6213: Journey to the Toronto Railway Museum

Meet No. 6213

Canadian National Railways No. 6213 is a U-2 class 4-8-4 Northern Type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1942.  It was on active duty until 1959 and donated by the Canadian National Railway (CN) to the City of Toronto in 1960. It was on display at Exhibition Place until 2009 when it was moved to its current location at the Toronto Railway Museum.

Most importantly, No. 6213 is an iconic Canadian locomotive and one of the gems in our museum collection.

From the Maritimes to the Prairies

No. 6213 was used in freight and passenger service. Consequently, it was part of an order of 35 identical locomotives built for Canadian National Railways during World War Two.

In addition, the locomotive traveled over a million miles during its service, from Halifax to Saskatoon. No. 6213 was retired from active duty in 1959. Firstly, it sat on the scrap line at the Spadina Roundhouse for several months. Secondly, parts were slowly removed from the engine to repair other locomotives. However, in 1960, No. 6213’s fate changed.

Preserving the Past

On February 27, 1960, the Locomotive Preservation Committee of the Upper Canada Railway Society (UCRS) visited the CN Spadina Roundhouse. In other words, they visited with the purpose of choosing a steam locomotive suitable for preservation and presentation to the City of Toronto. As a result, the Committee picked No. 6213 and it was presented to the City in August 1960. 

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Subsequently, the locomotive moved to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, where it was mounted adjacent to the old Stanley Barracks. At the time, the Barracks were being used as the Marine Museum of Upper Canada. The locomotive was maintained by the UCRS for several years, and later by members of the Toronto Locomotive Preservation Society (who still maintain the locomotive today). 

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However, after almost fifty years on display at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, the locomotive needed a new location. In June 2009, 6213 was incorporated into the Toronto Railway Museum. But before No. 6213 could join the collection at the museum, it had to be moved. 

Preserving 6213 with Grant Kingsland

One of the folks who is involved with the preservation of 6213 is Grant Kingsland. Grant has worked with 6213 for an impressive fifty years, beginning in 1971. He graciously shared some of his thoughts reflecting on the acquisition of No. 6213 by the City of Toronto in 1960.

“If I had to reflect on one aspect of 6213, it would be that we would not be at this point today if it were not for the fortitude of Mr. James A. Brown et al of the Upper Canada Railway Society in 1960 to approach the City of Toronto with the idea of having a steam locomotive donated and preserved in the City…”

Grant Kingsland

“…[The preservation of 6213 is] a testament to Canadian railway steam power for future generations of Torontonians to marvel at… Fortunately, the City fully endorsed the proposal so on that fateful February 27, 1960, Mr. Brown and company paid a visit to Canadian National’s Spadina Roundhouse to select a locomotive deemed worthy for preservation. Several locomotives were there to choose from….So I personally feel indebted to Mr. Brown, who sadly passed away in September, 2020. And I feel all railway preservationists in Canada should recognize his contribution to preserving Canada’s railway heritage. As most people know, 6213 was not his only contribution. But that’s another story.”

If it weren’t for Grant and his team, 6213 would not be in the wonderful condition it is today. No. 6213 is truly the crown jewel of the Toronto Railway Museum collection.

Midnight Move

On June 10, 2009, steam locomotive 6213 moved from the Exhibition Grounds, where it had rested since 1960. The locomotive had been loaded onto a 48-wheel rig days earlier in preparation for the journey to Roundhouse Park. The combined weight of the locomotive and tender is about 677,600 pounds, or just over 300 tonnes.

⁠The big move had to be done late at night (or very early in the morning, depending on how you look at it!) in order to close downtown streets and raise streetcar wires to accommodate the locomotive’s height.⁠

6213 On the Move

The locomotive move began shortly after midnight. It was using a slightly different route than the tender had taken a week earlier. The mover, Laurie McCulloch, did not want to risk taking the engine out through the Princes’ Gate due to the tight clearance. Instead, the engine was moved south on Newfoundland Boulevard, necessitating a tight U-turn that took hours to negotiate. 

In order to negotiate the bridge over Spadina, four extra bogies were added (for a total of 80 wheels) in order to spread the load more evenly and alleviate concerns from City engineers. 

Once the rig was underway, it moved south on Newfoundland Road and turned east onto the westbound lane of Lakeshore Boulevard. Otherwise, progress along Lakeshore was relatively speedy and the rig turned north on Rees Street.

Extra time was required to negotiate the turn onto Bremner Boulevard and the locomotive arrived at Roundhouse Park shortly after dawn. After that, the rig was parked adjacent to the coaling tower.

During the move, volunteers and rail fans ensured that No. 6213’s travels were well-documented and photographed. Download the special 2009 commemorative booklet created by Richard McQuade and TRHA here.

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A week after the big move, 6213 was lifted off of its trailer and placed onto museum tracks. Museum volunteers carefully unloaded the engine and guided it onto the turntable.

Home Sweet Home

Unlike other outdoor display locomotives that have been allowed to deteriorate in the elements, No. 6213 has been carefully maintained. Most importantly, a small group of dedicated volunteer preservationists who form the Toronto Locomotive Preservation Society (TLPS) are involved. TLPS is one of many groups affiliated with the Toronto Railway Historical Association and Toronto Railway Museum. 

Fresh Paint for 6213

The locomotive is currently being cosmeticically restored. This project is spearheaded by Grant Kingsland. 2020 marked the Toronto Railway Museum’s tenth anniversary. So in celebration, the cosmetic restoration of No. 6213 continued. 6213 received a fresh coat of paint and the number plate and headlight were further restored. To sum up, today you can find 6213 on outdoor display at the Toronto Railway Museum, where it is featured on seasonal guided tours.