Early in the last century Canadian railways underwent a period of exceptional expansion in all regions. New railways such as the Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian Northern forged their way into unsettled territories in the West, while the Canadian Pacific Railway spent the period expanding and upgrading its existing railway system across Canada. This boom in railway activity mirrored the expansion of Canada itself as new immigrants flooded into the West and increased industrialization fueled a steady flow of people into and goods out of Eastern cities.

With the increase in traffic came a demand for larger, more powerful steam locomotives. Not surprisingly the period between 1900 and 1914 was one of the most dynamic periods of growth and technical development in Canadian Pacific steam locomotives. An enduring success of this period was an extremely versatile "Ten Wheeler" type engine known as the D10 class. Canadian Pacific No. 926 (670009*) is one of seven surviving examples of this type of locomotive.

In 1946 CP 926 was converted to burn oil for fuel. (CSTM)

Numerically the single largest class of engine used by Canadian Pacific in the twentieth century, over 502 locomotives were constructed by or for the company between 1905 and 1913. A versatile design, these locomotives were used in passenger, freight, and yard service across Canada right up until the end of the steam era in the early 1960s. Their success lay in a dependable and uncomplicated design, which incorporated such technical improvements as piston valves and simplified valve gear, devices just gaining acceptance in North America at that time. They were an effective platform for Canadian Pacific's innovative study of superheaters that lead to that energy saving device's acceptance on North American railways.

These engines were a transitional design that reflected changes in locomotive engineering while also retaining some features typical of nineteenth-century engines. For example, the engine cabs were of a simple open design. This provided some respite from the high heat generated by the firebox, but in inclement weather, the open design meant that the locomotive crew was protected only by a simple canvas curtain drawn across the back of the cab—even in winter. The engines continued to be hand fired, except for a few that were converted to oil fuel.

Canadian Pacific 926 is one of the most important railway artifacts in the Museum's collection. Originally built in November 1911 at Canadian Pacific's Angus Shops in Montreal, it was assigned to the Prairies and spent much of the next fifty years hauling freight and passenger trains over various divisions between Winnipeg and Calgary. It also spent time in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Like any steam engine, the locomotive underwent a number of major overhauls during its working career. The most radical alteration to the engine took place in 1948 when, during a scheduled rebuild at Angus Shops, the original frame and running gear of the engine were replaced with those of another D10, engine No. 1107.