1 May 2024
Union Depot will be receiving a historic visitor on Friday, as the 94-year-old steam locomotive the Canadian Pacific Kansas City 2816 Empress is visiting the Twin Cities for the first time since 2004.
The CPKC Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour marks the one year anniversary of driving the final spike into the railway network, connecting Canada to the U.S. and Mexico. The tour stop at Union Depot, 214 Fourth Street East, will include activities on the south lawn, concessions and vendors. The event is free to the public from 3 to 8 p.m.
The tour is the first time a steam-powered passenger train in North America has traveled from Canada through the U.S. and Mexico in a single trip, making 11 stops between Calgary and Mexico City. The 2816 Empress was built in 1930, and ran throughout the Great Depression and World War II. The locomotive is estimated to have run more than 3.5 million miles.
The 2816 has spent most of its life operating in Eastern Canada, and has visited the U.S. twice since restoration in 2001. The 4-6-4 Hudson type locomotive has a total operating weight of 643,000 pounds.
Additionally on Friday, Union Depot will be seeing the grand opening of Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store, the train-themed toy store located on Level 1, kicking off with a Traintastic Storytime starting at 10:30 a.m.
For more information, visit the Union Depot website.
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