June 13, 2024 - TRA Newswire -

If you're in South Texas through June 16th, you have one more chance to see the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern Final Spike Anniversary Steam tour train roll through your town.

After an historic tour from Canada and the U.S. across the border to Mexico City, the CPKC steam locomotive, The Empress, heads back from Laredo to Kendleton, Texas in Fort Bend County on its journey back up north.

On the 15th the Empress 2816,  a 4-6-4 Hudson-type steam locomotive built in 1930 will leave Kendleton and then wind its way through Houston and head north to Shreveport on June 24. Additional stops are planned in Heavener, Oklahoma and in Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and back up into Canadian territory.

At the stops the public has the opportunity to see the 2816 up close, a rarity to see a working steam locomotive these days and learn more about the engine and CPKC's history. The last stop on the transcontinental steam tour is set for July 6 in Winnepeg.

“Our combination on April 14, 2023, brought together two railroads with long and proud histories that together created the first and only railroad network connecting North America,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “This special cross-continental journey of the 2816 steam locomotive serves as a reminder of our past and a celebration of our future. We are excited to share this extraordinary experience with communities across our network as we mark the one-year anniversary of our CPKC journey. The Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour will be the first ever steam-powered passenger train in North America to traverse Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in a single trip.”

Photo credits: CPKC