Loaded ore train U780 is seen on the CN Waukesha Sub ducking under the UP bridge (Former CNW Adams Line) at Sussex, Wisconsin.  This US Steel unit rail train for Gary, Indiana was photographed by William Beecher Jr. on March 11th.

Joe Ferguson clicked CN C40-8W 2145 in BNSF paint with CN “Noodle”, in Du Quoin, IL and CN 2146 fresh from the paint shop at Centralia on March 1st 2011.

CN C40-8 2148, (which had been heavy bad-ordered at Woodcrest since received from BNSF), finally entered service February 27th sporting full CN livery.  As seen in the photo, prior to her Woodcrest repaint, CN 2148 was one of the better looking ex-BNSF units still in the warbonnet paint.  She now sports the thick CN cab numbers, gold Scotchlite and the web address tight to the CN Noodle. Larry Amaloo snapped the loco working in Kirk Yard just after her release

 http://flic.kr/p/8oiBny

Rob Smith took this shot of CN 2141 leading train 392 as it passes 385 on the adjacent track in Brantford, ON, January 24th.   CN 2141 is significant as it was the first of the former ATSF/BNSF C40-8W’s to be repainted at Woodcrest Shop.  On March 3rd CN 2141 was noted at the SOO/CP Humboldt Yard.

On March 4th George Redmond clicked CN C40-8W 2138 at Centralia in fresh paint, looking like a model with no windshield wipers and detail.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2430202

On March 3rd  the following CN/UP locomotives were noted at the Quality Rail Service shop in Madison, IL:  Arriving: CN C40-8W's 2176, 2177 and 2193 all still in BNSF H3 paint with CN markings; Outbound: fresh Union Pacific SD40-2R rebuilds 1597 and 1582. (Mark Mautner).

On March 2nd, Ron Visockis snapped CN C40 2101 on #369, and SD70M-2 8817 rear end DPU on train #305  at Belleville, ON.

All sold for stripping and scrapping at the last CN auction sale, the following units were moved onto the scrap track at Woodcrest shop in mid-March: CN SD40-2W 5241, IC SD40-2s 6114, 6132, and 6142. Also added to the scrap track was EJ&E control cab (remote control unit) CC1.

On March 29th, Ken Lanovich noted CN 5302, CN 5359, IC 6110, and IC 6120 had been added to the Woodcrest scrap track, and they had begun the cutting on EJ&E CC1. 

On March 29th Woodcrest Shop had moved B&LE 907 into the storage lines and appear to be in no hurry to repair it.  It is now stored with GP38-2`s GTW 4921 and IC 9607, both waiting on shop space.

Other units sold at the auction sale were CN SD40-2W’s 5315 and 5342 which were relettered twice at Woodcrest Shop in March.  First lettered to WHRR, on March 14th they were relettered to NHRR (New Hope & Ivyland).

 As well in March at the Woodcrest shop ex-GTW GP9R`s 4612, 4624, 4628, and 4630, were all relettered to Carolina Coastal Railway (CLNA) with the same numbers. Three CN GP9RM`s were sold to Savage, relettered, and renumbered. CN 4022 to SVGX 8627; 4108 to SVGX 8629; and 7074 to SVGX 8630 and all enroute to the Burlington Junction RR.

CN has relettered CN GP9RM 4111 and IC SD40-2 6128 for MALX – Mid America Locomotive.  They are going there for work and then to another buyer.   

Former WC/Alstom SD40-3 6930 (a former CN SD40) was at the BRC diesel shop on March 26th relettered to MVPX 6930. 

In March, three additional ex-GCFX/Alstom SD40-3’s (numbers unknown) had been sent to the new owners; the Minnesota North Shore RR and re-numbered 658, 659 and 660.

WC SW1500`s 1559 and WC 1560  were added to the Woodcrest  storage lines in March.  Two of the few remaining WC SW1500's (1563 and 1565) still in Wisconsin Central paint continue to operate around the  shops and yard at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and were snapped by Wm. Beecher Jr. on March 9th. 

During the first half of March, the former EJ&E utilized some of the more unusual locomotives still on the CN roster The last EJ&E yellow-liveried SW1001 446; GTW GP40-2 6420 which is the last GP40-type left in service still in GTW blue. (GTW 6401 and 6425 are in storage at Woodcrest). IC GP38-2 9628, which is the last IC GP38-2 in IC paint and the last three IC SW14 in service, 1497, 1506, and one other.

Outside Chicago Illinois on March 13th Larry Amaloo clicked CN(ex-BNSF) 2149 and EJ&E 660 at Homewood and SSW GP60 9652 at the CN Woodcrest Shop following a transfer run from UP Proviso to CN Markham.  This  GP60 is one of only a nine without a UP patch and one can still make out her faded COTTON  BELT lettering on the long hood.

On March 28th CN GP38-2 4705 was released out of the Woodcrest paint shop in fresh paint.

The IC SD70’s that now have DPU equipment installed are the only standard cab six-axle locomotives in the US and Canada to have this feature and which can only be added to locos with electronic air brakes.  CN have installed PTC equipment, microwaves, hot plates, refrigerators and stretcher cabinets and can now lead in Canada.  Walter Pfefferle caught an example of this as CN 392 with IC SD70 1001 leading, rolls through Woodstock Ont. March. 

Bill Gates now owns 10% of CN!  Cascade Investment, LLC., whose sole member is Microsoft founder Bill Gates, has acquired 35,784 common shares of Canadian National Railway Company. With this purchase, Cascade now holds 37,392,378 shares, representing approximately 8.14% of the outstanding shares. In addition, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, a charitable trust for which Gates serves as a co-trustee, owns 8,563,437 shares CN representing 1.86%.

Long before CN’s ex-BNSF C40-8W’s ever appeared on the radar - there was WC SD40-3 6918, the only one in Alstom grey and orange to ever get a “black” CN noodle on the long hood.  39 others got relettered and re-numbered in white - and 10 never made it to WC lettering. (Jon Hall photo).

Darren Doss had an opportunity to get a night photo of GTW 4620 at Fulton, Kentucky on February 21st.  The locomotive is currently assigned to the locals working out of Fulton.

Walter Pfefferle caught GTW 4919 on CN 332 at Woodstock, Ontario March 4th.

At Belleville, ON, Ron Visockis caught two of the newest Electro-Motive Diesel locomotives in the fleet: CN SD70M-2 8959 heading to Montreal, QC, March 4th, and CN 8958 also eastbound on March 15th. 

On March 27th  westbound CN freight 305 derailed about 25 cars of the 116-car train on the Kingston Sub three km east of Port Hope, Ontario, (about 100 km east of Toronto).  The derailed cars were about a third of the way back on the train, and  carrying mixed cargo from Montreal to Toronto and several empty cars.  With mainlines  blocked, VIA Rail ceased passenger service in both directions on the busy Toronto-Montreal corridor, and on the Toronto-Ottawa routes. Passengers on one VIA Rail train enroute to Toronto and blocked by the derailment were bussed to destination.  CN had no comments as to what caused the derailment and is investigating with the Canadian Transportation Safety Board.  This was the fifth major track derailment this year in CN’s eastern region, which stretches from Halifax to Winnipeg,  By comparison, last year CN had 15 major track derailments in their eastern region. The line was reopened on March 30th.

John Soehner was at the VIA Cobourg Station as CN Manifest #305 ambled through the area on the south tracks on March 27, 2011.  At 12:07 the mid-train DPU rolled through.    Not much later there was "Emergency, emergency, emergency" over the scanner by the one of the crew, repeated shortly thereafter by the second crewperson.   Some chatter about Coport which is the cross-over area between Cobourg and Port Hope.  John shot these photos first at Cobourg Station before the incident and then in the Coport area, stopping on the Overhead Bridge that spans the CP line.  I got out with the 200 mm lens and shot a few photos  Very quickly they tell everyone to get in their cars and get out of the area. At 12:23  there were visible flames coming from near one of the tank cars. However by 12:29 the flames had subsided somewhat.  The first 15 or 16 cars of the train were pulled clear of the derailment.  It looks to me like the derailment occurred west of the cross-overs.  The train was on the south track as it passed through Cobourg Station, and  later the front portion of the train had already passed over the cross-over onto the north track at Coport when the incident occurred, therefore the crossover may have been a factor in the derailment. No one was injured in the derailment.  As the derailment of CN #305 at Coport is only 1/4 mile from the CP mainline, CP operations were suspended for about 27 hours.  As aviation fuel, propane and jet fuel loaded tank cars were involved in the derailment, for safety reasons CP trains did not pass through the area.

On March 22nd a CN train collided with a semi trailer stuck on black ice at a level crossing on Highway 15 near Ituna, Saskatchewan.   The truck driver suffered minor injuries, but his rig obviously did not fair so well.  The lead CN locomotive 2631 is reported to be badly damaged, but we have no repair assessment or evaluation details.     

Earl Roberts corrected an error in our March issue about the 11 remaining BCOL B39-8Es (1700, 3900-3910) being retired.  These  have NOT been retired … at least not yet.  Most are stored at Woodcrest and were still on the roster as of  February 28th, 2011.  Wm Beecher ‘s photo shows some of these stored BCOL B39-8E’s at Woodcrest on Feb 7th, 2011.

CN VIGNETTES:

On October 25, 1988 Patrick De Larue caught CN M636 2334 and a pair of M630’s leading train 305 at CN West Jct in Charny, Québec.

Jason Noe submitted shots of Class unit #6000 taken by his friend J.P.Rhéaume (now deceased) at CN Joffre Yard, QC in 1992.   Shown sporting the brand new CN North America paint scheme, CNNA SD40u #6000 had just entered service following  overhaul at the  AMF Point St-Charles Shop in Montreal.

Aleks Stefanovic submitted this great shot of CN “cowls” Dash8-40CM 2452 and SD60F 5510 departing Paris after running around of their train of 17 empty bulkheads. On August 12, 2010 This train is shown  operating with CN management personnel in training to prepare for a potential strike at Mile 30.9 on the Dundas Sub.  It would run as 907 to Paris where it turned to become 908.  

 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=356094&nseq=5

Marc Caya submitted this video featuring terrific sound from this pure CN GP40-2LW duo pulling and pushing, and both in nice paint. Filmed near St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Rouses Point sub.) Qc, Aug. 2007.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM1xtiBLt4g&feature=player_embedded

© CRO April 2011