December 17, 1954 First fully-automated railroad freight yard opens, on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern in Gary IN.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 16, 1910 In Kinmundy IL, a standing Illinois Central freight is struck by another train that could not slow on a grade due to icy track. No injuries are reported, but the collision breaks open a live poultry car. Many residents of Kinmundy will enjoy a Christmas turkey dinner courtesy of the railroad.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 15, 1896 The first section of what will become the Canadian Northern (later CN) is laid between Gladstone and Dauphin, Manitoba.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 12, 1859 The Grand Trunk Railway opens the Victoria Bridge, crossing the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and St. Lambert. Until 1873 it will use 5 foot 6 inch (1.68 meter) gauge. It is the first bridge to span the river. The first train will cross the bridge December 17.

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December 12, 1968 United Aircraft's "Turbotrains" are placed in regular service on the Canadian National. On the press run two days earlier, the train hit a meat truck, an accident viewed on closed circuit TV by over 300 newsmen on board.

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Mark Tomlonson

CN has the below Caboose ?that need to be dismantled on site in CN Edmonton, AB. If you are interested in dismantling this unit, please submit your pricing and your earliest start date as well as the estimated duration for completing the demo by Wednesday ?Dec 18th, 2024 13:00 EST.

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December 11, 1998 Canadian National Railway operates its last train in Ottawa ON. Operation in Ottawa will begin in two days by the Ottawa Central Railway.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 10, 1908 The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (later CN) completes its 846 meter (2,775 foot) bridge over the Battle River. The bridge is 60 meters (195 feet) above the water.

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December 10, 1968 The Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, the Switchmen's Union of North American and the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen vote to merge their four unions into a single organization, the United Transportation Union.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 6, 1917 In the largest explosion to this date (comparable to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945), two ships collide and explode in Halifax NS. The “Imo” is loaded with ballast, the “Mont Blanc” with explosives. Roughly 2,000 people are killed when the “Mount Blanc” explodes. The city suffers extensive damage. Included in the losses: Intercolonial Railway's station (later CN) and associated facilities.

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December 8, 1919 All passenger train service in Michigan, including on the Grand Trunk, is temporarily halted due to the effects of a month-long national coal miner's strike. 250,000 Michigan workers are also laid off.

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Mark Tomlonson

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December 5, 1922 The Illinois Central introduces its all-Pullman train, “The Floridian”.

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December 5, 1996 For the last time, Canadian National hauls grain in 12 meter (40 foot) boxcars.

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December 5, 2003 The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers votes to merge their union with the Teamsters. The Brotherhood will remain autonomous within the merged union.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 3, 1853 Illinois Central and Michigan Central railroads begin using a temporary station built on fill on the lakefront of Chicago between Randolph and Water Streets. The track has been extended north from 12th Street.

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December 3, 1919 The Quebec Bridge opens to pedestrian, rail and automobile traffic. Planning for the bridge began in 1899, and it has collapsed twice during construction, killing 89 workers. It is currently owned by Canadian National.

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December 3, 1920 Canadian National launches its new trans-continental “Continental Limited” passenger train. The train features electrically lit, all-steel cars, and will include open-air observation cars between Jasper and Kamloops in the summer months.

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December 3, 1979 The ICC grants permission to Grand Trunk Western to buy the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton, confirming a court order handed down in July. The ICC gives GTW six months to compete the sale.

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December 3, 1980 The last continuous, daily, non-fireless steam operation in the United States comes to a close as Chicago's Northwestern Steel & Wire drops the fires of its ex-Grand Trunk Western 0-8-0 switchers for the last time.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 2, 1934 Illinois Central's premier "Panama Limited" is re-instated after a two and a half year suspension due to the Depression.

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December 2, 1939 A Grand Trunk Western crewman riding on the footboards of a tender is killed as his engine backs across US-12 in Kalamazoo, striking a semi-truck that had tried to beat the train to the crossing.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 30, 1871 The Toronto, Simcoe & Muskoka Junction Railway opens from Barrie to Orillia ON. CNR will abandon the line in September 1996.

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December 1, 1824 The Montreal “Gazette” prints an editorial calling for the construction of a railway to link Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence River. This line was eventually built, the Champlain & St. Lawrence (later M&NY, GTR, CN)

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December 1, 1901 The Chicago Kalamazoo & Saginaw completes its Pavilion Branch running southeast from Kalamazoo, connecting with the Grand Trunk at Pavilion. GT (et seq.) will lease this branch for access to Kalamazoo.

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December 1, 2007 Norfolk Southern terminates its Joint Section agreement with Canadian National, initiated between the Wabash and the Grand Trunk in 1898, ending 109 years of operation into Ontario. However, NS and CN cannot come to agreement to handle Fort Erie interchange traffic, and service is allowed to continue under a new temporary agreement.

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Mark Tomlonson

November 28, 1928 Canadian National diesel-electric #9000 makes its initial test runs on the railroad.

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November 28, 1995 Canadian National Railway is privatized, no longer a Crown Corporation.

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Mark Tomlonson

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

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November 23, 1897 Former slave Andrew J. Beard patents improvements on the “Janney” automatic railroad coupler of 1873. Beard’s improvements allow cars to couple and uncouple with no need for trainmen to stand between the cars.

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November 23, 1990 The last rail is removed from Newfoundland Island. Revenue service had quit about two years earlier.

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November 23, 2004 The Wisconsin Northern Railroad begins operations, using tracks formerly operated by Chicago & North Western/Union Pacific and Canadian National/Wisconsin Central.

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November 24, 1905 The Canadian Northern Railway completes its line to Edmonton Alberta. Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor drives the last spike.

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November 24, 1964 The Canadian National Railway opens the Great Slave Lake Railway, connecting Pine Point in the Northwest Territories with Roma Junction in Alberta.

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November 24, 1995 The last Canadian National transcontinental freight train runs through Algonquin Park.

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November 24, 1997 Some Canadian National lines in Alberta are transferred to RailLink-Lakeland and Waterways.

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Mark Tomlonson