CANADIAN RAILROADS: Better Managed & Operated Than Their American Counterparts?

[Anonymous]

Much praise has been lavished upon Canadian Railroads, especially as it relates to passenger service versus Amtrak here in the States. As an American, Canadian--as well as those of you across the Atlantic--do you agree? What lessons could American railroads learn from it's neighbor to the north? Given this forum, has Canadian Railroads had an impact on your model railroads?

[rambo1]

Canadian roads might be operating better. For instance a MR. Paul Tellier was president of CN and by cutting alot of jobs in all ranks made CN very sucessful. He then became president of a major areospace company in toronto ontario canada to do the same thing cut the workers neck .I don't know what else to say. Are we any better? rambo1......

[rambo1]

I have also travelled on VIArail . Wehad first tickets on via 1 but wer'e accused of being second class riding in first class. What a load of ----. VIArail rambo1........

[Anonymous]

Via better than Amtrak in terms of management - maybe. I know there was an article in Trains in praise of Via management but I don't know enough to comment. CN on the other hand under Tellier and the current guy - whose name escapes me - was a company run by cutting, cutting, and cutting some more. Some of the cuts have been serious. There was a wash out in British Columbia not to long ago and the govt came down on CN for more inspections and maintenance on there bridges.

In fact, CN stopped painting there bridges long ago. Now you don't need to be Einstein to know that not painting bridges is ultimately going to affect the longevity of the bridge. But if you are a pres and want to show immediate results - cut, cut , and cut some more - and everyone thinks your brilliant. A friend of mine who retired recently from management in the service shop at Thornton Yard in Surrey told me about CN's cut back of replacing the oil in engines - to the ultimate detriment to the engines.

Tracks are being ripped out and some of it makes sense but in other occasions, senseless. In the Fraser/Thompson Canyon in BC, sidings that will be critical if there is a land slide are being taken out. CN is rely too much on directional running with CP.

CN is an apparent success story eventually headed for trouble.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rsn48

Via better than Amtrak in terms of management - maybe. I know there was an article in Trains in praise of Via management but I don't know enough to comment. CN on the other hand under Tellier and the current guy - whose name escapes me - was a company run by cutting, cutting, and cutting some more. Some of the cuts have been serious. There was a wash out in British Columbia not to long ago and the govt came down on CN for more inspections and maintenance on there bridges.

In fact, CN stopped painting there bridges long ago. Now you don't need to be Einstein to know that not painting bridges is ultimately going to affect the longevity of the bridge. But if you are a pres and want to show immediate results - cut, cut , and cut some more - and everyone thinks your brilliant. A friend of mine who retired recently from management in the service shop at Thornton Yard in Surrey told me about CN's cut back of replacing the oil in engines - to the ultimate detriment to the engines.

Tracks are being ripped out and some of it makes sense but in other occasions, senseless. In the Fraser/Thompson Canyon in BC, sidings that will be critical if there is a land slide are being taken out. CN is rely too much on directional running with CP.

CN is an apparent success story eventually headed for trouble.

As a Canadian, do you pattern your model railroad after any of the railroads there?

[Anonymous]

Yes , circa 1960 when CN had all kinds of branch and spur lines and serviced rural communities. Their maps of tracks looked like a tapestry. For those who don't know the history of CN it was formed by the government due to the high number of small RR companies faltering about the turn of the last century and then being taken over by CN so the out of the way places would be serviced. Canadian demagraphics and geography is very diverse and presented many problems and obstacles for the transportation industry. How do you make something profitable when you have to ship by rail, several hundred miles into nowhere where the population maybe a couple of hundred individuals. You Don't, hence Canadian National.

[Anonymous]

Canada isn't really better than anyone, at anything.[:0]
We do have a huge number of people who cannot accept this as reality.[V]

Maybe it's ok to just not be too much WORSE than anyone, at anything ?[:D][8D]
Works for me,
regards,
Mike[;)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by robmik

Canada isn't really better than anyone, at anything.[:0]
We do have a huge number of people who cannot accept this as reality.[V]

Maybe it's ok to just not be too much WORSE than anyone, at anything ?[:D][8D]
Works for me,
regards,
Mike[;)]

Spoken like true Canadian

[Anonymous]

yeah but they CN got rid of Grand Trunk

[Anonymous]

As a railroad conductor who started his career on the Wisconsin Central and ended up becoming an employee of the Canadian National when CN bought out WC, I have expirienced first hand what Canadian railroad management is like. CN's business plan can be summed up on three points: 1.) Cut costs by avoiding maintenance on track, locomotives, cars, and infrastructure. 2.) Keep employee moral low, fire supervisors who let employee's go home if they worked less than ten hours. 3.) Charge shippers more for degraded service, drop shippers who complain. I'll let anyone who reads this message draw their own conclusions.

[Anonymous]

Scott,
And Tellier is doing the same thing at Bombardier... poor guys and gals there. He will destroy Bombardier... which will make many Americans glad... lol.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rsn48
...He will destroy Bombardier...

Exactly, Rick.

Primary example:
Tellier might as well have said : "OK everyone....what's the one thing we've always been best at, the only thing this company ever really invented......the one product line that still makes good money ?...SNOWMOBILES !...OK, let's sell that off to the Bombardier family and we'll just carry on with those trains 'n planes.....and get more Federal government loan and grant money like always!!! "[:o)]

regards
Mike