One of Transcona’s most treasured landmarks reached a major milestone this year as the community celebrated the 100th anniversary of Canadian National steam locomotive CN 2747.

Residents gathered at Rotary Heritage Park on June 20th, 2026 for a community celebration organized by the Transcona Museum and the Transcona BIZ. Presented by CN, the event featured a free barbecue, face painting, family activities, guided tours of the locomotive and the unveiling of newly completed restoration work, including a recreated number board that had been missing for decades.

Although the locomotive officially turned 100 years old on April 19th, 2026, museum staff chose to hold the celebration in June to take advantage of warmer weather.

Built in April 1926 at the Canadian National Railway Shops in Transcona, CN 2747 holds a special place in both local and Canadian railway history. It was the first steam locomotive constructed at the Transcona Shops and the first steam locomotive built for Canadian National’s Western Region. It was also the first of 33 steam locomotives produced at the shops, marking Transcona’s long-standing connection to the railway industry.

After entering service in 1926, the locomotive spent the next 33 years working on the railway before being retired in 1959. Rather than being scrapped, it was donated by Canadian National to the Kiwanis Club of Transcona and placed on permanent display in March 1960 at Kiwanis Park, now known as Rotary Heritage Park.

Ownership of the locomotive changed hands over the years, passing to the Midwestern Rail Association in 1981 before being acquired by the Transcona Museum in 2015. Since then, the museum has led an ambitious effort to preserve the century-old locomotive.

More than $650,000 has been raised through a community capital campaign to restore and protect the engine. Those efforts culminated in the construction of a permanent protective enclosure, shielding the locomotive from Manitoba’s harsh climate while allowing visitors to continue viewing one of the city’s most prominent railway artifacts.

This year also saw the completion of another important restoration project. Working with the Winnipeg Railway Museum and Winnipeg Prototyping, the museum recreated the locomotive’s missing number board, which had disappeared sometime after 1982. The new replica restores another piece of the locomotive’s original appearance and was officially unveiled during the centennial celebration.

CN 2747’s new number board being unveiled at the Centennial Community Celebration on June 20, 2026.

For Transcona Museum curator Alanna Horejda, the anniversary was as much about the community as it was about the locomotive itself. “In 2017, a condition assessment report was made that warned us that CN 2747 would face structural failure within ten years if left exposed to the elements. It is amazing to see how much things have turned around almost ten years later,” she adds. Assistant curator Jennifer Maxwell stated, “It’s fantastic to be able to see a steam locomotive of this type restored and make it to 100 years… I look at the restoration and think of all the hard work that the community has inputed, from financial support or volunteer hours, as well as what the museum board and committee have done to get it to this state.”

The strong turnout at the celebration reflected the public’s continued support for preserving the historic engine and ensuring it remains part of the community’s identity.

Museum board member and longtime preservation advocate Peter Martin described the locomotive as a lasting tribute to the skilled workers who built it in Transcona nearly a century ago. “To be able to protect and preserve this, and have it available for future generations is something special for the community,” Martin added. “We want people to pay homage to this piece of history — to sit, observe, and realize how important this is… it’s something very special that was built by the hands of Transcona people,” Martin said. (“Simon Fuller, “Let’s Do the Locomotion… CN 2747’s Centennial to Be Celebrated June 20,” Winnipeg Free Press, June 10, 2026, https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/east/2026/06/10/lets-do-the-locomotion.)

CN 2747 stands as a monument and a testament to the community that has worked tirelessly to preserve it. Decades of local support, dedicated volunteers, and the efforts of the Transcona Museum have helped position the locomotive well and ensure it remains a symbol of Transcona’s railway for another hundred years.