Today, June 6, marks the 100th birthday of CN. Created out of several bankrupt or nearly bankrupt railroads in 1919, CN was joined by several more through to 1949 when CN absorbed the Newfoundland Railway.
There's a great book about CN entitled "The People's Railway: A History of the Canadian National" by Donald MacKay. I believe the book was commissioned by CN; however, MacKay had a free hand in writing it. The one big take away from the book (at least for me): CN was never the moribund failing government railway so many portrayed it to be. A book that is well worth reading..
Happy birthday Canadian National! 100 years old, quite an achievement. There aren't too many companies that make it to 100. Well done!
And one of the best in financial condition - which is why it achieved the century mark.
How many other railroad companies can make the same claim? (even if we ignore any interim bankruptcies or mergers that might have led to a slight name change) CP, UP, maybe KCS? How many other companies of any kind? Maybe Ford and GE?
- PDN.
I read on the BBC website a few years back that Zildjian Cymbals has been in business as a family-held firm for over 400 years. Aside from making a superior product, it has been family policy that no family member can go into the family business until they have acquired several years of outside business experience.
Paul_D_North_Jr How many other railroad companies can make the same claim? (even if we ignore any interim bankruptcies or mergers that might have led to a slight name change) CP, UP, maybe KCS? How many other companies of any kind? Maybe Ford and GE? - PDN.
I mean the FEC is approaching its 150th aniversary in 16ish years, not to take away from CN's birthday.
~Eastrail
Thanks for that Ulrich, I agree 100%.
I think these folks have everyone beat.
In 1526 Maestro Bartolomeo Beretta, an Italian gunsmith, was given a contract to produce 185 matchlock musket barrels for the Arsenal of Venice. The Beretta firearms company dates it's founding from that contract, and it's still in the family, the Berettas control the company today. 493 years. Amazing.
University of Oxford (England) has been around since at least 1096.. established only 33 years after the Battle of Hastings!
Ulrich University of Oxford (England) has been around since at least 1096.. established only 33 years after the Battle of Hastings!
Well, if we're including universities the Italians have them beat, the University of Bologna was founded in 1088 AD, and is still operating today.
However, as far as continually operating universities are concerned the Moroccans have everyone beat! Their University of Karueein in Fez has been in business since 859 AD! Amazing! I wonder if their yearbook collection goes back that far?
Flintlock76Amazing! I wonder if their yearbook collection goes back that far?
Wood block printing precedes that date - so it is technically feasible that they could have done yearbooks, if the concept had been invented.
Would have been quite the production, though - all of the pictures would have had to be hand carved (along with the text). Moveable type didn't come around until 1440.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Don't forget that CN was owned by the Canadian taxpayer for many years, including years in which it had losses and people complained about inefficiencies and government funding of losses. Unfortunately the scapel used to trim the network was a blunt instrument due to lack of vision by governments and little regulation which often benefited the railway but not necessarily anyone else.
All railways are owned by the taxpayers.. its just that some are called shareholders.. in CN's case the shareholders were all Canadian taxpayers.
An excellent brief description of the formation of Canadian National appears on pages 6 to 11 of "Canadian National Steam Power" by A Clegg and R. Corley. This includes a diagram of the various corporate entities being merged and a full system map showing consituents (in a small scale, covering all of Canada...)
Peter
How many of the commemorative paint scheme locomotives with the large red panel with '100' on the long hood are there?
Got to chase one this evening.
Ummm... Halifax? Fond du Lac?
Maybe all the hoopla comes later?
Not a bad website
Hey there IS a Memphis on there! Congrats, next year.
Looks like a fun tour and exhibition. Too bad they don't have a "pet" steamer to pull it.
Flintlock76 Looks like a fun tour and exhibition. Too bad they don't have a "pet" steamer to pull it.
CSSHEGEWISCH Flintlock76 Looks like a fun tour and exhibition. Too bad they don't have a "pet" steamer to pull it. I'd be happy with a pair of FP9's, just like the Canadian Centennial Train in 1967.
Hey, there's be nothing wrong with a pair of FP9's in the original classic CN green n' gold scheme, but the thing is nothing beats steam as an attention getter. Ask Union Pacific.
No offense meant to the general public, but they couldn't tell the difference between an FP9, an SD70, or an ES44AC for that matter.
They would also have trouble distinguishing between a Challenger and a Big Boy.
CSSHEGEWISCH They would also have trouble distinguishing between a Challenger and a Big Boy.
But they'd sure know it was different from what they usually see at grade crossings!
Flintlock76 CSSHEGEWISCH Flintlock76 Looks like a fun tour and exhibition. Too bad they don't have a "pet" steamer to pull it. I'd be happy with a pair of FP9's, just like the Canadian Centennial Train in 1967. Hey, there's be nothing wrong with a pair of FP9's in the original classic CN green n' gold scheme, but the thing is nothing beats steam as an attention getter. Ask Union Pacific. No offense meant to the general public, but they couldn't tell the difference between an FP9, an SD70, or an ES44AC for that matter.
They could have had several F-units. Skip ahead to 3:30 and see how many you can count.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j06LcZDgS5s
Additionally, a operable ex-CN 4-6-0 lurks inside one of the shops in the background.
But the ultimate CN steam engine currently resides out on the Alberta Prairie, and is in need of between $500,000 and $1 million of restoration work.
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=30004
Chump change to a company of CN's size, but obviously they did not want steam to play any part in the anniversary celebrations.
There are a number of dates over a period of 8 years that could well have been used as the birthday of the Crown Corporation that became Canadian National, but I am not surprised that the current lawyer-driven upper management chose the one they did.
Personally, I would have picked January 30, 1923, the date that the storied old Grand Trunk Railway (with its own history dating back to the 1850s) finally became part of Canadian National, thus completing the formation process.
I will have to go see the containers when they visit Edmonton later this summer.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Not being in a rush I "took" the speeder ride first.
Those F units! Nice! That's what I'm talking about as far as a classic CN scheme!
'Dude, is that your organization? Very impressive!
Yep that's our site. I've spent many hours working on stuff out there for a good number of years now.
I neglected to mention that the second FP9 in that lineup (RPCX 6304) was actually part of the Centennial train as "1967". Its display sign has a little push-button speaker that plays a recording of the "O Canada" horn sequence that sister unit "1867" played on the real train.
Here are all five F-units moving around:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzpqJ2MH59g
SD70DudeHere are all five F-units moving around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzpqJ2MH59g
Were all five prime movers running? I only detected BURBLE from #9000.
Electroliner 1935 SD70Dude Here are all five F-units moving around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzpqJ2MH59g Were all five prime movers running? I only detected BURBLE from #9000.
SD70Dude Here are all five F-units moving around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzpqJ2MH59g
Only 9000 was running. At the time 6311 and 6304 were undergoing repairs, and I believe they have since been made operational. The museum does not own those two, they are privately owned by a collector from Saskatchewan. The remaining major problem with them is that their batteries are shot, and the owner does not want to purchase new ones until he has a reason to use the units on a regular basis.
6514 is kinda sorta operable, everything works but her radiator leaks like a sieve, when she was last ran (2012?) we needed to top up the water level multiple times a day. We have the parts needed to repair her, but other projects have taken priority over the past few years. It does not help that to work on a F-unit's radiators you first need to remove them with a crane (along with a large section of roof), and our 250-ton Brownhoist is also currently down for repairs, it should be finished sometime this summer.
6614 (the B-unit) has also been down for compressor and other air system repairs. All the parts have been installed and we plan to test and hopefully return her to operation this summer. Unfortunately her batteries are shot as well, like 6304 and 6311 we have to boost her from another unit.
All these problems would take a fully-equipped railroad backshop only a few days to remedy.
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