Series consists of maps, plans, profiles, and drawings which relate not only to Canadian National Railway Company but its subsidiaries and predecessors. These records come from, were created by, and maintained by a wide variety of CN departments, including the Department of Engineering, the Mechanical Department, and the Office of Real Estate.
For the first few decades from the creation of CN in 1919, most engineering records appear to have been created by the Civil Engineering section of the Operation and Construction Department. Under this section there were sub-sections responsible for bridge engineering, architecture, right of way matters and railway property, standards, electrical engineering, surveys, and signal engineering. There was also a Mechanical Engineering section, which was responsible for maintenance, motive power, and rolling stock.
Note that there are various types of finding aids (some more complete than others) for this material.
The maps include charts and profiles of subdivisions.
The plans (including technical and architectural drawings) can be broken down into some broad categories:
Stations; Station Facilities and Grounds; Site Plans; Terminals; Warehouses and Offices; Bridges; Tracks, Road Beds, and Rights of Way; Rolling Stock
In more detail, the cartographic material consists of:
Maps from the Divisional Engineer, Montreal (RG30M 70/1798);
maps and plans collected by the CNR Headquarters Library dealing generally with North America, predominantly Montreal (RG30M 71/16431);
railway plans of the Toronto area (RG30M 77803/21);
Grand Trunk Railway station grounds and yards in southern Ontario (RG30M 90137); Main Line books 1 to 31 (not inclusive) containing plans and profiles of the Canadian Northern, Quebec & Lac St. Jean, Great Northern, St. Catharines & Toronto, and Duluth, Rainy Lake & Winnipeg railways, and right of way plans for the Intercolonial (Quebec), Montreal & Vermont Junction, Quebec, Montreal & Southern and Southern New England railways; and valuation sheets along the right of way for the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Railway and the Flint Subdivision of the Grand Trunk Railway, a published 1879 Ontario atlas, an unpublished 1908 atlas of St. Paul (Minn.), a map of Brandon (Man.), a plan of the Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline, and GTR standard plans of railway crossings (RG30M 923034);
station yard and railway crossings plans from the Board of Railway Commissioners (RG30M 945003);
location and station yard maps and profiles of CNR property, primarily in southern Ontario (RG30M 945013);
maps for various CNR and predecessor company projects throughout Canada (RG30M 956017);
maps of terminals across Canada, ca. 1925, that include railway lines and running rights (RG30M 1997-02150-1); and additional maps and plans transferred to the CN archivist from various sources.
Architectural drawings consist of:
Plans and drawings for Ontario and Quebec localities for CN and GTR (RG30M 78903/42 and RG30M 923034);
drawings of CN express, freight sheds and offices (RG30M 923034);
drawings for grain elevators at Tiffin, Ont., and Saint John (N.B.) (RG30M 923034); 315 standard design and other architectural drawings that the CN archivist acquired from various CN departments and sources (RG30M 945003);
architectural and mechanical drawings of CNR property, primarily in southern Ont., (RG30M 945013);
drawings for various CNR and predecessor company projects throughout Canada, including stations at Orillia, Severn Bridge, Ingersoll, Huntsville and Truro, equipment for coaling plants, engine houses at Belleville and Westfort, a grain warehouse at Port Colborne, the Recreation and Social Club at Lachine, and cottages for locomotive foremen (RG30M 956017);
drawings of stations and other railway buildings (RG30M 1997-02150-1); and additional plans transferred to the CN Archivist from various sources.
Technical drawings consist of drawings of equipment (RG30M 1997-02150-1), and additional plans transferred to the CN Archivist from various sources.
