Don't let the pretty paint fool you! We got "junk" running aroung out here! I don't care which union, just as long as the carrier doesn't hammer any of us!
<big><big><big> CN-BNSF attached at the hip! </big></big></big> CN and BNSF are not attached at the hip in regards to operations in the Pacific North West (USA), and South West (CAND). ALL BNSF traffic is now going into CNRs Thorton Yard instead of going across the Fraser River, sitting, waiting to be switched, being switched, and making it to Thorton 2 days later. There is an up, and a down side to this. -DOWN Thorton Yard is over loaded, the addition of a couple traisn aday will make work even harder for the crews workin in the yards. Latelly, some have timed out before getting more than 5 miles awy from the yard! -DOWN A job may be lost a BNSF dispatch -SAME there still will be a fully manned caboose on the end of most trains! -UP Freight will be delivered up to 3 days faster, if Thorton is plugged I could see this going on for years, but if traffic picks up to much, there will be a mini-meltdown at Thorton, I garuntee it! Happy Railroading!! Dane N. ------------------ BCRailKing@Canada.com Teen Association of Model Railroaders- for information, contact Dane N. at TAMR2860@Canada.com http://www.tamr.org "I was DC, and went DCC!"
Hey I know I am going be flogged for this But hear it out. I totally agree with the merger. What the STB is doing is protecting the U P 's butt. Fully understandable. If you guys realize if this merger went through the BNSF-CN would be the largest railroad of North America. Where the problem creeps in is the fact that BNSF-CN will have a Transcontinental Railroad trough Canada. Not to mention a North and South route between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. CN has that now with the buyout of the IC. Key here the CN is small. To combine BNSF and CN will create a butt kickin railroad. One that UP can not compete with until they get their stuff internally taken care of. Internally I mean the combining of the CNW and the SP. By know the CNW should be fully UP THe SP is a Different Story. Everyone knows the horror stories involved there. Until they work as one UP is total choas. So UP cannot compete with BNSF-CN. They cannot merge with another railroad to create an equal merger. Remember the STB was created for an equal playing field for the railroads so one would not over power another. I don't like the fact that they stopped the merger but it is quite understandable why it did not happen. 15 months will give the UP time to create an equal merger to keep up with BNSF. But we don't have to worry about that now because both companies pulled out and there is no plans for it. ------------------ Keep on railroad'n
I'm glad someone else see this situation my way. I swear, the NTSB's motto should read "To Serve and Protect.. The UP!" ------------------ BNSF RAILFAN-TO-THE-MAX! Brent Tidaback, Member #234 and a N-Scaler to boot!
well i might be stepping on some toes here but,does the stb listen to trainboard members or to the railroads?it seems this is something they should handle. yes a merger would be nice but what if the same problems happened with this merger like the ones with the up&sp, bn&atsf, ns,csx,and conrail.there were problems with all of these and with something this big there would probably be bigger problems.we dont see them as modelers but the stb might have. i personally model the b.f.&s. railroad one i kinda made up as a joke but cought on.we have interchange with the up and bnsf and the stb stays out of my model trian set.but unfortunately the fra bothers me about derailments every now and again darnit..... ------------------ ed pinkley home of the pinkley taurus
Ed, I think STB is trying to stop mergermania before gets out of hand. The details of this merger was kind off sketchy at the moment anyway. One could veiw the railroad map and see what was at stake if these to merged. This was not a railroad it was a superrailroad one that UP would never recover from. This did not make competition competive enough. BNSF-CN would have every way to the Atlantic and the Pacific also the Gulf of Mexico. UP could not create an equal merger to do the same thing. When CN and BNSF decided to merge the price tag was 9 million. UP to buyout NS or CSX will probably cost even more and both companies know for UP to compete with this UP would have to buy one of them. Why not yank up the price a little. My only gripe was Krebs was going to move to a seat on the board and let the CN pres/CEO takeover. Just like greinstein did when BNSF was formed. The only thing he did was retire. ------------------ Keep on railroad'n
The Surface Transportation Board has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) regarding Class 1 railroad mergers. The new rules would significantly increase the burden on applicants to demonstrate that a proposed merger transaction is in the public interest, reflects an awareness of the great risk of failure and the competitive, service, and financial concerns raised in connection with what could be the final round of consolidation in the rail industry. It can be found at - http://www.stb.dot.gov/newsrels.nsf/ByDate Maybe the BNSF-CN merger is not off but, if the proposal is ratified, looks like it will need to provide far more information and greater responsibility for the merger than any before it. Gary. ------------------ Gary A. Rose The Unofficial TC&W page TrainBoard Moderator and Member No.377 Partying in the Olympic City - Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... N to the Nth degree!
