Contact: Steve Sugars Page Content: Canadian Pacific (CP) is bringing a unique competition to Minneapolis as the railroad’s annual Spike Driving Competition is being held in the United States for the first time.¤ Following district “spike offs”, the top 16 men and women across CP’s 14,800-mile network in Canada and the United States will meet at the railroad’s Humboldt Yard on Sunday, September 18 to compete for fastest man and woman spike driver in the company. “While there is so much modern technology that goes into track building and track maintenance, including special¤ spike driving machines or hydraulic spike drivers, manual spike driving is still done for small jobs or for general clean-up work,” said CP General Manager of Track Renewal and Work Equipment, Brent Szafron. “Track workers still need to be able to drive spikes. This competition showcases that special skill, which goes back to the building of the original railroad.” Participants will get two tries to hammer three spikes into softwood ties with winners receiving cash prizes and bragging rights until the next year’s spike driving competition. Spike driving is part of the railroad industry’s roots, and since 1998, the CP Spike Driving contest has celebrated this distinctive skill. [h=3]Spike Driving Fast Facts:[/h] A spike maul or hammer weighs about 11 ½ lbs The head of a spike is about 2 square inches, but the actual contact area is about ½ the size of a dime Manual spike driving is still done for small jobs of 30 spikes or less or for general clean-up work. For extensive track work, hand-held hydraulic spikers or spike driving machines are used A champion spike driver can drive a spike into a softwood tie in as little as 11 seconds [h=3]About Canadian Pacific[/h]Canadian Pacific (CP:TSX)(NYSE:CP) operates a North American transcontinental railway providing freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Incorporating best-in-class technology and environmental practices, CP is re-defining itself as a modern 21st century transportation company built on safety, service reliability and operational efficiency. Visit cpr.ca and see how Canadian Pacific is Driving the Digital Railway. [h=3]Editor’s Notes:[/h] Competition will start at 1:00 p.m. near the front entrance of Humboldt Yard, 2650 49th Avenue N, Minneapolis High resolution still images and broadcast quality b-roll of last year’s spike driving competition are available Contact: Ed Greenberg 403-319-3752 403-816-7570 (cell) Ed_greenberg@cpr.ca CP Media Line: 1-855-242-3674 (24/7-Toll Free) News Release Date: 9/15/2011 11:00 AM Location: Minneapolis, MN Is Featured: No More...
