Hunter...so far

[MP173]

For us non railroaders, can you explain the rational for closing down hump yards?  Is it cheaper/more efficient to flat switch rather than hump?

Thanks,

Ed

[AgentKid]

cptrainman

I have spoken personally with a manager who submitted an operations plan for flat switching Alyth.

 

 

This train is causing all sorts of headaches down south as there is not a siding large enough for a meet with the Coutts turn.

The news about Alyth is just one more piece of sad news atop an increasingly large pile. Since PSM has bought its' share, the kinds of news I have been reading goes beyond alarming. I'm not sure of the word I am looking for, but I'm glad Dad isn't around to see it. After reading item after item it becomes so obvious that Fred Green had to be replaced, but even yet I am not sure EHH is the man to do it.

Not to short change his expertise at all, I just don't buy his bull in a china shop routine. And I wish the new CEO was young enough to have a viable ten year run at dealing with these problems.

After I made my last post, I realized your item about the Chicago manager was yet another example of what I was getting about here in Canada. I hadn't realized that the rouge middle management problem had spread down there, as it has only been just over twenty years since the Soo Line was integrated into the CPR. That is an unfortunate bad habit that has caught on too quickly.

I included your mention of the Coutts line because the fellow who was likely the last Agent at Warner, first open station north of Coutts, was the man who introduced my parents to each other. When I look at my 1964 ETT it truly is astounding how little has changed down there compared to the situation that exists now.

Keep the news coming, no matter how distressing it might be.

Bruce

 

[cptrainman]

dakotafred

See Fred Frailey's blog for other developments. It's hard to take exception to most of Harrison's changes so far.

 

Thanks I did. Fred obviously has contact with somebody with a eye on the big picture. My view is obviously down at the switch stand. His points are very interesting and I like what I hear. I am keeping my stock.

[cptrainman]

Bruce

Take a drive the Alyth. I believe the hump is shut down already. Hunter says if you cannot hump 1500 cars a day, then it is not viable. At best Alyth was humping 1000 a day. If it is not closed yet. It will be soon.

I have spoken personallly with a manager who submitted an operations plan for flat switching Alyth.

Lethbridge, I dont know what is happening. I worked out of there many moons ago and I remember it could be a busy place with trains coming and going in all 4 directions. I guess  you have seen 896/897 from coutts. I assume this coal is coming from PRB. It makes its way all the way to Prince Rupert. This train is causing all sorts of headaches down south as there is not a siding large enough for a meet with the coutts turn. Actually, you probably know better than me.

I dont know about the humping of trains 4 times from Montreal to Vancouver but  I would not be surprised. The local operating plan leaves me shocked. I have gone to management with my ideas and I don't know why they don't listen. They know where the bottle necks are and I have given them  possible solutions but they wont even try it.

I am actually nervous to divulge who I am and where I am. I would not be the first employee facing discipline for having a "not so rosy" opinion of management. However, I have hope for the future.

As the rumours continue, I will share the news.

 

[AgentKid]

cptrainman

7. Closed or will close all hump operations in Canada.

Good stuff.

When I saw F. Frailey's blog the other day, and he said WB manifest trains out of Montreal were being humped four times before cars reached Vancouver, I could not believe my eyes. But I can see what happened.

In the absence of strong central leadership, the regional operating bosses developed a fiefdom building and a CYA mentality. More train starts, but not too many, means you must be building business and that makes you look good. But in Toronto's case, not humping all of the cars that come in from Montreal would mean that you would then have trains with a Montreal origination point leaving Toronto. And you know what is going to freeze over before that happens.

Hump operation will still be necessary for normal local activity in and out. There is no way you could flat switch a yard the size of Alyth.

And I'm so glad you brought up the Lethbridge, AB situation. I have been reading about this starting back around last Christmas. Railfans were reporting movement observations, and actual employes were not contradicting their conclusions, but no one would actually say there were problems. CP is trying to cross two major business corridors there where all the lines in and out are old school dark territory. They have got to get some of that new fangled electric signaling (CTC) on those lines, as well as bigger sidings. Failing the arrival of Trudeau hoppers full of thousand dollar bills, the best that can be done there now would be a new operating plan.

Keep the good news coming.

Bruce

 

[dakotafred]

See Fred Frailey's blog for other developments. It's hard to take exception to most of Harrison's changes so far.

[cptrainman]

 When I started railroading 15 years ago, I was taught by the guys, “Keep the wheels turning this is how we earn our money, and never sluff a customer.” About the time Fred Green took over as CEO the mentality changed, “Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt”. This became our new slogan. It was thought that being number one in safety would create business as customers would line up to work with such a “safe” railroad.

Railroading is a business. It's about making money. To me it was obvious that if CN could offer a customer the same product as us at a far less cost, then obviously, the customer will go with CN. It is simple economics. Safety at the railroad is not the customer's concern. It's all about earning money.

I remember one time our employee website boasted that CP earned $300,000 for some safety award that nobody ever heard of before. Really! We earned $300,000 for safety but lost millions in business for safety. Does this make business sense?

I learned many years ago in college a basic marketing principle. It is the law of “diminishing returns”. For example, a farmer puts fertilizer on his field and sees a great improvement in his crops. “Well, this stuff is great”, he thinks. The farmer then puts more and more on his crops. Finally, he puts so much BS on his crops that they start to die. He can't figure it out. How can something so good ultimately be so bad? Easy, there can be too much of a good thing. At CP the old CEO must have been sleeping that day when they taught the law of “diminishing returns”. Our fertilizer was/is safety and we were/are drowning in it.

Enter Hunter Harrison. I and my coworkers at the operating level have the feeling (at least where I work) that we may start to railroad again. For years we have been scoffing at safety meetings about management's new safety initiative and how it will not work. “It will cost too much in productivity.” Finally, somebody sees it our way. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to go back 15 years in safety. That was crazy then. But today is just as crazy in the opposite sense. There must be a balance.

What has Hunter done so far? Here are the rumours that are circulating. I cannot confirm with my own eyes, but I do have a source that is closer to the big picture than I am.

1. Cancelled all assignments in Toronto and Lethbridge, AB. I don't know why but I speculate that either they were two terminals that were more union friendly, or the operating plan was so poor he just decided to wipe the slate clean and start over again.

2. Closed two smaller intermodal yards, one in Toronto and one in Chicago. The Chicago story is interesting. It seems the manager in Chicago had decided that Bensenville was operating at more than capacity. Hunter asked him who decided what capacity is? He said, “I did.” Hunter responded that we are closing this other facility and if it does not work, ok, we will open it again, but if Bensenville can handle all the work, then its your job. Nice. Finally, management will be accountable for their actions. Finally!

3. Closed a shop facility in Ontario that had 12 employees and only 2 trains a day.

4. He is redesigning the operating plan.

5. Getting on and off moving equipment at 4 mph. Finally. Four mph is walking speed. Coming to a full stop to get on and off was not only time wasting but also a waste in fuel. The story here is that when Hunter witnessed this action by a conductor he asked what was going on. One of his senior operating managers said it was a Transport Canada rule. That was a big mistake. That was either a blatant lie or the manager does not know the rules. Either way it can't be good.

6. Increase the speed of inter terminal transfers from 15mph to track speed. I guess the carmen will get a lot busier. Haven't seen it yet but it makes sense.

7. Closed or will close all hump operations in Canada.

This is what I know. I am sure there is a lot more going on that I don't know about.

As predicted we are starting to see the managers flinch.

I don't know how long it will take for these changes to show up on the bottom line, but I bet it will only be 1 or 2 quarters before our bottom line starts to improve.

Overall, in my opinion, I like what I see. However, I do know that the employees affected by his changes are feeling the pressure of an insecure future. I fully expect to feel the pinch myself in the sense that I will be back on the ground pulling pins rather than sitting at the control stand.

At least I will have a job.