Canadian Railway Hall of Fame adds three inductees

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) yesterday announced the three 2013-14 inductees for the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame (CRHF), a virtual exhibit that recognizes the people, technologies and municipalities that helped advance Canada's rail industry. The latest honorees are former CN General Chairman John Armstrong, Locotrol promoter Milton Deno and the community of Saint-Lambert, Quebec.

Armstrong was inducted under the "Leaders" category, which recognizes individuals who have influenced the construction, development and promotion of Canada’s rail sector. Armstrong was a CN conductor, general chairman of CN lines-West and vice president of the United Transportation Union. His former colleagues have described him as an insightful leader who saw the pros and cons of every employer-employee issue, and sought to achieve a win-win scenario with every labor agreement, RAC officials said in a press release.

Deno was inducted under the "Heroes" category, which recognizes individuals who made a special contribution to the rail industry through their involvement in maintenance and operations. Deno — who served Canadian Pacific from 1950 to 1978 — helped the Class I become one of the first railroads to use Locotrol, a technology that enables locomotives to be distributed throughout a train's length, RAC officials said.

He was recruited by Harris Controls in 1978 and moved to Florida as railroad product line manager, with special responsibility for Locotrol. Deno implemented CP's first systems in 1967 and paved the way for the widespread distributed-power (DP) operations that still exist in Canada today, RAC officials said. Throughout his nearly 50-year rail career, Deno introduced Locotrol DP technology to global markets, helping railroads around the world move longer and heavier trains.

Saint-Lambert was inducted under the "Communities" category, which honors municipalities deemed to have historical significance to Canada’s rail system. Saint-Lambert was founded more than 150 years ago due to the presence of a railroad. Beginning with the growth of both the Champlain & St. Lawrence Railway and Grand Trunk Railway in the mid-nineteenth century, Saint-Lambert has evolved from a rural community into a busy suburb occupied by dozens of trains each day carrying goods to and from Montreal, RAC officials said.

"Congratulations to this year’s inductees. Their contributions have helped Canada's railway industry remain competitive and sustainable," said CRHF Chairman Gerald Gauthier.