"Against All Odds: Volume 1"

[MP173]

Your reply pretty much nails it.  

I have been fortunate to have worked my entire career for medium sized companies (only 2 in 46 years).  My current employer (33 yrs) has grown dramatically and is now owned by "mega-corp".  I deal with the same CEO/Sr. VP Sales for most of my career, but they really get hit hard by corporate suits.  I wouldnt want their positions.  They deflect considerable incoming projectiles. 

You nailed it regarding "before its too late".  The men who took "piggyback" with circus loading ramps to "intermodal" with Hubs wanted the story told.  In particular there was a rush to finish before Bill Greenwood passed away.  He was the original head of the department and his archives provided considerable resources for the book.

I personally enjoy books on how businesses are developed and the struggles faced.  I also enjoy railroads...hence my excitement over this book.

This isnt for everyone.  Again, no glossy photos of BN E unit in the Cascades, nor photos of the final Empire Builder on April 30, 1971.  Just the facts and the story.

Ed

[croteaudd]

MP173:

 

Thanks for the brief book review and explanation of phrases therein!

 

The “Against All Odds” title likely reflected the impossible business environment that BN and other railroads were in in 1970 at BN’s formation.

 

I think what you were trying to say with “before it is too late” is that those involved and that knew the true facts were approaching their end of life, and once they had passed away and were in their graves, there would be no one that knew and that could convey the true facts.

 

You highlighted the reality of corporate life we often don’t think about or realize.  Everybody was vying for capital (money) to make themselves look good and were in severe competition with their colleagues.

 

Yes, the book does have a certain intrigue about it!

 

If anything was misinterpreted, please advise.

[MP173]

I will attempt to address croteaudd's questions.

The title is a reflection of IUB's battle to establish the best in class intermodal service.  One must take into consideration the culture of BN when the IUB was formed...regulation had just ended and it was now a free market environment.  Thus, there was a massive internal culture which was based on "regulation".  Further the culture was all about "running the trains" rather than the car (customer).  Marketing was more about "3 Martini lunches" and entertainment rather than offering solutions for transportation needs.  

The IUB task force identified that carload business was going to melt away with the advent of deregulated trucking.  The "Food and Manufactured" department was particularly at risk...beverages and food were vulnerable.  The IUB foresaw this occuring but the "marketing suits" did not.  They were there to protect their silo and thought the intermodal would cherry pick their carload traffic.  The forecast of losses were accurate and the IUB proved to be a valuable department.

At the same time, there was a huge battle for capital within the BN....PRB coal was the golden goose but had been dramatically underpriced in the 70s.  Massive amounts of capital were required for locomotives and upgrading of the infrastructure to handle the 30 coal trains daily.  The ROW was falling apart and the rates didnt reflect the costs required.  Staggers allowed BN to raise rates, but there was a political battle in Washington over the coal rates...it came down to the Mayor of San Antonio - believe it or not.  

So, the IUB faced internal competition for marketing power and also for capital.  The culture wasnt there yet for the new market forces.  IUB had a group that understood the changes coming.

After a few chapters of overview of the BN's history and corporate structure, the book settles into deep reviews of yearly achievements and battles.  Each chapter (after the first few) is based on a year's events and how the department evolved and grew and challenges faced.

Hunter Harrison shows up and is HUGE in the development and success of IUB.  He understood what needed to be done.  He was pushing for PSR in the early 80s.  

"Before it is too late" is based on conversations the author had with other members of the IUB.  These members and key contributors are now in their 70s' and 80's.  The author is probably in his late 60s.  He was encouraged to write the story "before it is too late"...in other words, he had the experience and the ability to resource material...he knew where the critical documents and key personnel were.  He based the book on collections of paper records which were available but at risk.  Not only did the author access those records, but he preserved those records at the Barringer library in St. Louis.  Those records would have possibly been tossed had he not undertaken the project.

Hence "before it is too late".  The author had the access and the bandwidth to handle this project.  He indicated this was an 18 month project.  He apologies he is not an author....I disagree.  It is well written and pulls no punches.  One knows while reading who are the "good guys" and who fought the intermodal group.  

I have long wished for such a book.  Most railroad books are long on corporate history in the 1800's and short on modern history.  I believe the Staggers Act released the railroads from regulation that was choking them.  "The Men Who Loved Trains" addressed some modern history, but not in detail as this collection.  

Again I am 2/3 thru V1 (1986) but look forward to V2 and V3.  

Hope this helps.

 

Ed

[MP173]

Greyhound...I think you will enjoy this book.  Looking forward to your comments.

More to follow on other questions.

Ed

 

[greyhounds]

I just ordered volume 1 from Amazon.

[croteaudd]

MP173:

 

Since you’ve read (or are reading) the book “Against All Odds,” undoubtedly you at least halfway comprehend the books title.  But I’m totally baffled by it!  Was it a book on infighting?  Miraculous events from heaven for the railroad?  A brief explanation of the title and a very short, clearcut overall summation of the book would be extremely helpful.  Even the thought ‘before it is too late’ in your post bewildered me.  Thanks in advance.  And, if I run into Santa Claus, I’ll tell him you really, really want Volumes II and III …

[MP173]

I am currently reading "Against All Odds: V1" by Mark Cane.  The subtitle is "The History of Burlington Northern Railroad's Innovative Intermodal Business: 1890 - 1988".

To say this is an insider's look at BN's Intermodal history would be an understatement.  The author was one of the first employees hired by Bill Greenwood when he was chosen to head the "Intermodal Business Unit" (IBU)of BN...he was there from the start.  After a brief look at BN including the merger with Frisco and the PRB coal project, the author dives deeply into the IBU history which covers establishing Hubs (and eliminating "ramps"), import container business, double stack technology, Expediter trains (short intermodal trains with reduced crews), and the big competition IBU faced - not so much Union Pacific, but the internal politics of BN. 

It is my understanding that V2 and V3 covers from 1989 thru the merger with Santa Fe with considerable information which were internal documents not available to the public.  

This book is a gem if you are interested in the development of Intermodal, not only of BN but the entire rail industry.  

This is not a "railfan" book with glossy pictures.  This is a fact filled, footnoted history of a railroad from the 1970s thru Staggers and into the late 90s.  This is a self published book - a story that needed to be told "before it was too late".

I look forward to V2 and V3...on my list for Christmas.

We often have discussions on intermodal in these forums.  This book goes inside BN, warts and all.

Ed