Canadian Railroads > CN Concrete Ties for Shortlineboss

Shortline boss was wondering who manufactures CNs concrete ties, the short answer is CXT Concrete Tie Company, CXT stands for Concrete Cross Tie. It used to be known as Con-Force Costain Concrete Tie Company Limited.

As part of an ongoing CN in the West research project Kylie wrote the following:

CN pioneered the use of conctrete cross ties first testing the ties in the 1920s and further testing in Ontario in 1961 (800 ties) and 1965 (453 ties). In 1972 CN charged CN System Engineer of Production, Rudi Rotter, with inventing an efficient way of installing concrete ties. CN first installed 10,000 Con-force Constain Concrete Tie Company Limited (owned 75% by Con-Force Products of Calgary AB [a Genstar Company] and 25% Constain Concrete Limited of England, forming Con-force Constain in 1973) CC241 concrete ties between mile 22.9 and 26.9 of the Albreda Subdivision in 1973, this section of track was known as the “Jasper Test Track”. Each tie weighed 615 lbs, and measured 99” long x 8-3/16” deep x 11” fastenings were of PANDROL type. In 1977 13,000 CC241 concrete ties and 136lbs continuous welded rail were installed on the Albreda and Clearwater Subdivisions. The 1977 tie were part of a 1,5000,000 tie order that was delivered over five years. In 1976 Con-Force Constain built a plant in Edmonton to supply CN with ties. Concrete ties are spaced further apart than wood ties at 30” centres resulting in the use of an average of 500 fewer ties per miles (2640 vs 3200). Concrete ties are not used under turnouts or public crossings. By October 1980 over one million concrete ties had been installed. Hundreds of thousands of concrete ties were further installed including siding extensions, double tracking and tie renewal. In October 1983 the 2 millionth concrete tie was installed near Hornepayne Ontario. CN installed concrete ties,in the 1980s (2,800,000) and at a rate of 25,000-45,000 per year throughout the 1990s. Beyond the CC241 design CN helped design the CN 60A, CN 60B, CN 60C (Curved track), and CN 60D (Tangent track) By 2010 CN had installed 3,900,000 concrete ties now using the CN 60E tie that is 102” x 9” x 11”. CN has had to replace 1,100,000 of the original ties due to premature failure due to chemicale (Alkali) reactivity and manufacturing defects.Con-Force Constain became Genstar Constain, and today is CXT (Concrete X [cross] Tie) Concrete ties with a plant in Spokane WA and one in Arizona.

Interesting that they date back to the 1920ies.  I knew CN was a pioneer in North America but I always thought the Europeans were first to use them.  Perhaps not.

What is Kylie researching this for?  It sounds like she is doing something more extensive than just general interest.

Rick

Rick, Kylie noted to me that the CC241 tie is a take on a British Rail design.

She is working on a project called West From Edmonton, so far 227 pages, that details the CNor/GTP/CNR west from Edmonton (Mainlines) and the Coal Valley lines in Alberta and all of the lines in British Columbia. Details are similar but a bit more detailed than the Railway Mileposts British Columbia series on the CPR by Roger Burrows in the 1980s. She made some very helpful connections at the Canadian Northern Centennial celebration last weekend who are willing to fill in the blank spots in her research.

rschonfelder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting that they date back to the 1920ies. 
> I knew CN was a pioneer in North America but I
> always thought the Europeans were first to use
> them.  Perhaps not.
>
> What is Kylie researching this for?  It sounds
> like she is doing something more extensive than
> just general interest.
>
> Rick