February 3, 1862 Thomas Edison becomes the first newspaper publisher to distribute his paper on a train. He sells his one-page Weekly Herald on a Grand Trunk train between Port Huron and Detroit.

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February 3, 1930 The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton ends freight service between Tecumseh and Dundee MI. Passenger service to Dundee was dropped last month.

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February 3, 1995 Canadian National sells the former Central Vermont line from New London CT to East Alborg VT to RailTex. RailTex will operate the line as the New England Central Railroad.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 31, 1932 Railway unions in the United States accept a 10% pay cut in hopes of easing the effects of the Depression on the railroads which will in turn allow them to keep their jobs.

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January 31, 1957 Last passenger service on the Illinois Central to Paducah KY.

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January 31, 2009 Canadian National takes control of most of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. CN has acquired the line to connect its Wisconsin Central, Illinois Central and Grand Trunk lines while avoiding the congestion of Chicago.

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February 1, 1890 Canada Atlantic Railway (later GT, CN) bridges the St. Lawrence River.

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February 1, 1971 Canadian National again withdraws the Turbos from service to begin a rebuild program.

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February 1, 1990 CN Rail begins running trains without cabooses (aka “vans”).

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February 2, 1927 Canadian National opens Spadina Yard in Toronto. It is built on a former Grand Trunk yard that dates back to the 1850's. Construction on the yard will continue for at least two more years.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 30, 1905 The Halifax & South Western (later CN) opens, connecting Halifax to Yarmouth NS.

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January 30, 1923 The Grand Trunk is absorbed into the Canadian National. The Grand Trunk within the United States is spun off and becomes the Grand Trunk Western. CN will operate the GTW as a subsidiary.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 27, 1854 The Great Western Railway (later GT, CN) opens between London and Windsor, Ontario.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 25, 1973 Canadian National Railways expands the Turbos to 9-car sets, eliminating two Turbos. The remaining equipment is stored and will eventually be sold to Amtrak.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 22, 1858 The directors of the Great Western take control of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later GT).

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Mark Tomlonson

January 20, 1874 The Chicago lakefront depot used by the Michigan Central, Illinois Central and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads is destroyed by fire.

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January 20, 1880 The Illinois Central completes its purchase of the New Orleans, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad, which it has controlled since 1877.

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January 20, 1903 The Grand Trunk Western opens a passenger depot in Lansing MI.

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January 20, 1923 Canadian Government Railways incorporate as Canadian National Railways. Railways affected are Canadian Northern, Intercolonial, National Transcontinental, Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island, International Railway of New Brunswick, Salisbury & Albert, Elgin & Havelock, St. Martin's, Lotbiniere & Megantic, Caraquet & Gulf Shore and the New Glasgow Iron, Coal & Railway.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 17, 1854 The Great Western of Canada is completed to Windsor ON.

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January 19, 1990 Canadian National spins off its line between Moncton NB and Mont-Joli PC to the New Brunswick East Coast Railway and the Matapedia Railway.

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January 19, 2006 Canadian National reacquires the Central Western Railway, Lakeland & Waterways Railway and the Mackenzie Northern Railway from RailAmerica.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 16, 1857 The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later DGH&M, GT) completes its line to St. Johns MI.

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January 16, 1990 The “Canadian Rail Operating Rules” are approved by Canada’s Minister of Transport.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 15, 1915 The final spike is driven on the transcontinental Canadian Northern Railway at Basque, British Columbia.

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January 15, 1937 The Pennsylvania Railroad, via trackage rights over the Grand Trunk Western, establishes new freight routes to the west. The ferry used for this service is the Grand Trunk's "Grand Rapids", running between Muskegon and Milwaukee.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 15, 1935 Thomas H. Gray passes away. He is credited with designing, in 1884, the “crossbucks” now in use throughout North America to warn motorists of grade crossing.

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January 15, 1960 Canadian National converts its Alexandria Subdivision in Ottawa to CTC.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 13, 2021 Grand Trunk Western 4-6-2 5030 is sold to the Colebrookdale Preservation Trust in Pennsylvania. The locomotive had been on display in a park in Jackson MI since the late 1950’s. The Trust plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.

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Mark Tomlonson