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2015. By November 2015, the second main be- tween Noel, milepost 328.9, and East Avard should also be completed, just in time for the forthcoming Peak Season. A second main track on the Clovis Subdi-
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Record Grain Movements
About halfway through the 2014-15 Western Canada grain season towards the end of Jan- uary, CN announced it had transported 18 percent more grain loads in western Canada than during the same period in the 2013-14 crop year. During the 2013-14 grain season CN and Canadian Pacific made headlines as the car- riers struggled to help Canadian grain ship- pers distribute a record-setting 77 million ton crop, 42 million tons of which were exported (a record in itself). In a prepared release, CN noted that the cumulative grain tonnage moved by CN since March 2014, when Canada’s federal govern- ment mandated minimum grain volumes for major railways, has exceeded its mandat- ed volumes by two million metric tons. The release came shortly after CN was fined C$100,000 for failing to meet appropriate levels of grain shipments during the weeks of July 28 and September 7, 2014. Delays not only affect market prices and sales, but also puts a strain on production and storage facili- ties across the network.
vision, near Vaughn, N.M., where the Clovis Subdivision goes over Union Pacific rails, drew closer to completion in January as crews had moved the dirt necessary to fill in the valley through which UP runs. Here, BNSF will add 9.3 miles of second track along the south side of the existing single main, com- pletely eliminating the stretch of single track between Vaughn, milepost 788.5, and Carne- ro, milepost 797.8. Also, the siding at Tejon, milepost 792.7, will remain and a new connec- tion will made to UP’s track, allowing BNSF trackage rights trains to run from El Paso, Texas, to Clovis without having to reverse onto the connection track at Vaughn.
CANADIAN NATIONAL SAYRE KOS
New ES44ACs
Canadian National placed into service ten new Tier 3 ES44ACs, 3025-3034, this past January. These numbers, of course, do not continue the number series that ended with last batch of new ES44ACs (2865-2924). The incongruity of numbering is linked to some miscommunication between CN and manu- facturer General Electric, with which the rail- road has three active orders: one Tier 3 batch, one Tier 3 emissions credit group, and a Tier 4 order. Sources indicate that it is the Tier 4 group that will receive 3000-series numbers, which will require the current 3025-3034 to receive new numbers, 2925-2934, in the near future. As of press time, all ten locomotives were active, working primarily across north- ern Ontario to Winnipeg, Man., and south from there, some as far as Memphis, Tenn.
Barron Subdivision Capacity
On January 30, CN placed into service a new 7,110-foot siding at Weyerhauser, Wis., on the Barron Subdivision. The siding’s east switch is located at mile 114.13 and the west switch at mile 115.60. The Barron Sub, locat- ed in northwest Wisconsin, lies at the heart of a booming frac sand business, a market that CN estimates will represent 78 million tons of business annually by 2016.
CANADIAN PACIFIC JAY BROOKS
Unions, CP back to talks Brief Strike Sends
Canadian Pacific workers went on strike the weekend of February 14 as talks broke down between the representatives of Teamsters and Unifor, and railroad management. More than 1,800 maintenance and safety workers joined 3,300 locomotive engineers and con- ductors on the picket lines through the week- end. In the days leading up to the strike, the railroad announced that non-union managers would be taught to move trains in the event of a work stoppage, though it is unclear if this plan was put into effect. Agence Métro- politaine de Transport (AMT) was not able to secure an injuction to preserve commut- er rail service, sending Monday’s rush hour into chaos. As the Canadian government was preparing to introduce legislation that would have forced the striking CP employees back to work, an announcement came late Monday that the strike was over. Employees returned to work on February 17 as contract negotia- tions moved to arbitration and mediation.
New Traffi c on KLR
Kawartha Lakes Railway (KLR), an internal Canadian Pacific shortline operating along the Havelock Subdivision, has been awarded a new contract from IKO Industries to ship roofing granules from a newly constructed loadout facility in Havelock, Ont. The gran- ules are excavated and processed at a quarry near Madoc, Ont., before being trucked to the loadout facility in Havelock yard. Train T07 (Havelock-Toronto, manifest) will handle the 80 to 120 loads per week to Agincourt Yard. Empties will be brought to Havelock on train T08 (Toronto-Havelock, manifest).
Operations
The schedules of several trains operating through southern Ontario have been adjust- ed to coordinate more efficient meets. Train 112 (Vancouver, B.C.-St-Luc Yard, Montreal, Que., intermodal) has had 15 minutes re- moved from Toronto, Ont. Train 119 (St-Luc- South Edmonton, Alb., intermodal) has had 70 minutes added at Smiths Falls, Ont., and 30 minutes removed from Oshawa, Ont. Train 143 (Hochelaga Yard, Montreal-Bensenville Yard, Chicago, intermodal) now departs at
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