For more than eight decades, Canadian National Railway has reflected the history of Canada. In the 1920s and 1930s, CN's fortunes traced the nation's economic peaks and valleys. During World War II, the railroad (like Canadians themselves) met challenges that could not have been predicted even a few years earlier. In the decades following the war, Canada became a supplier of resources to the world, and CN carried them. And as the North American economy became more integrated in the 1990s, CN followed suit, expanding its U.S. presence and taking on a north-south orientation. Here, author Tom Murray provides an unprecedented look at a national icon, from its genesis amid the turmoil surrounding World War I to its acquisition of the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway and its lease of BC Rail, both in 2003. In addition to exploring Canadian National operations and equipment through depression, war, modernization, and acquisitions, Murray explains how the railway affected and was influenced by the vast and varied regions it served. Marvelous photography from top shooters and Canadian archives, along with period timetables and print ads, illustrate CN's extraordinary geographic reach, diverse operations, and social and economic roles, both as a government entity for 70-plus years and more recently as a privatized industry exemplar.