Bridge fire halts CN service on northern Alberta route

Detail from CN system map showing lines in northwestern Alberta

LATORNELL, Alberta — A bridge fire in northwestern Alberta has put a Canadian National rail line out of service for at least a week, halting shipments for farmers involved in what is expected to be an exceptional grain harvest. Real Agriculture reports the fire occurred early on Wednesday, Oct. 5, on CN’s Grand Cache Subdivision […]

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CN 4-6-0 in Winnipeg

Canadian National Ten-Wheeler at Fort Rouge Yard

Canadian National Ten-Wheeler 1357, pulling an express reefer and heavyweight baggage car and coach, has just arrived at the Fort Rouge yard from the CN station in downtown Winnipeg in September 1958. Franklin A. King photo […]

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Train dispatchers ratify Class I railroad contract agreement

WASHINGTON — Train dispatchers today became the fourth union to ratify their contract agreement with the Class I railroads. The American Train Dispatchers Association, which represents 1,500 dispatchers, voted in favor of the deal by a 64%-36% margin, the union said in a statement. The agreement follows the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board, which […]

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CN releases 2022-23 Winter Plan

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National has published its 2022-23 Winter Plan, which outlines measures by the railroad to meet operating needs during winter weather as required by the Canada Transportation Act. The railroad says those measures include an increase of 850 employees between the start of 2022 and the end of June, with 500 additional conductors […]

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CN train derails in Michigan

Canadian National logo

WARREN, Mich. — Twelve cars of a Canadian National train derailed about 7:30 a.m., creating traffic issues during the morning rush hour in the Detroit suburb while first responders assessed the damage. The Detroit Free Press reports Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said 12 cars of a 151-car train derailed. While three of the cars involved […]

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Accurail HO scale freight car kits

Drawing of brown boxcar with white "Soo Line" lettering

HO scale freight car kits Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: See individual cars below Era: Varies depending on car type Manufacturer: Accurail, P.O. Box 278, Elburn, IL 60119; 630-365-1173; accurail.com Features: Injection-molded plastic construction Plastic wheelsets Solid-or roller-bearing trucks as appropriate Steel weight(s) Screws for trucks and draft-gear box covers Accumate couplers with modeler-installed trip pins […]

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CP and KCS tout and defend their merger on first day of regulatory hearings

Container train under overhead signals

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday’s first day of public hearings regarding their proposed merger, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern sought to blunt criticism of their $31 billion combination by preemptively addressing concerns raised by other Class I railroads, Chicago-area commuter railroad Metra, and lineside communities in the Midwest. Merger opponents — including Metra and communities […]

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Machinists’ union reaches second tentative agreement with railroads

Numerous yellow locomotives parked in service area. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena asks FRA for rolling stock inspection data.

WASHINGTON – The machinists’ union has reached a second tentative agreement with Class I railroads, just under two weeks after the rank and file rejected the union’s first tentative deal. “We are pleased to announce that the nation’s freight railroads have reached a tentative agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM),” […]

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