Consecutively numbered GP9s on CN 500 in the Port of Montreal on Tuesday afternoon.


Michael Berry

November 22, 1858 The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later GT) opens a new depot across the river from Grand Haven MI. 开云体育 only freight at first; passenger service to the new depot will begin on January 1.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 21, 1859 First Detroit-Fort Gratiot (Port Huron) train on the Chicago, Detroit & Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad (later GT, GTW). Thomas Edison will later work on this line as a candy butcher.

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November 21, 1950 A westbound troop train and Canadian National’s “Continental Limited” crash head-on near Valemount BC. Twenty-one passengers are killed, 17 of them troops on their way to Korea.

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November 21, 1959 Mrs. John Luther "Casey" Jones passes away at the age of 92.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 17, 1855 The first section of the Grand Trunk Railway opens, 125.4 miles (201.8 km) between Montreal (Point St. Charles) and Brockville.

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November 17, 1856 The Grand Trunk Railroad is completed between Guelph and Stratford ON.

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November 17, 2020 Canadian National officially puts its five “Heritage” diesels into service. Painted for Grand Trunk, Illinois Central, Wisconsin Central, Elgin, Joliet & Eastern and BC Rail, the units had been spotted in service for the past month.

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November 17, 2021 Canadian National and Canadian Pacific release a joint statement that the recent washouts of their joint line in British Columbia’s Frasier and Thompson Canyons will require major repairs. The damage to their joint line was caused by several flooding incidents.

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November 18, 1883 The railroads in the United States and Canada agree to a system of standard time, replacing the confusing and unsafe practice of each locality setting its own "sun" time. The system will take effect the following spring. However, it will not be until 1918 that Standard, or "Railroad" time is made the official U.S. system.

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November 18, 1981 Conrail (ex-NYC) and Grand Trunk Western operations through downtown Battle Creek MI are consolidated onto the GTW tracks.

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November 19, 1847 The second rail line in Canada, the 12 km Montreal & Lachine Railway (later M&NY, M&C, GT), opens.

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November 19, 1906 Passenger service begins on the Canadian Northern between Toronto and Parry Sound. This is the first 140 miles of Canadian National's eventual main line to western Canada.

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November 19, 1990 The Grand Trunk car ferry "City of Milwaukee" makes its last trip. She has been preserved at Manistee MI.

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November 19, 1995 The railway portion of CN North America is renamed Canadian National Railway and becomes a publicly traded company. (Some sources say November 17)

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Mark Tomlonson

November 16, 1898 The Vermont Central Railroad is purchased by the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada and renamed the Vermont Central Railway.

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Mark Tomlonson

CN 3023 leading CN 100's light power move from the Port of Montreal to Taschereau Yard this afternoon.


Michael Berry

November 15, 1866 The Blue Line, a second cooperative fast freight line, is organized at Albany. (The Red Line had been organized in the spring, running over the NYC and Wabash) The line will operate over the New York Central, the Great Western of Canada and the Michigan Central to Chicago as soon as Great Western lays a third rail for standard-gauge cars. It will run west of Chicago on the Illinois Central, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Chicago & North Western and the Chicago & Alton. The line will own 7,000 cars.

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November 15, 1916 For the first time the Dow Jones Industrial average exceeds the Dow Jones Railroad average.

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November 15, 1981 VIA loses the “Super Continental”, originally a CN train of the same name.

Mark Tomlonson

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Railroad & Shortlines Club of Chicago

7:30 pm Central Daylight Time
Friday, November 17, 2023

Do not arrive before 7:15 pm.

Chicago Union Station
Room 107A
500 W Jackson Blvd (enter between Clinton and Canal)
Chicago, Illinois

The C&EI to Evansville, IN (and a quick look at St. Louis, too)
by Bill Shapotkin

Bill Shapotkin will take us on a tour of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad from Chicago to Evansville Indiana and will also spend a short time on the route to St. Louis.

This will be an in-person slide presentation. There will not be a Zoom meeting.

Upcoming programs:

December 15, 2023: to be announced
January 19, 2024: to be announced
February 16, 2024: to be announced
March 15, 2024: to be announced
April 19, 2024: to be announced
May 17, 2024: to be announced
June 21, 2024: to be announced

Railroad & Shortlines Club of Chicago meets on the third Friday of the month at Chicago Union Station except in July and August.

For program announcements, please subscribe to our groups.io mailing list. Send a blank email message
To: [email protected]

To obtain Zoom meeting credentials for future programs given by Zoom, the best way is to subscribe to our groups.io mailing list.

Web site:
Email: shortlinechicagoHS@...
Facebook:

Phone number answered during the program: 312 725-0432. At other times, leave message with your name and telephone number to receive a call back.

CN 4909 and CN 4727 leading CN 500 into the Port of Montreal on Wednesday afternoon.


Michael Berry

November 10, 1853 The Great Western Railway Line (later CN) opens, running 69 kilometers from the Niagara Suspension Bridge to Hamilton ON.

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November 10, 1905 The Grand Trunk Milwaukee Ferry Company is incorporated in Wisconsin to operate a car ferry between Grand Haven MI and Milwaukee.

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November 12, 1907 Formal dedication and opening ceremonies are held for the electrification of Grand Trunk's St. Clair Tunnel. The first tests were made the previous February, and full electric operation will begin in May.

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November 12, 2021 Trains magazine reports that CN has announced its goal to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. CN is the first railroad in North America to make that commitment.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 9, 1878 The Detroit & Milwaukee Railway is reorganized as the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee (later GT).

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November 9, 1953 Canadian National opens its 144-mile branch to the mines at Lynn Lake, Manitoba.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 6, 2017 Fort Erie ON council votes $100,000 per year out of the city budget to restore CNR 6218 and its accompanying caboose. The 4-8-4 was donated to the city by Canadian National in 1973.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 3, 2008 CN announces it is buying some of the rail and ferry operations of Quebec Railway Corporation. Included in the buy: Chemin de fer de la Matapedia et du Golfe, New Brunswick East Coast Railway, Ottawa Central Railway and the rail ferry firm Compagnie de gestiion de Matane Inc.

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November 4, 1925 Canadian National Railcar 15820 finishes a transcontinental trip it started three days earlier, averaging 44 mph and topping out at 60 mph

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November 4, 2021 CN announces it will be purchasing a Wabtec battery-electric locomotive. The unit, purchased with financial support from Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, was used as a demonstrator on BNSF earlier in the year.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 1, 1878 The Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee comes under control of the Grand Trunk.

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November 1, 1928 The Grand Trunk Western consolidates 10 subsidiary lines operating in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana to form a single system.

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November 1, 1937 An agreement between the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and the Association of American Railroads takes effect today mandating spring cushion seats with armrests for head-end brakemen. The seats may be in the cab or on the tender deck, the location being optional with the railroad. The rule applies to all new locomotives, and within five years the seats must be in all locomotives.

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November 1, 1952 The Pacific Great Eastern Railway extends its main line from Quesnel BC to a connection with the Canadian National in Prince George.

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November 1, 1957 U.S. Class I Railroads report they roster 27,108 diesel and 2,697 steam locomotives. An additional 721 steam locomotives are in storage.

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November 1, 1967 Canadian National receives five sets of Turbotrains for testing.

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November 1, 1978 The Grand Trunk ends carferry service on the great lakes.

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Mark Tomlonson

October 31, 1843 The Vermont Central is re-created to build a line across the center of Vermont.

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October 31, 1957 The Canadian National Railway receives permission to operate the former New York Central Lines in the vicinity of Ottawa ON. Some of the lines will be re-laid.

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October 31, 1965 “Rapido” passenger service begins on the Canadian National.

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October 31, 1982 The United Aircraft Turbo Trains [Amtrak, CN, VIA] are removed from service by VIA. They will go next to Naporano Iron & Metal in New Jersey where they will be scrapped.

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Mark Tomlonson

October 30, 1972 In the worst railway accident in Chicago history, two commuter trains collide in early morning dense fog, killing 45 and injuring 332. The engineer of an Illinois Central Gulf train overshot the 27th Street Station. As he backed to the station, the rear of the train was not properly flagged. The train had cleared an automatic block signal, and was struck by an express commuter train. After this accident all Chicago commuter trains are painted with bright stripes at the ends of the trains.

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Mark Tomlonson

开云体育

385 runs out of Toronto overnight and arrives in Sarnia first thing in the morning these days.