why didn't the cn stick to customer service like the wc did?

[WCfan]

     Playing the devil's advocate here, I guess:  If WC was such a super deal, why is there no WC anymore?

Never say that. WC is still around, maybe not equpiment wise, but still around.

Equpiment wise, all of the SW1500s are around, all the SD40-2s, most of the GP40s, and All of the GP38-2s are still around. But like one of my friends here said, "The SD45 was the icon of the WC. WC isn't gone, but equpiment wise it is."

[Murphy Siding]

     Playing the devil's advocate here, I guess:  If WC was such a super deal, why is there no WC anymore?

[EJE818]

CN is a much bigger company then the WC was. CN bought the WC for a direct link between Canada and Chicago, not to please customers along the WC. They bought the DM&IR to complete this link. I don't think it is a good idea of CN to let customer service to slip like it has on the old WC and DM&IR lines, but I don't call the shots for CN, and it is their decision to do what they want to the WC branch lines. CN has actually upgraded portions of the WC mainline with more double track and new signals around Chicago, but that was mainly to add more Metra trains between Chicago and Antioch.

[WCfan]

I would also like to add a line WC abounded. The Ex CNW line from Shawano-Wausau. I think WC abounded it because they already had a line to Wausau (The Valley Sub) and there really wasn't much business there. The only towns to in between Wausau and Shawano are Hatly, and Wittenberg. CNW/UP only had that line to get to Wausau. WC still kept the tracks going to Kelly because the Village of Weston wanted them out there, if they would ever build an industrial park out there. If Weston didn't want them there WC would have probably ripped them up. CN has also kept the tracks there for the same reason. Now the line is only used for storage.

[Noah Hofrichter]

As Andy wrote, the WC was definitely guilty of some of the same things as the CN is. Their aqusition of the GBW is one example. From what I've been told they had promised not to raise rates in areas that had been formerly served by two railroads, and claimed that nothing would change. Not too long after the purchase though, the WC began tearing out track to the point where it would be hard to put the GBW back together again, and then rates for the paper mills and other customers went through the roof. It was a good money making move, but no different than some of the things the CN does.

Noah

 

[CNW 6000]

Following that line of thought tho...what would compel one RR to sell a line to another?  I don't know what that would be.  What would/could 'force' the CN to sell part of its line or trackage rights to another RR?  In this hypothetical say the WSOR thought it could service industries on the north side of Oshkosh.  It would have to get trackage rights on the CN probably from south of FDL and then come north or is that too implausible?

[Andy Cummings]

Certainly some customers have complained about the quality of service since CN took over. However, I take issue with your point that WC wouldn't give up on a line. Abandonments in the WC era included:

— Dresser-Barron
— Crandon-Shawano
— Superior-Gordon (ex-Soo route)
— New London-Plover
— Portions of the ex-Soo Neenah-Fond Du Lac route
— Munising Jct.-Eagle Mills (Mich.)
— Hermansville-Escanaba (Mich., ex-Soo route)

I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think you can add Prentice-Medford to that list, though that may have been abandoned shortly before WC startup. I may be missing a few here as well, but you get the idea.

My point is this: WC offered great service and made money doing it — that's awesome. The fashion in which they ran a railroad was unprecedented in recent times. When everybody said you can't make money hauling freight short distances, they proved conventional wisdom wrong. But let's not idealize that era, because WC wasn't going to subsidize their customers by operating unprofitable branches — if they had, their success story woudn't have occurred.

Finally, if WSOR, or any other line, for that matter, can offer better service to customers on portions of the old WC, then why shouldn't CN spin those lines off? In the customer service department, WSOR does pretty well, from my understanding. CN bought the WC to get through freights from Winnipeg to Chicago, and if they can make money operating industrial track in Wisconsin and Michigan as well, they're game for that. But it's hardly surprising they haven't duplicated WC's superior customer service.

Andy Cummings
Associate Editor
Trains Magazine
Waukesha, Wis.

[CNW 6000]

I think that in Oshkosh the CN has pulled up loads of track.  There was a siding that started just north of New York Avenue and ran to just south of the Harrison Crossing.  The ironic part?  I was chatting with a friendly crew who said that that track was hardly used and regarded as excess at first.  Upon removing it the DS now had trouble getting trains routed through the area in a timely fashion at times.  Seems he forgot that he used the siding.  A couple of days later I saw some MOW guys clearing out brush that had grown on the north end of where the siding used to be: CN was considering relaying the track!

I've seen them also stop servicing customers in the Oshkosh area that were almost daily generating or receiving multiple carloads.  I think they stopped servicing Oshkosh Truck's north plant and Noffke Lumber.  I also saw MOW guys ripping switches out on a stub that crosses HWY 76 in Oshkosh.  Three industries on that spur no longer have rail service. 

I wonder why as I have yet to see truck service there and the businesses aren't closing.

[solzrules]

I don't think CN is all that bad.  WC was a great railroad from a railfan's perspective.  They ran SD45's a plenty, considered to be a shoddy loco by other railroads.  WC took over the line from the Soo, who were more than happy to get rid of it.  After their acquisition of the Milwaukee, their home rails quickly became a second hand mainline.  WC bought it, cleaned it up, and with a little more emphasis on customer service was rewarded mightily for their investment.  WC was a great railroad. A huge part of that was Ed Burkhardt.  When WC's board ran him off, they really shot themselves in the foot because Burkhardt was largely responsible for the company's success.  Business began to suffer, in the late 90's and early 00's. 

When CN bought out WC, a number of things have changed since then.  The number of trains on the line have increased, along with speed.  CN is currently laying new welded rail on a big part of the line here, including new signaling systems.  A large number of crossings that were dangerous have been upgraded to crossing gates.  The former WC lines are now busier then the old Milwaukee Road line, even though the Milwaukee line was thought to be superior.  CN is running a tight ship down here.  (It sounds like that isn't the case in Canada, but others may be able to add info there)

WC was also guilty of pulling up rails too.  In Kewaskum, where I grew up, the CNW Air Line to Manitowoc was pulled up between West Bend and Eden, along with various other segments to the north.  It was sad to see it go, because in the early 80's that line was packed with trains.  But, in the spirit of acquisition, WC bought out that line in the early 90's.  They were unable to attract enough business to justify keeping it open as a through route and in 2000 the rails were pulled.  This line used to see CNW passenger trains rolling at 80MPH plus!  I do not fault WC, because they did this as business decision.  IF the WC was not able to make the line viable, then I doubt any other railroad would suceed either. 

 

 

[Anonymous]

Think of it from the railroads point of view. If the track has to be maintained by the railroad and not the customer, and the customer is only getting a switch once or twice then the railroad is maintaining a piece of track that is hardly ever used. The KCS has the largest amount of customers as far as class ones are concerened. The railroads are here to make money. Not pay out money just for it to go to waste. The mergers if I remeber correctly have to the approved by the STB. This is one reason the Santa Fe and the Southen Pacific Merger was not allowed. Railroads do care about the customers or they would not be here. Thats why we are considered Customer Service in a sence. We service the customers. The Class ones are trying to steer away from servicing customers, that why you have short line roads. You never know what is going to happen.

[Imisswc]

it seems that the cn keeps tearing up rail as bad as the cnw,sooage line,and other railroads did. The wc brought back customer service back, running trains down rail lines that these other railroads gave up on and the wc made money. the cn comes along and now were back where we started, tearing up rail lines giving up on the little guys. these mergers should not be allowed if the merger doesnt bring more costumers, or service is lack. As far as i know the wc wouldnt give up on a rail line and have the wisconsin southern opreate the line. I hope no class 1's come along and buy up the wis. southern otherwise more track is lost and were back to not caring about the customer! What a shame! the cn should have left well enough alone!!!