6218 was designed for pulling mainline passenger trains between Winnipeg and Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the Canadian National Railway (CN).

[3] The 6218 was brought back under steam in 1964, and in September of that year, it performed a Double header with 6167 shortly before that engine’s retirement.

[3] For the rest of the 1964 operational season, 6218 pulled fall-foliage trains sponsored by the Canadian Railroad Historical Association (CRHA).

[3] As the constant boiler extensions for the 6218 continued to become shorter, though, CN decided to operate the final excursion trips to usher out what appeared to be the end of their steam fantrip program.

In 1970, the 6218 pulled a series of fan trips that were dubbed “Countdown 6218”, as orchestrated by the Montreal-based St Lawrence Region Department of Public Relations.

[8] However, the Fort Erie city council chose to keep the locomotive at the museum, and a cosmetic restoration would be performed, instead.