Bulldozer on a CN Freight

[GTWwatcher]

Something unusual I saw today was a bulldozer in a CN manifest. It was on a flatcar and was strapped to it. I just saw one among the usual freight. Thought this was pretty interesting. Anyone else seen this along the Flint Sub?

[redside20]

Something unusual I saw today was a bulldozer in a CN manifest. It was on a flatcar and was strapped to it. I just saw one among the usual freight. Thought this was pretty interesting. Anyone else seen this along the Flint Sub?

More common than you think..Maybe every other day along the Flint Sub, you'll see the roll on/roll off waste containers on flat cars on 396..Other times you'll see excavators, backhoes, large machinery, garbage trucks and other large pieces of equipment that may be tucked away in a large autorack.

[TrainWatcher]

For future knowledge, car numbers help immensely...

[AARR]

Heavy construction equipment appear every now and then on CN's Flint Sub. I think CN may service a caterpillar plant west of Chicago or perhaps interchange with someone who does (around Peoria perhaps?).

Something unusual I saw today was a bulldozer in a CN manifest. It was on a flatcar and was strapped to it. I just saw one among the usual freight. Thought this was pretty interesting. Anyone else seen this along the Flint Sub?

[J T]

Something unusual I saw today was a bulldozer in a CN manifest. It was on a flatcar and was strapped to it. I just saw one among the usual freight.

BOFC!

[GTWwatcher]

I wish I had the car numbers, but I was pulling out of a restaurant when I saw the car go by. Thanks for the info everyone.

[Standard Railfan]

CN connects with the old Peroia & Pekin Union RR, now a G&W line IIRC. Caterpillar still loads equipment for rail shipment primarily large machines and export.

Machines used to be loaded at a team track near the former PPU office on the south side of Peoria.

[dmitzel]

If the CAT machine was heading east likely to the Port of Halifax for export.

[Notch 8]

I have been down in Centralia Ill and caught complete trains of CAT Equipment headed south for export.. A lot of bulldozers. CAT makes equipment in Peoria ?

[AARR]

I think they still do

CAT makes equipment in Peoria ?

[Standard Railfan]

I have been down in Centralia Ill and caught complete trains of CAT Equipment headed south for export.. A lot of bulldozers. CAT makes equipment in Peoria ?

Cat has several plants in the Peoria area. Of consequence to this discussion is the tractor assembly plant in East Peoria.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Heavy equipment on flatcars isn't something you see every day on the Flint Sub, but it's not that unusual. Every so often something neat will be on an eastbound, quite often a CAT, usually a bulldozer, excavator, loader, etc.

[redside20]

Does anything ever come into the port at Halifax or off the St Lawrence River for CN or CP to take back inland? Has CN ever transported any tractors out of Halifax? I've always wondered this?

[CAT345C]

Not too long ago over winter they were loving equipment for Michaels? A Pipeline construction company out of Misouri. Frost laws and different state weight limits for permits likely saved them a ton of money by shipping the machines on flat cars. I'm thinking it all went towards Flint/ Port Huron for the pipe line project that has been going on over there.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Most of the construction equipment shipped through PH goes over the bridge, not through the tunnel. There are a couple companies in Ontario that apparently specialize in moving that stuff and I see their trucks on the road frequently. I think that's how all the stuff Enbridge brought in to replace their pipeline came in (it seems to be stored out in Capac, near the freeway, looks kinda like a CAT dealership's lot), and probably how the Genesee County water pipeline's equipment came in too. There aren't many places you could unload heavy equipment around here where you could then easily truck it out after unloading. Except Capac, but no one mentioned seeing flatcars moving to/from Capac when most of that stuff would've come in, and I doubt they would've had enough carloads to reach CN's minimum anyway...