Number 17 when it was in operation for The Grand River Railway, Circa 1960

(Credit - William Miller)

Number 17 paired with Number 12 

(Credit Dave's Railpix - Internet Website)

Number 17 when it rolled out of Baldwin-Westhousing for the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad.

(Source: Collection of the Halton County Radial Railway)

Cornwall Street Railway Light And Power Company Engine 17 was built in August of 1930 by Baldwin-Westinghouse in Philadelphia, Penn.

It was shipped immediately to the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad, one of six inter-urban rail lines that operated in Sault Lake City, Utah and was assigned number 106. The paint scheme was dark green with yellow trim. This was the last new motor the company purchased until they ceased operation in 1946 when the rail lines were abandoned.

The Grand River Railway purchased # 106 in July of 1946 and had it shipped to their shops in Preston, Ontario. It was painted in a scheme similar to Canadian National Railways’ Olive Green shade with gold trim and renumbered #230 for their fleet. It was at this period of the locomotive’s life that it earned the nickname, “The Green Hornet”, a favourite of the Grand River Engineers
In 1947 it was repainted in Canadian Pacific Railway’s Tuscan Red with Gold trim along with yellow and gold stripes to the front and back of the body. . In June of 1953 #230 was given and updated electrical system. It was then paired up with two other freight motors, #333 and #335 from the Lake Erie and Northern Company. The last run that the 230 made on the Grand River Railway was on September 27, 1961.

The Cornwall Street Railway Light and Power Company which needed more power locomotives purchased #230 along with 333 and 335 in November of 1962. They were renumber 17, 15 and 16 and went into service the following month. Cornwall Street Railway Light and Power Company used #17 together with its sister engines to move freight cars along the streets of Cornwall.

On April 1, 1971 Canadian National Railways purchased all rail equipment and operations of Cornwall Street Railway. As the last operating electrical motor locomotive in Canada Canadian National Railways donated #17 to the City Of Cornwall in memory of the city’s railway operations. In Augusts of 1981 #17 was placed on display in the front of Cornwall’s water filtration plant.

As the result of the construction at the city’s Water Filtration Plant is was necessary to relocate Motor #17 it was moved to a spot directly north of the Ontario Tourism Center at the southeast corner of Brookdale and Ninth Street.