Canadian National Railway: History of a Design

Canadian National Railway, better known as CN, has had a long and varied history dating back to the 1850s. In those past 150+ years, the public image of the railway has changed drastically with the times. From an era of Victorian design to pioneering a minimalist and modern design in 1960, we'll take a look at the evolution of CN's logo along with the logos of railways that would eventually create Canadian National Railway.
Music Used:
Quincas Moreira - Eletrosamba
Twin Musicom - Old Bossa
Audionautix - Sideways Samba
RalphReal - Steel
Sarah, The Illstrumentalist - Stars and Constellations
Sources:
CN History:
www.cn.ca/en/about-cn/history/
Roger Puta Public Domain Photo Collection:
www.flickr.com/photos/1296793...
Railway Logos:
www.logodesignlove.com/cn-log...
Allan Fleming Photos:
digital.library.yorku.ca/yul-...
Intercolonial Railway History:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interco...
Grand Trunk Railway History:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_T...
CN Station Picture:
www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/s...
Canadian Northern Photo:
images.ourontario.ca/gateway/5...
Grand Trunk Maine Photos:
www.mainememory.net/artifact/...
CNR 5588 Photo:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadia...
CNR 7531 Photo:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Canadian Parliament Photo:
vimyridgehistory.com/kit-5/sym...
Links:
Twitter: / amtrakguy365
My Site: amtrakguy365.weebly.com/
Flickr: www.flickr.com/people/1424538...

[@railwaycityrails8552]

Sweet video. CN’s noodle even still feels modern today, even after 60 years.

[@roger1818]

RailwayCityRails I completely disagree. I have always thought it as dated as the chair that Allen Fleming is sitting in (7:39), as if CN is stuck in the 60’s.

[@TNS17]

Roger Horner so nobody cares

[@mattskey1]

i painted a rock with the 'wet noodle' logo

[@Boypogikami132]

@@roger1818 no one cares >:)

[@roger1818]

@@Boypogikami132 you are probably right. The average person cares as much about the image of freight railways as they do about the image of their sewer system. They both just transport sh**.

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

Alan Flemmings Great CN "Noodle" logo is one of the most admired and recognized Logo's world-wide. It is still EPIC!

[@simonpoon3785]

I work for cn for35 years

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

@@simonpoon3785 I worked for CP nice to meet you brother!

[@richharris9489]

I have a cn locomotive on my n scale layout lol

[@classof813]

@@richharris9489 I'm starting in N scale,the layout isn't built and I have already three CN locomotives!!! :)

[@michellebenkert5085]

I love playing still

[@DelayInBlockProductions]

I am amazed at how awesome this channel has become! I love this style of production. -Drayton

[@Canadian_Yoshi]

First

[@rileyhogan8248]

You did it. You managed to somehow fit the Beatles into a video about Canadian National in a way that makes sense. I respect that, I really do.

[@thestarlightalchemist7333]

OOOOOH CANADAAAA! btw, a great follow-up to this would be CPR. Cool Top Gear and TF2 references btw

[@cmag19]

And now that look is iconic and is seen moving past my northeastern Illinois high school every day. Thank you Matteson sub for existing.

[@idkwhatiamdoing1188]

I like thing like this I wish you would make a series talking about stuff like this and reviewing the history of railroads

[@bgmcc907]

Second best North American railroad paint scheme, trailing only the Santa Fe Warbonnet, which is in a class by itself. CN’s was simple, dazzling, modern, and timeless. Bravo!

[@lucasvalencia626]

More graphic design history please! Logos and liveries have always been the best part of railfanning

[@Mascotal]

I have worked for CN Rail for 35 years. I'm now retired. However when CN was privatized to stock holders, and Americans bought the controlling shares. I remember being told by our management that we could no longer refer to the company as Canadian National. It would only be known as CN from that point forward. Wow, EH?

[@parcivale]

Same thing happened to British Petrolium. It's just BP now. They're just letters now, not initials. The B and P stand for nothing.

[@smwca123]

Except in legal documents that required the company's full legal name.

[@parcivale]

​@@smwca123 At least in BP's case they changed the legal name of the company. It's BP plc. now.

[@TheMrtraintrack]

I see someone likes Team Fortress 2.

[@Mr.RailYard-LJLRailYard]

And Gmod

[@floridianrailauto9032]

@@Mr.RailYard-LJLRailYard "gmod"

[@elijaha773]

@@adamb2537 Who doesn't? Wait, I know...Hammond and May.

[@TheWinnipegRailfan]

I am calling it - 2020-2021, the Maple Leaf and or Tilted Wafer logos are coming back, I'll eat my shoe if they don't... Great video by the way!

[@braysfinds7479]

A CN heritage unit? Now that I would pay to see!

[@deanster3435]

Good thing I didn't give you mine, they're a size 14 xD

[@TheWinnipegRailfan]

OH CRAP LOL

[@OrangeHeartRailfanProductions]

Well, you're in luck - CN heritage units in the form of yard units, and the Maple Leaf was applied to the slug!

[@ptsr_93]

Tik tok tik tok 1 year left..

[@Mehtaru]

Funny, back before I knew anything about CN, when I first saw the logo on locomotive in the early years of youtube. I actually thought said logo was made the early 2000s or the late 90s. Kinda proves that the design is pretty timeless.

[@markwiley2152]

Excellent. Thanks for taking the time to produce this fine video.

[@diedeutschenkonservative7551]

Union Pacific : History Of A Design.

[@cedarvalleyrail8419]

we call UP "Piss Yellow" around these parts

[@braysfinds7479]

BNSF diarrhea orange and green

[@cedarvalleyrail8419]

@@braysfinds7479 CN period blood red

[@ginostrains8263]

Csx: urinal ice blue

[@ginostrains8263]

Penn central: bankruptcy black

[@cristianc654]

The editing is so good, amazing work

[@ThomasTrain-lo2xh]

I'm proudly born, raised, and gown-up, within the territory Inter-Colonial Ry, specifically the line across Cape Breton Island from the rural community of Point Tupper at the Straits of Canso on the west coast in Richmond County to the colonial garrison town and later City of Sydney on the east coast in Cape Breton County in which was completed in 1890 and later became a part of C.N.R. in 1919 with the rest of the I.C.R. and the line connected to the Canso Cosway in Port Hawkesbury in Inverness County in 1955 but later CN rail SOLD OUR MAIN LINE FROM TRURO (on the mainland) TO SYDNEY TO AN AMERICAN COMPANY IN 1993 so therefor we became the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Ry, in 1993 and from there was our mainline's downfall in both lack of operation with there not being too many trains and also lack of right of way maintains......

[@JohnHill-qo3hb]

My Dad was a CNR employee back when the new logo came out, he and others referred to this logo as "The Lazy Snake".

[@mashattack551]

Gotta say, very interesting, well put together and informative video!!

[@MrCulldog]

I used to work at the sailing center where the Grand Trunk Yard in Portland once was. We used the Portland Company’s now razed building #7 as a storage & shop space. The large building in the photo at 0:59, and the smaller one immediately to its right still stand today and now house the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad. The swing bridge also still stands, however it is no longer in use and is permanently open to allow boats to pass. The former yard has been developed and the track running down Commercial Street has long since been paved over, making street runners a thing of the past. Rigby yard in South Portland now serves as the major rail freight terminal for the area. Another interesting thing about this is that immediately to the right of the photo stood grain and cargo docks with tracks running on to them. These caught fire sometime in the 60’s or 70’s and burned to the pilings, which can still be seen today from the Amethyst lot at the end of Commercial street.

[@astromotive6047]

Penn Central: History of a Design *FLAW*

[@blackfriarsffc5232]

Excellent research and presentation. Thank you

[@edletain385]

A better choice for the two flags at 08:20 in the video would be a fleur-de-lys based one like the Quebec provincial flag, French-speaking Canadians identify more with that symbolism than the national flag of France. France has not ruled that part of Canada since 1763. So 257 years ago.

[@nopenotme6369]

Fleming’s noodle/worm has aged very well, I grew up next to the GTW in Michigan and my earliest railroad memories are of GTW/CN in Fleming influenced paint.

[@austin8292]

Great video Jarred

[@ameelmd]

Thank-you, as a Canadian and having CN trains running in my neighbourhood, and being a rail fan myself, this was awesome, thank-you

[@ib6314]

Chicago & Northwestern : History of a design

[@TheReeferRunner]

@6:52 that voice crack when he says familiar is gold.

[@northwoodsrailproductions4538]

10/10 would make new logo again. Could we eventually get a video on the short lived but influential Wisconsin Central? Could provide a nice video on a true railroad success story

[@LakeStateRailfan]

5:50 I like how you used 5588 in Windsor, ON.

[@Viking88Power]

Great video, very interesting.

[@JordanYoung.4.21.92]

The fact that you have TF2 and “Heavy” featured automatically earns my sub. Bravo!

[@Token_Nerd]

Yes! Another history video.

[@Lorijenken]

5:50 That steam train can be scene in person in Windsor,Ontario,Canada - you get a glimpse into the past and still there to this day by the waterfront overlooking Detroit.

[@CentralJerseyRailfan]

Awesome video, pretty well put together coming from a current college graphic design major. I thought Akzidenz-Grotesk was the very first sans-serif typeface introduced in 1898 unless those were custom sans serif typefaces for them back then

[@joebekavac1517]

Well done. Iconic logo that will be proudly represent the backbone of Canada’s and America’s economy from Prince Rupert to New Orleans to Halifax.

[@nathancorcoran5347]

Great video.

[@gabeplay8179]

As someone from Alberta thank you for covering the best railway

[@Crlarl]

Remember, we changed our flag from the SOB red Ensign to the Maple Leaf in 1965. CN changed the logo before that.

[@R3ading]

1-2 minutes ago history was made

[@R3ading]

Wet noodle

[@GamingRailfanner]

Bruh

[@ghost_pine_film_productions]

awesome video, always a big fan of Canadian history. Just to correct you on one thing, however: the CN Noodle logo has always been part of a Red, Black and Grey scheme on the locomotives, cabooses and passenger cars, and white on freight cars. It is a common mistake, but one that is worth addressing, as the grey colour can be easily mistaken for white in certain lights. The grey has been retained from the earliest Sargent stripes, to the most modern website scheme.

[@pyromaniac2766]

I love this video still! Even if it takes time Quality over Quantity

[@migsaviationandrailwaytopi1731]

Amazing I love The Sound And I Love Design Of Canadian National

[@thatoneguy611]

I love their logo & paint scheme today

[@timosha21]

I'm a train and I approve this video!!!

[@josome7451]

Learn something new every day, like how the G man worked in public relations for the CNR

[@RedDed228]

He was right. The noodle has been around for 50+ years. I'm not Canadian but I still can immediately recognize that logo.

[@churrodead7191]

love the hl1 and tf2 sounds

[@mariahhaarstick591]

Neat video

[@Tristanstuff6988]

Good video

[@ReadingAreaRailfan]

Ur so serious but funny at the same time. It sounds nice. Kinda like the blend radio station but by another railfan

[@nasanierulastname2997]

You think the Japan Railways Group somehow got inspiration from CN for their logo as the successor(s) of a national rail operator?

[@AverageSoFloRailfan]

Loved this video! Question: what are the song names that you used for the video?

[@Brandonvilches0721]

Awsome!

[@rowsdower12]

Great video. I love trains and history. I didn't know the grand trunk was Canadian.

[@dakka7251]

The use of red in the early logos (1873 & 1899) might've been for more plainly practical reasons rather than design. Red and, to a lesser extent, blue were the most ubiquitous/widely available colors of ink that could be used in basic lithography. So, it would've made sense to use one of those two colors for a logo which had to be slapped onto just about everything.

[@murraystewartj]

Probably less expensive than less available colors, too. Graphic/industrial design was often dependent on the properties of materials. Why were all Model Ts black? With paint technology of the time it was the color that dried fastest and so didn't slow production lines.

[@RD2564]

Canadian Northern logo reminds me of the Northern Pacific ... Colours are the same more or less. Great vid, thanks.

[@phalanxHH]

I know this channel is mosty for American/Canadian train stuff, but I hope you also make one about the DB logo from German Train or SNCF from French Train.

[@chattenmetchad]

Nicely edited guy! Keep up the good work

[@flare2000x]

I still think that the black and white coaches at 9:36 are the cleanest best looking coaches ever seen in Canada, maybe North America. Simply perfect.

[@gododoof]

We lost our railway in Newfoundland. Makes me sad.

[@heatherrussell8255]

I am from NL too, and LOVED the trains.

[@smwca123]

In Newfoundland CN branded itself Terra Transport - an allusion to Newfoundland's Latin name Terra Nova.

[@Justin.87]

Check out the Australian National (AN) 'snail' logo

[@losh330]

No. The Great Northern Railway logo looks AMAZING.

[@lightningmcqueenfan957]

5:33 Grand Trunk Railway System: Hi, Canadian National! Can I join you? Canadian National: Sure, why not?

[@otisjacksonjunior9795]

The typographic firm Cooper & Beatty, at which Fleming was a designer and director when he created the CN logo, was co-founded by my great-grandfather. Fleming's work helped make it an award-winning company in its day.

[@kevinb9327]

This was exceptionally interesting. I'd love to see American RR logos looked into. 👍👍👍

[@anindrapratama]

Would you do Penn Central?

[@realcanadian96]

2:39 love the scene from top gear

[@MaxRich_CommentChannel]

2:37

[@BNSFTrains10]

*Speed and Power*

[@SvenMolhuijsen1]

Nice video, you van find similar trends in europe, take the NS(Dutch railway) for example who completely removed lettering from the logo.

[@BNSFTrains10]

5:35 Odd Fact: That one of Canadian National's Rebuilt AC44C6Ms number 3309 had been given this CN Wafer Logo making it a Oddball Unit with CN.

[@DallinBackstrom]

wow, interesting stuff. I knew the CN logo was from the 60s, as the "CN tower" in my city's downtown region, built in that era, has a giant, neon version of the logo (or did? I'm not sure if it's still there-- I'm fairly certain CN no longer owns the building: doesn't matter) but I hadn't ever really thought about what the logo had been before then. I particularly liked the fun editing throughout, keeps the pace up. Great work

[@dixonpinfold2582]

The CN Tower was completed in 1976, 15 years later. Sort of the same era, but not really. (Or is there another CN Tower elsewhere?)

[@TMXMediaYT]

@@dixonpinfold2582 in edmonton there is

[@dixonpinfold2582]

@@TMXMediaYT Ah, I see. Tks

[@baedenwilliams8291]

5:33 Grand Trunk Railway: Hi, Canadian National, can I join you? Canadian National: Sure!

[@steviedee71]

I think if CN changed the noodle people would loose it! It’s iconic.

[@michaelmaehle1433]

The logo was sometimes also called "The Lazy 3", since it looks like the number 3 lying on its side.

[@ketch_up]

This is great. Would you ever do one about CP?

[@jamesstuart3346]

Best logo ever designed

[@jordansean18]

Aaaand now I want to see these logo videos set to Neil Cicirega's "Redesign Your Logo" 😁

[@ginostrains8263]

Can this become a series?

[@smallstudiodesign]

CN is graphic design genius, if it stands the test of time.

[@pyromaniac2766]

Speed & Power

[@stoveapple]

We have on Canadian national line running through Barrington IL

[@darkhoodx6487]

I now use this video to study

[@trainglen22]

CN is really a good design to still be around after 60+ years!

[@SocialistDistancing]

There was also another term for it. It was called the lazy 3. Or lazy 3 route.

[@eccentric_traveler]

5:41 and now that logo is back on a CN diesel!

[@themovietheatre]

Also in 1960 CN Built its new HQ in downtown Montreal. Good time for a new logo.

[@Evercreeper]

We spent so much money making the rails. Then we spent money ripping them up. Now we realize how useful trains would be, but cannot put tracks down again because it is too expensive.

[@daveyboy_]

CP had some cool logos . from the beaver to the pac-man on their boxcars and tankers and /or the cursive Canadian Pacific

[@RailPreserver2K]

Do you plan on doing one of the chessie system logo

[@cobra727]

so is this guy the train version of potential history?

[@smallstudiodesign]

Allan Fleming 🇨🇦✨🏆✨ Thanks to you for your coverage of his magnificence in graphic design genius. CNN steals theirs rather gratuitously, but imitation is the highest compliment.

[@blockvfive1196]

3:51 the old nostalgic roblox jump noise you would find in like 2012 or 2013 or something

[@vermilionrailfan5651]

oh oh my god

[@blockvfive1196]

@@vermilionrailfan5651 I'm sorry.. uhh..... here is some distorted bass boosted Minecraft music!

[@vermilionrailfan5651]

@@blockvfive1196 No need, my friend. You took me back, back to a different time. That's all.

[@trainknut]

A lot older than that... pretty sure it was part of the original 2008 sound library, I definitely heard it enough in 2009 to confirm first hand it was around well over 10 years ago.

[@WasatchGarandMan]

The UP be like "Wet noodle? Bruh have you met the NAME IN SHIELD"

[@Graulas]

I love in Canada and I've seen I think on f those grand trunk or one of the circle logos but most the time I see the wacky CN logo

[@royandre]

I remembered that at this time, a lot of CN employees thougt that it took a so lot of money and time from engeneering to create such a logo finally. They thougth it's been a primary school affair.

[@MarkRose1337]

The wet noodle does show its age, but that doesn't matter: its beauty is timeless.

[@danthetrainman5656]

you should do grand trunk. i wonder why the logo is similar to the GT logo on the mustang

[@oneeyedhacker715]

i thought this was going to be why cn used locomotives that no one else used

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

the wet noodle is one of the worlds best logos. and unlike many of the other rail companies in europe and us - it doesn't bite off British Railways

[@warrenelyk2593]

Canadian Pacific was the first cross Canada railway completed in 1885, and secondly french is not the major spoken language in Canada English is, In fact the most spoken french province outside Quebec is in Manitoba and even there it ranks fifth most spoken in the province trailing far behind the fourth most spoken the Filipino Tagalog and where the second most spoken language of the province has been German since Manitobas inception into Canada in 1870.