CN GE ES44AC locomotives:

Brand new CN ES44ACs 2837 and 2839-2848 have all arrived on CN property from their 2835-2864 GE order. On October 31st, 11 of the new CN ES44AC's arrived at Fort Erie on the NS transfer from Buffalo, NY (CN 2843, 2840, 2848, 2837, 2846, 2841, 2839, 2845, 2842, 2847, 2844). On November 1st they moved again on train 422. Some stayed in Toronto but most were sent west to Winnipeg, MB, and to Edmonton, AB. Several CN 2800’s are currently being used in sets of three (two on the head end, and one as a mid-train DPU), on CN trains operating between Winnipeg, MB and Chicago, IL.

One of these new arrivals, CN ES44AC 2848 was clicked at the Symington Diesel Shop (Winnipeg, MB) by Mark A. Perry November 6th.

CN crews really like the CN ES44AC 2800- series. Especially their pulling ability and overall power, and improved stopping with the dynamic brake application. Here is the Control Stand, Desk Top and Cab view of CN 2851.

CN ES44AC 2843 and siblings in Canada:

CN ES44AC 2840 rear end:

Matthew Ginkel photographed brand new CN ES44AC 2855 rolling through Griffith, Indiana on November 19th.

Their previous ES44AC order (CN 2800-2834), are all in service, and assigned to trains operating in the west. These are the first AC locomotives on the Canadian National roster.

CN Dash 8-40C / C40-8W STATUS:

The first and only C40-8 from the CREX 9023-9064 group to adorn the CN uniform is CN 2034, released from Quality Rail July 19th and has been service ever since. The remaining ex-CREX Dash 8’s in storage, are not scheduled for CN repaint until 2014.

The 42 C40-8’s (4000 hp) will be numbered CN 2000-2041. These are ex-UP same numbers, nee-CNW 8501-8542, and the second group of ex-UP, nee-CNW Dash 8’s that CN has purchased. These are to be painted, and then completed at either Centralia Shop, Metro East Industries (MEI) in East St. Louis, IL, or at Quality Rail in Madison, IL. These CREX C40-8’s were constructed at GE - Erie, PA in 1989, as CNW 8501-8530, and as CNW 8531-8542 during 1990. When Union Pacific acquired the Chicago & North Western Railroad, they got numbered UP 9023-9064, but not in sequence. When retired by UP during 2008 and 2009, they were sold to Citicorp Railmark and retained their UP livery and road number, with CREX on the cab sides. Prior to being purchased by CN last year, these had been leased to CSX.

Compiled below are the most recent ex-CREX, the earlier ex-UP Dash 8-40C’s, and the ex-BNSF C40-8W’s arranged by locomotive model, and their assigned CN number. (Our thanks to Earl Roberts for his help)

Dash 8-40C:

C40-8W:

CN (ex-GMTX/ex-EMDX) SD60 STATUS:

All 43 second-hand EMD SD60 (3,800 hp) locomotives that CN acquired from GMTX last year have been repainted, upgraded to CN specifications, and are all in service. As well, 33 units from the 2nd group of 47 EMDX Oakway’s have been painted at Centralia, IL, and in service.

On November 10th, George Redmond photographed CN SD60 5477, 5457 and ex-Oakway CN 9098 at the CN engine facility Centralia, IL.

On November 16th, George shot freshly painted CN 5481 at the Centralia facility.

As we went to press, the Centralia Shop released CN 5444 seen here November 27th as the 4th unit on a NB train A431 at Centralia, IL.

Painted and in Service:

CN 5400-5442 inclusive, (A total of 43 units from the 1st group of ex-GMTX SD6o’s).

CN 5443, 5444, 5445, 5447, 5448, 5449, 5452, 5456, 5457, 5458, 5459, 5461, 5463, 5465, 5466, 5467, 5470, 5472, 5473, 5474, 5475, 5476, 5477, 5478, 5479, 5480, 5481, 5482, 5483, 5484, 5485, 5486, and 5488. (A total of 33 units NEW from the 2nd group of ex-EMDX SD60’s).

CN SD60's 5450 and 5468, IC GP40R 3123, and CN SD60 5483 spend Thanksgiving Day at rest at the north end of the yard in Du Quoin, IL. As well, with CN power short, patched CN 5450 and 5468 were removed from storage at Centralia, activated and pressed into service as trailing power. Christopher Bodkin took these shots at Du Quoin, IL on November 28th.

Compiled below are the 90 EMD SD60’s added to the CN roster, 47 EMD SD60’s from the second group (EMDX 9000-series), along with the previous 43 ex-GMTX units.

CN  (ex-Oakway) SD60 Roster:

Notes:

• Providence & Worcester leased two of the SD60’s, GMTX 9014 and 9059.
• Six SD60’s GMTX 9016, 9044, 9061, 9067, 9082 and 9094 are leased to NYSW.
• Oakway SD60 9041 was wrecked during the 1980’s while on lease to BN. The locomotive was replaced with (Electro Motive Diesel Division) SD60 Demonstrator EMDX #3.
• Oakway SD60 9062 was wrecked and scrapped in the 1990’s.

Retired in 2013:

CN YBU-4 207
CN GP9RM Slug 211
CN GP9RM Slug 217
CN GMD1u 1402
CN GP9RM 7027
CN GP9RM 7211
CN GP9RM 7267
CNGP9RM 7269
CN SW1200RM 7300
CN SW1200RM 7304
IC SW14 1495
EJE SW1001 446
WC SW1500 1552
WC GP40 3010
WC GP40 3021

Disposition of CN Retired Locomotives:

Below are the locomotives being disposed of by CN and are compiled by railroad and loco number: and includes the model, and the year Built/Rebuilt, status if sold, and last known CN location.

CN 202 YBU-4
CN 207 YBU-4
CN 211 GP9 SLUG
CN 217 GP9 SLUG
CN 233 SLUG 1987 Transcona
CN 251 SLUG Edmonton Sold to New Brunswick Southern (NBSR)
CN264 SLUG 1966 Symington
CN 266 SLUG 1966 Vancouver
CN 269 SLUG 1966 Symington Sold to New Brunswick Southern (NBSR)
CN 271 SLUG 1993 Edmonton
CN 272 SLUG Prince George, BC, SCRAPPED September 2013
CN 275 SLUG 1993 Melville, SK.
CN 501 SLUG 1978 Symington Sold to New Brunswick Southern (NBSR)
CN 508 SLUG 1978 Edmonton Sold to New Brunswick Southern (NBSR)
CN 1379 SW1200RS 1960 Edmonton
CN 1375 SW1200RS 1960 Woodcrest
CN 1402 GMD1u
CN 1406 GMD1u 1989 Edmonton
CN 1407 GMD1u 1989 SOLD to WRIX Edmonton
CN 1415 GMD1u 1989 SOLD to WRIX Markham Yard
CN 1418 GMD1u 1989 SOLD to WRIX Markham Yard
CN 7007 GP9RM SOLD TO MVPX Markham Yard
CN 7018 GP9RM 1985 Symington
CN 7041 GP9RM 1988 Symington
CN 7045 GP9RM 1992 Transcona
CN 7051 GP9RM 1990 Transcona
CN 7064 GP9RM 1988 Prince George SCRAPPED September 2013
CN 7076 GP9RM Markham Yard SOLD to IBCX
CN 7207 GP9RM 1985 Edmonton
CN 7210 GP9RM 1985 SOLD to Pennsylvania Northeastern November 2013
CN 7211 GP9RM 1985 Symington
CN 7216 GP9RM Markham Yard SOLD to WRIX
CN 7218 GP9RM 1986 Transcona
CN 7225 GP9RM Markham Yard SOLD to IBCX
CN 7235 GP9RM 1987 Edmonton
CN7236 GP9RM 1987 Symington
CN 7244 GP9RM 1988 Prince George SCRAPPED September 2013
CN 7249 GP9RM 1990 Edmonton
CN 7259 GP9RM 1960 Transcona
CN 7262 GP9RM 1990 Symington
CN 7300 SW1200RM
CN 7304 SW1200RM
GTW 4618 GP9RB 1989 Markham Yard SOLD TO IBCX
IC 1477 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1484 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1490 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1491 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC SW14 1495 1980
IC 1496 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1498 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1500 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1501 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1505 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1507 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1509 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
IC 1511 SW14 1980 (scrapped at Woodcrest)
WC 1560 SW1500 1970 Woodcrest.
WC 3010 GP40
WC 3021 GP40

Jesse Acorn caught sold CN GP9RM 7210 lettered “PN” for Pennsylvania Northeastern RR heading east through Jasper, AB on November 2nd. As we reported last month, she had been retired and stored in Vancouver, BC. Interestingly, “PN” was previously used by Piedmont Northern, another shortline that used a segment of ex-CSXT trackage.

George photographed this sharp looking Slug set with IC 3101, CN Slug 225, and IC 3106 by the old IC coal chute in Centralia, IL November 20th. IC 3101 was just recently released from the CN Centralia Shop with rebuilt trucks and new wheel sets. The yard slug CN 225 has been at Centralia Shop for almost 8 weeks, IC 3106 has been here for 2 or 3 months, and IC 3101 arrived in early November. This was the first time George had seen 3101, 225 and 3106 together.

The third EJ&E unit repainted into CN livery is EJE SD38-2 658, and was shot by Mike Garza at Homewood, IL. on November 7th.

On November 16th, George Redmond shot freshly painted CN 5481, and IC 9623 at the CN engine facility in Centralia, IL.

Still in its patched Oakway paint but with a new cab door, and air hoses, CN SD60 5450 is seen sitting with the work train that is parked at Centralia, IL. CRO has learned this locomotive will be sent to Quality Rail Service in Madison, IL, for her CN repaint.

GET NOTICED … With a “BANNER”! Contact us:
editor@canadianrailwayobservations.com

In the first week of November 13 rail cars including one carrying hazardous materials derailed in Alberta on November 3rd, not far from the same spot where several caught fire and exploded on another train only two week before, all though this time there was no danger, Canadian National Railway said. The added the cars on the eastbound train derailed in the central Alberta hamlet of Peers. 12 were loaded with lumber and one was hauling sulphur dioxide, a toxic substance used to make sulphuric acid and can also be used as a food preservative. The car with the sulphur dioxide is upright and not leaking, CN spokesman Patrick Waldron said in an email. There were no evacuations.“There were no injuries or environmental concerns as the car is intact, and there is no threat to the public,” Mr. Waldron said. Crews are on site and the incident is under investigation, he said. The train had 137 cars in total. On October 19th, 13 tankers cars on a CN train carrying propane and oil derailed near Gainford, AB, about 80 kilometres east of Peers, triggering explosions and fire on both sides of the four-lane Yellowhead Highway. Crews opted to let the tankers burn, which kept 126 people out of their homes for four days. That incident renewed fears about shipping petroleum by train, a practice that has surged in use over the past two years as the energy industry has struggled to move production while new pipelines drag in regulatory processes.

On November 4th, CN operated one of its longest tank trains in history from Edmonton, AB to St-Romuald, QC with 100 crude oil cars. Running as U70451-x

Later in the month on November 20th, CN ran a new oil train from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota to the Valero Oil facility in St-Romuald, Quebec with BCOL C40-8Mu 4623, BNSF C44-9W 4011 and BNSF SD70ACe 9190 which moved as U710. Michael Berry caught the eastbound train November 23rd passing through Dorval, QC, and then from the Angrignon Overpass just as the train began to move over the Montreal Sub, following a quick crew change at Turcot West. BNSF power may become common on this train.

Francois Jolin photographed the same Bakken crude oil train (CN 710) on the CN Drummondville Sub, destined for the Valero Refinery in St-Romauld, QC, seen here rumbling across the bridge over the Nicolet River, at St-Leonard d’Aston, QC on November 23rd.

In November, CN began running other oil trains from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota to New Brunswick as well, this time south to Rousses Pont, NY to Albany. From there, they are shipped back up to Irving Oil.

A CN eastbound oil train at Wellsboro, IN has CN C40-8W 2146 and two other GE"s for power as they blast over fresh snow on November 13th. (Photo by Mark Hinsdale).

Mark Hinsdale also snapped (former BNSF) CN C40-8W 2181 and GE sibling expediting westbound stack train at Wellsboro, IN November 13th.

Andy Cassidy clicked CN SD40-2W 5288, 5305, and 5354 with a northbound grain train at Spruce, BC Mile 144.5 on the CN New Westminster Sub January 13th, 2013.

CN 5702, 5760, 2565, 205, 7202 are heading south with grain empties at Cumberland, BC Mile 144.25, CN New Westminster Sub November 11th, 2011. (Andy Cassidy photo).

CN C40-8M 2449 (in CNNA livery) and CN SD70I 5622 lead #149 at Belleville, ON Nov 8th. (Ron Visockis)

Ron also bagged big GE and GM CN power with CN 2181 and 8888 on train 106 Belleville, ON Nov 8th

Ron Visockis clicked CN 2659 as the sole power passing through Belleville, ON Nov 7th.

Great lash-up! Christopher Bodkin submitted these two fine CN shots: CN train A432 heads south over Mill Street in Carbondale, IL on November 7th, with BCOL C44-9WL 4643, CN C40-8 2113 and C44-9W#2661.

On November 11th, the same train is stopped at Carbondale. IL with NB traffic. CN SD75I 5786 and BCOL C40-8M 4603 have five dead locomotives in tow in a power transfer to Memphis, TN: CN C40-8M 2442, Dash 9's 2538 and 2663, IC SD70 1018, and CN SD70M-2 8812. This day's A432 was over powered with only 30 rail cars behind the locomotives!

CSX Bruceton, TN-Jackson, TN train M-791 heads back to Bruceton while running on the West Tennessee Railroad's ex-IC Birmingham line at Sitka, TN on October 18th. Power is GP40-2 6358, road slug 2351 (rebuilt from a B&O GP40), and mother unit GP40-2 6951. This train accesses the WTNN at Milan and runs to Jackson on trackage rights. Also notice the turned signal with MP 453.1 on it... that is mileage from Chicago. This line was sold to NS in June 1988 and is still owned by them, WTNN is a tenant. This line is also part of the NS-CN "Mid America Corridor". (Christopher Bodkin photo)

Guy Pascal Arcouette snapped a trio of GP9RM’s, all in the same livery and elephant style. CN 7000 is shown leading the train of loaded grain cars over the Lachine Canal bridge in Montreal, QC on May 14th 2013.

On November 13th, Mike Garza photographed Gary Railway rebuilt switcher GRW 319, She is former EJ&E) and seen after repaint at NRE – Dixmoor, IL.

Mike also photographed a rare pairing (these days anyway), of GTW painted geeps working the south end of Homewood Yard in Homewood IL. on November 15th.

In Georgiana, Alabama, photographer Sidney Vaught felt like a kid in a Candy Store with full access to shoot lots of former Canadian National and BC Rail locomotives lined up at Allied Services (ASDX) for scrapping. Now with ADSX patches former CN SD50F 5425 leads the impressive line up on October 17th, 2009.

Here is another shot Sidney submitted from October 10th 2009, ASDX SD40-2 743 still in BC Rail red/white and blue sitting in the Allied Services deadline in Georgiana, AL.

In March 1963, Gary Armstrong photographed the classic lines on CN RS18 3878 looking lovely in CNR livery on the CN mainline at Prescott, Ontario. (Ron Visockis Collection)

In the early 1990’s, a CN train hit a log truck on the Redditt Sub (between Winnipeg, MB, and Sioux Lookout, ON) at Mile 38.0 near Sunstrum, ON. The crew of lead unit CN SD40 5146, saw the truck on the crossing, put the train in emergency, and moments before the collision, the engineer lay down on the floor of the cab and the head end brakeman ducked down behind the wall and cab door under the wind shield. Both survived unscathed! Section crews had to cut out some of the logs before both the crew members could exit the cab hours later. Anywhere there was glass, the pulp logs loaded cross wise on the truck, penetrated into the cab including through the number boards. (Mark A. Perry Collection)

CN 5146 wound up at PSC Shop minus the logs, on April 24th, 1990 where Pierre Fournier photographed her.

© CRO October 2013