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Motive Power News

New GE ES44AC locomotives arriving:

On November 22^nd, the first four released from GE –Erie, PA (CN 2801, 2802, 2803 and 2804) arrived at Toronto Yard, and were sent west to Edmonton, AB.   Then on December 3rd, NS Transfer H3R (Buffalo-CSX Frontier Yard to CN Fort Erie) delivered CN 2807 and 2805, which were then forwarded to Toronto on CN 422.   As of December 21st, units up to CN 2814 were on the property west of Edmonton.

On his visit to Erie, PA December 20th, Stephen M. Koenig was lucky to catch CN ES44AC 2819 on the test track with GE 2011 and NS 8137.testing the DPU systems.

New EMD SD70ACe locomotives coming:

Expected to begin construction next year are CN`s 30 SD70ACe`s which are CN’s first General Motors built AC locomotives, and will be numbered CN 8100-8129.

In total, CN will acquire 65 new high-horsepower locomotives and is splitting the new locomotive order in two, with GE delivering 35 ES44AC 4,400 hp locomotives during 2013 and 2014, and EMD building 30 SD70ACe 4,300 hp locomotives all equipped with Distributed Power (DPU) technology.

More “used” locomotives now arriving:

CN is now receiving CREX 9023-9064, the first of 42 C40-8s (4000 hp) to 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. Chris van der Heide battled the cold and sleet to photograph the first group in Sarnia, Ontario on December 9^th. The power off CN 332 is seen laying over and waiting to go out later that evening on train 370. The six CREX (ex-Union Pacific) GE built C40-8 locomotives were CREX 9025, 9030, 9035, 9038, 9052 and 9053. As of December 14^th, all 42 were already in the CN computer as CN 2000-2041.

On December 10^th Joe Ferguson submitted this snap shot of the CN ex-CREX fleet.   Note CREX 9028, 9049 are moving to Madison and 9046 is already at Madison, which could be for Quality Rail or interchange to CN. Also several at KCS in E. St. Louis and many interchanged to Alton and Southern - which could be for movement to Metro-East for work.   In December, CN began removing the CREX number boards and other preparation to send them to Centralia for painting and then later to be finished at either Metro East Industries (MEI) in East St. Louis, IL. or at Quality Rail in Madison, IL.

CREX 9023   MEXICO MO 12 08 0203 L P KCS
CREX 9024   KANCITY MO 12 05 0106 L R KCS
CREX 9025   KIRKYARD IN 12 08 1226 L A TORMACYAR ON CN
CREX 9026   MEXICO MO 12 08 0203 L P KCS
CREX 9027   KANCITY MO 07 14 1626 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9028   KANCITY MO 12 07 1423 L R MADISON IL KCS
CREX 9029   MEXICO MO 12 08 0203 L P KCS
CREX 9030   KIRKYARD IN 12 08 1226 L A TORMACYAR ON CN
CREX 9031   EAST SAIN IL 12 05 0856 L 9 KCS
CREX 9032   KANCITY MO 11 04 0030 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9033   KANCITY MO 10 25 1750 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9034   EAST SAIN IL 12 05 0856 L 9 KCS
CREX 9035   KIRKYARD IN 12 08 1226 L A TORMACYAR ON CN
CREX 9036   KANCITY MO 07 14 1626 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9037   KANCITY MO 09 02 1626 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9038   KIRKYARD IN 12 08 1226 L A TORMACYAR ON CN
CREX 9039   KANCITY MO 12 05 1816 L D KCS
CREX 9040   EAST SAIN IL 12 07 2353 L 9 TORMACYAR ON CN
CREX 9041   KANCITY MO 09 02 1626 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9042   KANCITY MO 12 06 1317 L 9 KCS
CREX 9043   SELKIRK NY 09 04 2012 L B KANCITY MO CSXT
CREX 9044   KANCITY MO 12 05 1816 L D KCS
CREX 9045   KANCITY MO 07 14 1626 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9046   MADISON IL 12 07 1005 E R TRRA
CREX 9047   KANCITY MO 12 06 1257 L R SAILOUGAT IL KCS
CREX 9048   KANCITY MO 12 06 1317 L 9 SAILOUGAT IL KCS
CREX 9049   KANCITY MO 12 07 1423 L R MADISON IL KCS
CREX 9050   EAST SAIN IL 12 05 0856 L 9 KCS
CREX 9051   KANCITY MO 09 02 1626 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9052   KIRKYARD IN 12 08 1226 L A TORMACYAR ON CN
CREX 9053   KIRKYARD IN 12 08 1226 L A TORMACYAR ON CN
CREX 9054   KANCITY MO 07 14 1626 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9055   KANCITY MO 12 06 1317 L 9 SAILOUGAT IL KCS
CREX 9056   KANCITY MO 10 25 1750 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9057   KANCITY MO 12 05 1816 L D KCS
CREX 9058   KANCITY MO 10 28 1658 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9059   MEXICO MO 12 08 0203 L P KCS
CREX 9060   KANCITY MO 10 28 1658 L J KANCITY MO KCS
CREX 9061   KANCITY MO 12 05 1816 L D KCS
CREX 9062   KANCITY MO 12 05 0106 L R SAILOUGAT IL KCS
CREX 9063   EAST SAIN IL 12 05 0856 L 9 KCS
CREX 9064   KANCITY MO 12 06 1257 L R SAILOUGAT IL KCS
On December 20^th, Dave Burroughs snapped seven of them behind CN 2590 and CN 2153: CREX 9064, 9047, 9024, 9042, 9062, 9048, and 9055 at Aldershot, ON.

Then on the 24^th, Train 396 brought four more CREX units over to Mac Yard. The consist included CN 2589-2500, leading CREX 9060, 9041, 9032, and 9058 dead in tow rolling through Copetown, ON. As CN 2500 was overheating, they stopped and set off some cars at Aldershot and took the units on to Mac Yard.

CN/GMTX SD60 STATUS as of December 2012

More than half of the 43 second-hand EMD SD60 (3,800 hp) locomotives that CN acquired from GMTX last year are now repainted, upgraded to CN specifications, and in service.

Painted and in service:

CN 5401, 5402, 5404, 5405, 5406, 5407, 5408, 5412, 5415, 5420, 5421, 5424, 5428, 5430, 5431, 5432, 5433, 5434, 5435, 5436, 5437, 5438, 5439, 5440 and 5442.

Patched paint, and returned to service:

5403, 5425, 5427, 5429

Patched and stored, shopping, or in paint shop:

5409 - Centralia painting
5410 - Stored in Memphis
5411 - Centralia painting
5413 - Centralia painting

5416 - Quality Rail, Madison, IL after painting at Centralia
5417 - Quality Rail, Madison, IL

5418- Painted at Centralia awaiting final prep to complete
5441 - Centralia Shopping

Dave Bourroughs snapped recent release CN 5421 at Bayview, ON December 22^nd leading a string of CN’s new CREX Dash 8’s toward Mac Yard I n Toronto.

George Redmond clicked CN SD60 5436 in fresh paint and awaiting finishing, as well as CN GP40-2LW 9525 in line for repaint at the Centralia, IL. engine facility on December 5^{th .}

On December 14^th, George bagged the now completed CN 5436 at the engine facility at Centralia being prepped for service.

Mark Perry caught patched CN SD60 5427 at Symington Yard in Winnipeg, MB on December 5^th.

George Redmond caught CN SD60 5427 as it tugs on a southbound loaded welded rail train at Centralia, IL December 10^th

CN Units Sold or Retired

Recap of CN units for sale (or sold) in late 2012:

CN Yard Slug 219 (Unmovable)

CN Yard Slug 241 (Unmovable)

CN Yard Slug 269 (Unmovable)

CN Yard Slug 272 (Unmovable)

CN SW1200RS 1375 to Lambton Diesel Services (LDSX)

IC SW14 1501 to Lambton Diesel Services (LDSX)

CN GP9RM 4023 (Unmovable)

CN GP9RM 7008 to the Florida Central Railway (FCEN)

CN GP9RM 7010 to Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad (PN 7010)

CN GP9RM 4118 Central Manitoba Railway (CCGX - Cando Contracting

CNGP9RM 4119 Central Manitoba Railway (CCGX - Cando Contracting

CN GP9RM 7041

CN GP9RM 7045 (Unmovable)

CN GP9RM 7061 Central Manitoba Railway (CCGX - Cando Contracting

CN GP9RM 7070 (Unmovable)

CN GP9RM 7216

CN GP9RM 7218 (Unmovable)

CN GP9RM 7249

CN GP9RM 7259 (Unmovable)

SW1200RSu 7316 to Lambton Diesel Services (LDSX)

BCOL B39-8E 1700

BCOL B39-8E 3901-3911 (inclusive). BCOL B39-8E (1700, and 3901-3911 were all retired back in 2011, and stored in the former IC yard at Centralia, IL. Over the last year, their traction motors were removed at Centralia for the CN (ex-UP) C40-8’s, and the BC Rail fleet are likely being sold for scrap at the CN Auction Sale.

CN Shop Repairs & Repaints

Mike Garza was first to catch EJE #666 in fresh CN paint on December 12^th at CN Homewood Yard, following her Woodcrest Shop makeover.

Former GMTX SD60 9069, and CN SD60 5425 are shown on December 10^th, waiting for an opening at the CN paint shop in Centralia, IL.

Acquired by CN in 1981, former NAR (Northern Alberta Railways) CN GMD1u 1179 was noted on the ladder tracks at Symington on December 17^th after being prepped for movement at the Transcona shop in December. It is earmarked for the Alberta Railway Museum (ARM) in Edmonton, AB. Kevin Cameron photographed the unit enroute.

Jesse Acorn snapped CN GMD1u 1179 after arrival at Walker Yard in Edmonton, AB, on December 22nd.

CN News

LNG Locomotive Testing: For the last three months, Canadian National’s pair of Liquefied Natural Gas test units (CN SD40-2W 5258 and 5261 with the LNG tank car positioned between, continued to operate in captive service between Walker Yard in Edmonton and Lynton, 1.1 miles south of Fort McMurray. AB. CN did this conversion of these older SD40-2W locomotives as a test, because natural gas prices are lower and even more stringent emissions rules will come in 2015. CN is using a leased Union Pacific-owned LNG tank car (CNW-1 is in Umler) to provide fuel to the two locomotives for the initial testing. UP attempted a LNG program in the early 1990s, but no locomotives were ever placed into service with the LNG tank cars that UP purchased for the testing.

Waterstone Human Capital cited CN for creating one of Canada's "10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures" of 2012. The Class I railroad was chosen for the honour from more than 600 nominated companies. Waterstone assessed the railroad's leadership, organizational culture, corporate responsibility and innovation, and "was impressed with CN's successful transformation from the rail industry laggard to today's rail industry leader," CN officials said in a prepared statement. "CN's business agenda is shaped by what the company stands for: creating value for its customers and shareholders, delivering goods safely and sustainably, supporting the economies we serve, and connecting strongly with our employees," said President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Mongeau. "CN has experienced a remarkable transformational journey and will continue to pursue its role as a true backbone of the economy." (Progressive Railroading)

As in years past, CN/IC/GTW again operated their “Santa Train”, this year with paired IC E9Au’s 100 - 101, and three cars. Kenneth Borg snapped them southbound at Wyandotte, MI, and arriving at arriving at Flat Rock, December 1st.

Kris E, Rumbut also snapped IC E9Au 101, seen here pulling into Danforth, Illinois.

During December, Coalspur Mines Ltd. and CN reached an agreement on a seven-year Export Coal transportation contract for the planned Vista project in Alberta, which has the potential to become one of North America's largest export thermal coal mines. The pact is expected to be executed in first-quarter 2013. The contact will enable the miner to achieve total logistics cost savings to move coal from the mine, which is expected to produce 12 million tons annually beginning in 2015, Coalspur officials said in a prepared statement. Savings are estimated at about $20 million over the first five years of coal production, said Coalspur President and Chief Executive Officer Gill Winckler. Key contract terms include rates, terms and price escalations for the first five years of production. Similar with most western Canadian coal producers, CN plans on supplying equipment to move Coalspur's coal to West Coast terminals. Coalspur has secured a port allocation agreement with Ridley Terminals Inc. at the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to export thermal coal from the Vista mine to Asia Pacific Rim countries, including China, Japan and Korea. Meanwhile, CN also reached a voluntary mitigation agreement (VMA) with the village of Bartlett, Ill., concerning the Class I's January 2009 acquisition of a major portion of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern (EJ&E).

A major rockslide occurred on CN's Ashcroft Sub (MP 109.3) November 24, 2012. The top photo shows the CN mainline covered by the slide, which missed the shed just to the west. In subsequent photos you can see work equipment digging and carefully clearing the rock and earth of the right of way. During the clean up and track inspection, CN trains detoured over the opposite side of the Fraser River over CP's Thompson Subdivision, which was quite the challenge for CP train dispatchers to keep trains moving in both directions. To prevent congestion with eastbound and westbound on the CN and CP single track mainlines in the area, both railways already share directional trackage movements through the canyon. (via Larry Briggs, Richard Marchi and Bruce Chapman)

CN Photos

On December 13^th, Wayne D. Shaw photographed CN 595 southbound hitting the big curve at Utterson, ON on one of its twice-weekly jaunts down to Longford Mills, and return. On this day, the small dumping of white powder snow certainly took the "blah" out of the previous brown late Fall scenery!

Christopher Bodkin bagged GTW GP38-2 5850 in the Du Quoin yard on December 1st. Note the differences with GP38-2 full length fuel tank on GTW 5850 with the shorter tank on CN 7515 below.

Dan Braun snapped southbound CN GP38-2 7515 passing through Neenah, WI following her Transcona Shop overhaul and paint job.

MP 152.0 CN SOO Subdivision (Perry, ON)~ 1417 CN L57331 26 [Manifest; Sault Ste Marie Steelton, ON - Hawk Junction, ON] 61 cars (Chris Wilson)

CN 2193 (C40-8W)
CN 2182 (C40-8W)
CN 5420 (SD60)
CN 106 (F40PH in Agawa Canyon paint)

The point of view in Ron Visockis’s photo gives CN SD70M-2 8910 a very imposing appearance at Belleville, ON, on November 21^st.

Norfolk Southern Ethanol train 68G is led by a CN SD70I and C40-8M at MP70 on the NS Virginia Division at Disputanta, VA.

On December 8^th George Redmond snapped GTW SD40-2 5850 and patched CN SD60 5403 at the CN yard in Du Quoin, IL. During much of November, CN 5403 had been in captive coal train service at Paducah, KY.

The same day George bagged IC SD40-3 6100 at Du Quoin, Il and IC SD70 1034 leading northbound train M335 at Sunfield, IL. Even though repainted into CN livery, SD40-3 6100 still has the Illinois Central-style numeral font in the number boards .

Running long hood forward, GTW GP38-2 4912 leads train L533 across the bridge at Black Creek, WI on December 8^th. on its way to Shawano to service a large Wisconsin paper company.

Ron Visockis snapped CN C40-8 2114 and SD70M-2 8127 at Belleville, ON December 13^th.

Ron also clicked CN 374 with an Army train at Belleville on December 13^th.

CN GMD1u 1437 was trailing DIT in the four diesel consist of CN 435 through Bayview Junction in Hamilton, ON December 15^th.

GTW SD40-2 5934 works a rail train at Boskydell, IL on December 20th. Shortly after this photo, it made a back up move to Carbondale to get into the siding to clear a meet with CN M335.

On December 21^st Christopher Bodkin bagged Pioneer Industrial Railway RS3M 102 at Cairo, IL, and CN M336 with IC SD70 1009 and CN C40-8W 2143 at the south end of the Fulton, KY yard. Note the recently acquired CREX C40-8's (CN 2023 and 2017) in the siding.

On December 23^rd, Jesse Acorn snapped (Ex-ACR) WC GP40-2 3026 out of service at the Walker Yard Diesel Shop. She was the last in service and is soon being moved to Centralia or Woodcrest for repaint. Sibling (Ex-ACR) WC 3027 is already at Woodcrest for CN repaint. Jesse also snapped second hand CN C40-8 2098 and CN SD60 5404.

CN Vignettes

Over 1970 to 1980 Jim Parker photographed several of CN M636’s at MacMillan Yard (Concord, ON), and kindly submitted his “Big M” shots for CN Vignettes. Included here are Montreal Locomotive Works-built CN 2303, 2304, 2311, 2320, and 2323. CN M636 2323 is shown in her as delivered noodle livery as well as in her later stripes uniform.

Jim also submitted his shots of CN RS18 3125 at Mimico, in May 1963, CN RS3 3035 at Mac Yard in October 1966, and CN RS18 3101 in Toronto, in October 1974.