A multi-epoch VLBI survey of the kinematics of CJF sources - I. Model-fit parameters and maps

Context. This is the first of a series of papers presenting VLBI observations of the 293 Caltech-Jodrell Bank Flat-Spectrum ( hereafter CJF) sources and their analysis. Aims. One of the major goals of the CJF is to make a statistical study of the apparent velocities of the sources. Methods. We have conducted global VLBI and VLBA observations at 5 GHz since 1990, accumulating thirteen separate observing campaigns. Results. We present here an overview of the observations, give details of the data reduction and present the source parameters resulting from a model-fitting procedure. For every source at every observing epoch, an image is shown, built up by restoring the model-fitted components, convolved with the clean beam, into the residual image, which was made by Fourier transforming the visibility data after first subtracting the model-fitted components in the uv-plane. Overplotted we show symbols to represent the model components. Conclusions. We have produced VLBI images of all but 5 of the 293 sources in the complete CJF sample at several epochs and investigated the kinematics of 266 AGN.