The Canadian National Steam! book series provides rail enthusiasts, model railroaders, historians - plus those interested in all things mechanical and on wheels - with a wealth of information about Canadian railway technology, and specifically about the motive power developments of Canada's largest railway system. Canadian National Railways' 'X' class was assigned road numbers 1-99 primarily for the narrow gauge locomotives of the former Prince Edward Island Railway, as well as various standard-gauge dinkey and tank engines with various driver diameters. The class, totalling forty-four locomotives, came from three predecessor roads, mainly Grand Trunk Railway of Canada and Canadian Government Railways stock. One was acquired from Canadian Northern Railway via the Mount Royal Tunnel & Terminal Company Limited. Class 'A' was assigned road numbers 100-199 for 4-4-0 American (Standard) or Eight-Wheel Types with drivers 63 inches or less. The class, totalling 74 locomotives, came from three predecessor roads, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, Canadian Northern Railway and Canadian Government Railways. Class 'B' was assigned road numbers 200-399 for American (Standard) or Eight-Wheel Types with drivers more than 63 inches. This class, all 4-4-0s, totalled 185 locomotives taken into stock from four predecessor roads: the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada and its USA lines, Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Canadian Government Railways, and Canadian Northern Railway. On the 1949 day Newfoundland joined the Canadian Confederation, CNR inherited forty-six locomotives in four wheel arrangements from the island railway. Six of these (five 4-6-0s and one 2-8-0) dated back to the Reid-Newfoundland Company Limited lease of the Newfoundland Railway. The remaining forty (ten 4-6-2s and thirty Mikados) had all been built for the Newfoundland Railway. The last Mikado Types arrived the same month as Confederation.

Don McQueen, born in Toronto in 1938, was raised in Brockville, Ontario and received an Honour Arts degree in History from Queen's University in 1963. Moving to London, Ontario later that same year, he began a secondary school teaching career which spanned 33 years in six of the city's schools. Initially a school librarian, teaching Canadian history and geography, Don also taught and developed school curricula in the humanities, world civilizations, law, sociology, world issues, and photography. His interest in Canadian railway history developed at an early age, although not as early as his fascination with all forms of transportation, especially trains. Brockville, both a St. Lawrence River town and a terminal for two Canadian transcontinental railways, provided a lure which was impossible to resist. His articles, background research or contributions have appeared in a number of Canadian books and publications, including Branchline, CN LINES (Canadian National Railways Historical Association), Canadian Rail, Extra 2200 South, Kingston Rail, Locomotive Notes II, Ontario Northland Railway Historical & Technical Society's The Northlander, and Upper Canada Railway Society's Newsletter / Rail & Transit. In other railway related themes, he has written illustrated articles in the Toy Train Operating Society Bulletin (Marx tinplate toy trains) and in Freight Cars Journal (a White Pass & Yukon rolling stock roster). Constructed in Kingston is Don's premier Canadian railway history reference to date, co-authored with Bill Thomson. That volume chronicled the history, in text and image, of the Canadian Locomotive Companies of Kingston from 1854 to 1968. Now out of print, that book remains a standard source in Canadian locomotive railway history. Living in London, another railway city, resulted in a keen interest in locomotive production at General Motors' Canadian locomotive manufacturing facility. After becoming one of the charter members in the creation of the Forest City Railway Society in 1968, he continued his commitment as one of the editors of the organization's monthly publication, Tempo Jr., and created a daily electronic digest, Froth. When time permitted during his career, as well as in retirement, he paced his research with another of his passions -- photography. In addition to his images appearing in the above periodicals, others have been published in several books such as Signatures in Steel, the reissued Narrow Gauge Railways of Canada, Self-Propelled Cars of the CNR and several Morning Sun publications including Chesapeake & Ohio in Color and various rolling stock volumes. In retirement, Don keeps busier than ever with all of the above pursuits, including his iris garden in London, Ontario and with his family, Heather, 'Socs', Christopher and Danielle.

Donald R. McQueen's profile page