CN Business Train

Anybody here a fan of the CN and IC business trains? After the Juniata Terminal PRR E's, the CN and IC seems to be the road with the busiest E-units. I'm hoping to catch some coming through town on the CN holiday train but not keeping my fingers crossed.

I do not understand why there is still an IC train. IC was purchased by CN, it was said the IC entity would remain through the centenary of Casey Jones......... OK, I'm still waiting, why are we still seeing fresh equipment in IC?

D/

I have a set of N scale IC E units on order from a custom painter, love the scheme, wish we had matching passenger cars to go with them!

Dieter wrote:I do not understand why there is still an IC train. IC was purchased by CN, it was said the IC entity would remain through the centenary of Casey Jones......... OK, I'm still waiting, why are we still seeing fresh equipment in IC?

D/

I suspect it's something to do with Hunter... but he's supposed to be leaving at the end of the year, so we'll see.

Though I don't see any new equipment in IC colours... they're all repainted in the CN scheme if they manage to see fresh paint.. though fresh paint (or even being washed!) seems to be out of reach for most of the units out there...

the IC E9's and three coaches are sitting in Flint Mi for the Christmas train this weekend.

If you take a close look at the IC-painted E-units, they're looking somewhat rough. Rust holes in the sides here and there, faded paint up high, etc. I've also heard from a couple different CN crewmembers who've said the cabs are pretty shabby and almost entirely unchanged from their days in BN/Metra commuter service. The only modifications CN did was adding ditch lights and replacing the brake valves with a more standard 26L. If CN's "Chicago Identity Crisis" doesn't last into the new guy's tenure, these units should see new paint in the near future.

Dieter wrote:I do not understand why there is still an IC train. IC was purchased by CN, it was said the IC entity would remain through the centenary of Casey Jones......... OK, I'm still waiting, why are we still seeing fresh equipment in IC?

D/

Because Hunter wanted them in IC paint.

Jerry Jones, of Ohio Central fame, had a theory. His OC System had a different locally named shortline at the far ends of the system so that the local people thought they wre being served by a small local railroad. He felt the small local railroad was a sense of pride for the local people and there was a goodwill effect. That is likely all/part of the E9's remaining in IC paint. I am a big fan of chocolate/orange and find the grey/black to be very 1992 if you know what I mean. I also am a big fan of the Alan Fleming CN noodle and red/black, so I won't shed a tear when the remaining IC is painted for CN.

Public relations are paramount, I don't know why CN didn't just purchase IC and run it as IC. That would keep anyone from griping about a "Ferrin"owner of the local railroad.

I've mentioned it before and I'll say it again because as time drags on, this just gets stranger and stranger, BUT I'm still seeing a LOT of freight cars in what looks like spanking fresh paint on the CN along Autoroute 20 in Montreal. Either the boys in the paint shop are using up old stock, OR they used some of the finest quality PAINT money could buy that it's this fresh looking so long after the merger.

D/

Well, if it's any consolation, they run a CN coach with the Santa Train, and a CN EMD SD40-2 on the rear.

Cheers,
Joshua

I ran a 'Football Special' a couple years ago and yes the cabs are very rough. I think all they did was change to a 26L and maybe different seats(ones that caused me to hit my head on the ceiling!).

byte wrote:If you take a close look at the IC-painted E-units, they're looking somewhat rough. Rust holes in the sides here and there, faded paint up high, etc. I've also heard from a couple different CN crewmembers who've said the cabs are pretty shabby and almost entirely unchanged from their days in BN/Metra commuter service. The only modifications CN did was adding ditch lights and replacing the brake valves with a more standard 26L. If CN's "Chicago Identity Crisis" doesn't last into the new guy's tenure, these units should see new paint in the near future.