Rare 1929 Canadian Pacific Railway Photo & Handwritten Royal

Rare 1929 Canadian Pacific Railway Photo & Handwritten Royal Provenance Letter Up for sale is an extraordinary, museum-quality piece of Canadian labor and transit history. This is a framed, authentic historical photograph accompanied by a completely legible, handwritten provenance letter on the reverse side, dated **August 14, 1929**. This is not a modern digital print or an anonymous reproduction. It is a worker’s personal presentation keepsake from the golden age of Canadian rail, capturing an intimate moment of high-profile industrial preparation just weeks before the historic 1929 market crash. --- ### The Photograph * **Subject:** CPR Boilermaker/Cleaner crouched inside the open smokebox front door of steam locomotive No. 2230. * **Details:** Incredible contrast and clarity. The engine number **2230** is crisply visible on both the front number plate and the raised bracket overhead. The worker is captured mid-scrub using a large wad of cleaning cotton to painstakingly prepare the engine. * **Dimensions:** Mounted in a vintage 12" x 15" wood frame with an elegant dark red matting. --- ### Complete Letter Transcript (Provenance) The back of the frame features a remarkably preserved cursive letter written by the worker in the photograph, **John E. Renson**, living at **Apt 302, Donlands Court, Toronto, Ontario**. The letter provides the exact historical backstory, detailing that he personally cleaned **Locomotive No. 2230** at the legendary **CPR John Street Roundhouse** (now the Toronto Railway Museum) right before it was assigned to pull the high-profile **Royal Train** for **H.R.H. King George V and H.R.H. Queen Mary**. **Full, word-for-word transcript included with the sale:** > *This was taken on Aug 14 / 1929* > *at the C.P.R. Round House* > > *the last engine I cleaned of the [C.P.R.]* > *it ran on H.R.H. Queen Mary again that* > *last H.R.H. King George was to try both* > *sent at 1929 I will send you the* > *negative as they forgot to split it it will* > *the Photo Store have made copies for* > *you keep it I am out on the road but* > *I have no chance for cleaning trains when I live* > *by routing off bad jobs which of us can* > *so offer good luck to your new Business* > *You Follow my last run to see how* > *it goes for now* > > *from John E. Renson* > *Apt 302 Donlands Court,* > *Toronto Ontario* > > *I turned my mistake by being to[too]* > *bitter, let him witness* > *for my end get out of this* > *that I had written standard letters* > *of him with her for stand a bit.* --- ### Collector Significance * **Local History:** A flawless piece of **Torontiana** linking the historic John Street Roundhouse and the Donlands Court apartments to the city's early 20th-century working class. * **Railfan Appeal:** Rare visual documentation of CPR Locomotive 2230 with definitive royal transit ties. * **Human Story:** A candid, heartfelt look into the camaraderie, hardships, and pride of post-Edwardian Canadian railway laborers passing the torch to a friend starting a new business. --- ### Condition The frame shows minor, authentic vintage wear consistent with its age, adding to its historic charm. The photograph print is sharp and free of fading. The letter on the reverse has been carefully kept under a protective plastic layer to avoid moisture or tearing. *Serious inquiries only. Perfect for historical collectors, railway enthusiasts, or as a striking heritage display piece for a local Toronto home or office Nearest intersection Yonge Street and Stelees Avenue