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You may now access all of the latest Canadian railway and locomotive news each month on line, by simply visiting our new website at: www.canadianrailwayobservations.com Updated Version 09/22/07 __________________________________________________________ By William Baird October 2007 CANADIAN NATIONAL CN Locomotives Retired since last issue: CN GP9 slug 214 on July 10th BCOL RS18CAT 615 on July 25th CN C44-9W 2584 on August 29th (wrecked on June 6th, 2007 at Rockyford, AB) CN GMD1m 1443 on August 30th CN SD38-2 1651 on August 30th CN SD40-2W 5344 on August 30th CN GP9RM's 7048, 7063, 7205 on August 30th CN SW1200RM 7301 on August 30th CN GP40-2LW 9619 on August 30th CN GP40-2W 9669, 9670 on August 30th WC SD40-2 6002 on August 31st DMIR SD9M 301 on September 1st DMIR SD40T-2 419 on September 1st WC SD40-2 6003 on September 3rd CN GMD1m 1430 on September 4th CN GP9RM 4009 on September 4th IC SW14's 1493, 1494, 1495, 1511, on September 4th CN SD50F's 5447, 5456 on September 4th CN SD40-2 5375 on September 5th CN GMD1m 1431 on September 6th CN GP9RM`s 4012 and 4117 on September 6th GTW GP9R 4615 on September 6th GTW GP9R`s 4609 and 4617, on September 7th CN GMD1m 1414 on September 7th CN GP40-2LW 9493 on September 7th CN GP9RM`s 4109 and 7016 on September 8th GTW GP9R 4627 on September 10th CN GMD1m`s 1417 and 1432 on September 11th IC SW14 1490 on September 11th CN GP9RM`s 7003 and 7056 on September 11th CN GP9RM 7079 on September 12th CN GP9RM 4014 on September 13th GTW GP9R 4631 on September 14th. On August 31st, brand new CN SD70M-2’s 8800 and 8801 were on the test track at EMCC in London along with 8809, 8811, 8812, 8813, 8814 and one other unnumbered unit at the rear of the plant, with DRS 66426 and 66429. At press time, CN SD70M-2 8801 was the only unit “officially” delivered. In mid September, as a lead unit, it made an evaluation trip to Halifax, NS, and back to Toronto. Unit 8804 visted Mac Yard, and units 8808 and 8809 are at ITS (Instrument & Technical Systems, Inc) in Welland, ON, to be made DPU compatible with GE’s, and for other electronic modifications. All the rest of the CN 8800-series are still at the GM plant in London, Ontario. (CN SD70M-2 8804 photo by Phil Hall, and CN SD70M-2 8801 photo by Bernard Babin). http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/misc/8804.jpg http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/misc/8801_cn_1.jpg In August, NATIONAL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT in Capreol, Ontario released freshly repainted ILLIINOIS CENTRAL Railroad GP38-2 9634. The unit was also overhauled at the facility. The GP38-2 is now sporting small IC sub-lettering and the proper CN style of cab numbers. Also during August, IC GP38-2 9571 was sent to NRE-Capreol to be overhauled and repainted into the current CN colors. IC GP38-2 9605 was overhauled and repainted at NRE Capreol in August and was spotted in fresh paint hauling ballast from Hiawatha, IA to the CN Yard in Cedar Rapids. It is one of 25 units to be done. In mid-August, CN GP9RM 7042 was released from the paint booth at Woodcrest Shop in Chicago, Illinois. In late August DULUTH MISSABE & IRON RANGE Railroad SD40-3 407 at the National Railway Equipment facility at Dixmoor, IL being repainted into CN colors. CN and EJ&E: (Source: Crain's Chicago Business, Bob Tita, Sept 10 2007) "An industry source pegs the sale value of U.S. Steel's ELGIN, JOLIET & EASTERN tracks as high as $1 billion. A deal would give CN the ability to move additional freight volume — particularly from the West Coast at a faster rate. CN also would collect fees from other railroads that use the key bypass route. "The deal would defuse a long-simmering dispute with Chicago officials and South Loop residents over use of lakefront tracks and remove the need to build a costly alternative to the route one that would be footed largely by taxpayers as part of the Create Program, a $1.5-billion rail congestion relief strategy pushed by the railroads, city and state.” The article goes on to say the Create Program has had only 100 million in funding allocated to it, and as a result, CN has pulled out of the project. The purchase of EJ&E is also discussed to be a solution to the problem as an alternative to the Create Program. The EJ&E roster consists of 41 SD18's, two SD9's, six SD38's and 19 SD38-2's. In September, CN released handsomely repainted SD60F 5560, (see two photos) http://railfan.thegrebs.com/CN/cn5560a_001 http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/misc/5560_1.jpg CN GMD1m 1431, a long time resident of the SW Ontario area, arrived at IC`s Markham yard on September 8th, and is bound for Woodcrest shop. The 1431 came in on train 399 with CN 5273, CN 5323, GTW 5945, and CN 1431 dead in tow. As reported above, it was retired with CN GMD1m 1430, from Toronto. The IC/CN business train made a brief appearance in MacMillan Yard-Toronto in mid-September with its attractive passenger consist, and ILLINOIS CENTRAL E9Au 101. http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/misc/ic.htm In mid-September at Fairview Yard, in Halifax, CN GP38-2 4708 had a slight alignment mishap with its front end, and the turntable. (Thanks to Alex Roberts). http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/Locospotter/037-1.jpg http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o86/Locospotter/035.jpg Over the last few weeks, ONTARIO NORTHAND had sent some locomotives to CN to repay Horse Power Hours including SD40-2’s 1730 and 1733. Witness in late August, CN train A45031 25 struggling with 14000 tons after having to stop and check the crossing at Mile 104.50 on the Newmarket sub, all four units are hard at work with CN also utilizing an SD40-2 off of ON RAIL. CN A45031 25 consisted of CN SD50F CN 5433, SD40-2 5375, GTW SD40-2 5933 and ON RAIL SD40-2 1733 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=198909&nseq=0 CN and Homburg Invest Inc. announced on September 19th they have reached an agreement under which Homburg Invest will purchase the Central Station Complex (CSC) in Montreal and CN will leaseback its corporate headquarters building and Central Station railway passenger facilities. The transaction, subject to customary closing requirements and regulatory approvals, including federal government approval of an agreement to protect the heritage features of Central Station, will generate proceeds of C$355 million for CN. The transaction is expected to close by December 2007. Under the agreement with Homburg Invest, CN will lease back its 17-storey office headquarters building and Central Station railway passenger facilities on a long-term basis. Central Station includes the Grand Hall, train platforms and portions of the sub-track level. CN and Homburg structured the sale- and-leaseback transaction to reflect the long-term presence of CN's corporate headquarters in Montreal and to ensure continued operation of Central Station for use by VIA Rail Canada, AMT (Agence Metropolitaine de Transport), and AMTRAK. In September, CN celebrated the opening of the state-of-the-art Port of Prince Rupert container terminal. Over the last year, CN has upgraded their rail traffic control systems west of Prince George, and extended sidings that will increase capacity in the corridor from Prince Rupert, BC, through to Memphis, TN. CN has upgraded tunnels and bridges, built new intermodal terminals in Prince George and Edmonton, and have acquired 2250 new double stack platform cars to serve growing intermodal traffic in Canada, and in the US. CANADIAN PACIFIC CP Locomotives Retired since last issue: Nil since May 2007. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=200722 On September 10th, former CP RAIL M630 4563 moved from the CRHA EXPORAIL museum to St-Luc Diesel for inspection and was then forwarded to McAdam, NB via the MONTREAL MAINE & ATLANTIC for a Family Days celebration and official unveiling of the completion of the McAdam station refurbishment. The MLW was started up on September 15th, for the festivities. NEW BRUNSWICK SOUTHERN operated a passenger train from McAdam to Harvey & return for the retirees, their spouses and present railway employees. The departure time from McAdam was scheduled for 09:45 The MLW was returned to St-Luc yard on September 20th and will stay the weekend before returning to the museum on Monday. Interestingly in Montreal, it was placed on the same track as several Railpower GG20B’s and M/K-rebuilt CPRS SD40M-2 5498, (which is a former SD45), creating one of the strangest locomotive combinations in history! http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/misc/4563.htm In September, CP reached an agreement to purchase the (DM&E) Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corp., the largest regional railroad in the U.S., for at least $1.48 billion (U.S.) in a deal that will allow CP to expand its network and give it access to new markets in the U.S. Midwest. The country's second-largest railroad said the price of the deal, announced late Tuesday, could eventually grow by roughly $1 billion (U.S.) through future contingent payments that will be required if construction begins on an expansion project, or if the movement of a specified amount coal from the Powder River basin, occurs before Dec.