It's a Wickham!

Prince Rupert, October 9, 1959. It's a "what?" Canadian National Railways #52 was built by D. Wickham & Company, Worcestershire, UK. Powered by a Ford V-8, through a transmission box outputting to a chain drive.

Jonathan Flood of the Wickham Yahoo Group informed me that this vehicle is correctly identified as a Wickham Type 40 Mark II Inspection Trolley.

 
This inspection car had a capacity of 9 personnel in three rows of three across seating. Full marker lights, head lamp and Number Board - er - box!

There was a starter button, forward-reverse shift bar, and clutch. The next step down from this was the "speeder."

I begged and begged for a ride in Number 52, but it never happened. Talking to the guys in the shop, they said "You really don't want to ride 'The Beast!'" They said it was loud, smelly, and rough riding!

Used for track inpections, shunting track workers, and as a pilot car during stormy or snowy weather, running about 30 minutes ahead of freight and passenger movements. 

The Skeena Subdivision, any many others, was a war zone with mother nature. In the three years we lived there, there were five slide related derailments.

CNR 52 was painted the traditions CNR Green with gold lettering and white stripes on the bow. 

Wickhams were also manufactured in Goodyear, Texas. But information about this facility is hard to locate.

Photos of other Wickhams here and here!

Compare this rough rider with the Great Northern 1955 Buick Special in a previous post!

Parked behind #52 is a tank car used to supply diesel to the Prince Rupert Engine Facility. The reporting mark (owner's i.d. number used to keep track of where cars are located,) is BAOX 739, British American Oil Co. X = company does own the car, but does not own a railroad. "BAOX" was used between July 1937 through October 1957. The reporting mark was eliminated in April 1960.

Tank Capacity: 10,354 Imperial Gallons, 12,425 US Gallons. 

See Also:
Wickham Yahoo Group
Armoured Wickham
South African Wickhams - Including some electrics!