work and long hours were put inat the Heritage Park to prepare the unit for service. Devon Generous and Kevin Pruden performed mechanical inspections and a major rebuild of the brake system, while our painter Colin painted and finished off the cab interior.

On May 24, the unit was picked up from the Heritage Park by BC Rail personnel, and it moved to the Squamish diesel shop for fuelling and service inspections. At 1300 hours a crew was called to load test the unit in the yard, and then make up a 1,000 ton freight consist for a run to North Vancouver. The train, consisting of a BC Rail SD40-2, FP7A #4069 and several grain cars headed south behind the Royal Hudson train. #4069 did all the work, MU'd to the SD which idled its way to North Vancouver. The train rolled in just 10 minutes behind the passenger train and #4069 was run to the North vancouver diesel shop for radio outfitting etc.

After arriving in North Vancouver, #4069 was readied for road service with the addition of safety and radio equipment and a set of bracket mounted ditch lights. Final details were added by Colin, our painter, who remounted the Canadian pacific nose shield and completed cab work. the unit was heard whistling around the North Vancouver yard as various tests and trials were done.

On Friday, May 26 the classic loco had her first passenger assignment, as she lead the Pacific Starlight dinner train on its regular run to Porteau Cove and back. She was in the lead out of North Vancouver, MU'd with CRS-20 #601, the train's regular power. The wonderful sounds of the GM prime mover brought memories as she notched up and tackled Dundarave hill, with the other loco and nine cars of happy diners behind her.

Schedules call for the classic passenger diesel to operate throughout the season on occasions when #3716 is off on charter work or during its 30 day boiler wash service times. #4069 gets right to work with four planned runs on the Squamish train, May 27, 28, 31 and June 1. She will then return to the Heritage Park in Squamish until her next call, expected to be mid July.

Following the initial four days of operation on the train, #3716 returned to service, but sufferred a hot box on June 4. With the steam engine out, #4069 put in another four runs on the train, operating on June 8, 9, 10 and 11. She was also displayed at BC Rail's North Vancouver station for the Father's Day event on June 18. She returned to Squamish after this event.

Next up for the restored classic locomotive is Canada Day, when she will head up BC Rail's display train at North Vancouver's Waterfront Park July 1. Her next scheduled assignments for the Squamish Excursion train are July 19 and 20, when #3716 is scheduled for a boiler wash and service.

On Friday, June 23 an urgent call was received from BC Rail. Steam engine #3716 was late arriving at Squamish due to an air pump problem and would not be able to handle the train back to North Vancouver Was 4069, perchance, available? Fortunately, she was - she was at the Heritage Park and had just completed some chores earlier in the day.

And so, a crew was called and 4069 ran down to Squamish, coupled onto the ehad end of the steam locomtoive, and hauled ailing #3716 and her train back to North Vancouver. Departure from Squamish was approximately 1500, with arrival at North Van around 1700.

July was a quiet month for 4069, as she operated only one trip in mid July on a wednesday while steam engine #3716 had its boiler washout. August, however, would be completely different.

After powering the Squamish excursion steadily through July and into August, locmotive #3716 had a recurrence of the hot axle problem and was again taken out of service. FP7A #4069 was back on duty, and headed the Squamish excursion train starting on August 11. She held down the assignment on a continuing basis through the remainder of the month and into early September, as efforts to return 3716 to service continued.

The August 19 Grand Opening of the Town Centre at the Heritage Park proved an interesting day, as the WCRA wanted 4069 to pull the inaugural train into the new station. BC Rail also needed her as 3716 wasn't back and a special media event for Parlour Class was planned. So, working together, BC Rail and the WCRA made it all work. 4069 brought the train to Squamish, right to the BC Rail Squamish station. After the passengers alighted (and most walked across to the Heritage Park), 4069 wyed the passenger train and deposited the consist at the staiton. She than ran light into the Heritage Park, coupled onto the prearranged two car WCRA consist, and pulled the inaugural train inot the station right on cue. After remaining for photos, she departed around 1345 and left the Heritage Park, coupled up to the Squamish excursion train and hauled them all back to North Vancouver!

Another special run occurred on August 22, when 4069 took a special train to Porteau for a photo shoot for BC Rail. Consist was 4069, power car Shalalth, Whistler Northwind dome car 1705, and dinner train cars Moonglow and Indigo. The train continued to Squamish and turned the train in the afternoon, returning to North Vancouver in the evening.

It seems almost everyone missed a real once in a lifetime event on August 26, as 4069 returning with the Squamish excursion train met a CN business train at the throat of the North Vancouver yard. If anyone had been there with a camera, they would have seen Canadian Pacific FP7A #4069 meet Canadian National E8A #102, all on BC Rail!

4069 continues to power the Squamish excursion train as we enter September, current target for 3716 to return to steam is September 8th. It's great to see this classic locomotive return to the job she was built for - hauling passengers in classic style.

More information on this locomotive may be found here.