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Canada's largest railroad, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Known for the distinctive wet noodle logo.
1919
Canada
Canada
20,000
Route miles
CN 4-8-4 U-4-a
Canadian National Railway was created in 1919 as a crown corporation to consolidate several bankrupt and government-owned railways. Over the decades, CN absorbed numerous predecessors and grew to become Canada's dominant railroad, spanning the country from Halifax to Vancouver.
CN was privatized in 1995 and subsequently expanded into the United States through acquisitions including Illinois Central (1998) and Wisconsin Central (2001). The IC acquisition gave CN a north-south route from Chicago to New Orleans, creating the only railroad to reach three coasts: Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf.
Today, CN operates approximately 20,000 route miles across Canada and the central United States. The railroad's distinctive "wet noodle" logo—a tilted CN in a squared-off design—is recognized worldwide. CN handles diverse freight including grain, coal, potash, forest products, petroleum products, and intermodal containers.
For modelers, CN offers the appeal of Canadian operations with mountain grades, prairie grain country, and connections to major US railroads. The IC heritage adds Gulf Coast operations to the mix.
1993-present
The current scheme with red, black, and white with tilted logo
1961-1993
Classic CN with the original wet noodle logo
1998-present
Illinois Central brown and orange on select units
CN grain operations make excellent layout themes with Canadian grain hoppers
Modern CN power includes GE and EMD units—ES44AC and SD70M-2 are common
Mountain operations through Yellowhead Pass require helper districts
IC heritage units and equipment add US variety to CN operations
CN uses extensive distributed power on heavy trains