Membertou and No. 552

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Wiki page for No. 552: http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=DAR0552

I had some doubts and some conflicting information regarding Locomotive No. 552 so I wrote Jim O'Donnell and asked him the following:

We just got a photo of No, 552 tonight so I am adding that in as well as your info when I hit the fact that the last MP14 552 was in was the MP14 for 1944 and this and all previous MP14s have No. 552 listed as a CPR unit. This would conflict with your roster that indicates that it became an official DAR unit in 1937 and was scrapped in 1939. I believe you may have this unit's date mixed up with No. 500 which indeed was assigned to the DAR in 1937 and was scrapped in 1940 and that was also named Membertou.


Jim then replied:

There is bound to be conflicting information arise, as even the official records were not kept up all that well at times. Add to that, sometimes the shop force took things into their own hands, and such things as paint schemes were applied to loaned or leased engines contrary to what the books stated. That being said, lets get at #552 – which I don’t think will get resolved right away.

Your info comes from CPR records, mine comes from Omer Lavalee, who got his from CPR records. So right off we have conflicting stuff from the same source. If you have Omer’s book, look on page 349 and you will see the table where my figures came from. Also back in the main CP roster he lists 552 coming to the DAR in 1937. However, although I will buy into the 1937 date, there is nothing to back up the 1939 scrapping date. What we need is photographic evidence. I have two photos of 552, one taken at Torbrook in 1937, in which the engine looks the same as the photo posted the other day, and the other one is a very clear shot of 552 in the DAR livery with all the stripping, white smokebox front, Land of Evangeline crest, and brass “Membertou” nameplate on the running board. Also in this one the headlight has been moved to the smokebox front. The DAR didn’t seem to like the high mounted headlights and weren’t long in lowering them. This photo was obviously taken after the other two, however it is undated. Another point, the brass nameplates and red paint were dropped around 1940, so that would help date it a bit. I guess we need more photos to help this one get resolved.

Regards, Jim