Running Bear's Coffee Shop XLIX

[logandsawman]

Good Morning,

32 and sunny right now, supposed to be mid 60's by Wed. Pretty tough being couped up inside an office on these first days of spring weather!

 

[montanan]

Thanks for the info. I'm really suprised that they are still running two different gauges over there. Sounds like it would cause a lot of extra work depending on where the goods are going.

 

[Boris]

Good Morning. 36°, and overcast this morning, with a few rain showers. I was surprised to observe a thin coating of snow on the ground and roof this morning. Where did that come from? Yesterday the forecast was for a sunny Monday, with showers on Tuesday. Going to 53°.

Milw: Yesterday, while researching a Soo Line box car, I stumbled on a little tidbit concerning the Milwaukee, and Soo Line's ultimate acquisition of a downsized Milwaukee, and divestiture of the Wisconsin Central, in 1985.

...." Around this time [post 1980] one of the competing Pacific Northwestern lines, the Milwaukee Road, made abizarre decision to abandon almost all of its [profitable] western main lines and unprofitable Midwestern branches to shrink down to a system of just over a 3,000 miles. While this plan worked to cut the railroad’s expenses it also made the Milwaukee a very sought after merger partner. Bidding again with the C&NW the Soo line this time won approval and took over the Milwaukee in 1985."...
source: http://www.american-rails.com/soo-line.html

FWIW: Conventional wisdom would indicate that the MILW Western Lines were losing money, but this statement contradicts conventional wisdom, and warrants further research for students of the Milwaukee Road.

Montanan: That Aussie locomotive is awesome. Compared to what we have on the Northeast Corridor, that Catenary looks flimsy, but obviously, it worked just as well. Appearance is deceiving.

The NJ Devils were eliminated from the playoff race last night, so all that is left is to see who wins the draft lottery. The Capitals are still hanging in there in a wild card position, with 6 (+ or -) games remaining. Rock the Red!

 

[logandsawman]

.

I was surprised to observe a thin coating of snow on the ground and roof this morning. Where did that come from

I think you got it from us. We had the same thing yesterday, and it was cool enough here that it lasted until noon.

 

[Milwaukee Road 113]

[QUOTE=WJLI26;384720]
Milw: Yesterday, while researching a Soo Line box car, I stumbled on a little tidbit concerning the Milwaukee, and Soo Line's ultimate acquisition of a downsized Milwaukee, and divestiture of the Wisconsin Central, in 1985.

...." Around this time [post 1980] one of the competing Pacific Northwestern lines, the Milwaukee Road, made abizarre decision to abandon almost all of its [profitable] western main lines and unprofitable Midwestern branches to shrink down to a system of just over a 3,000 miles. While this plan worked to cut the railroad’s expenses it also made the Milwaukee a very sought after merger partner. Bidding again with the C&NW the Soo line this time won approval and took over the Milwaukee in 1985."...
source: http://www.american-rails.com/soo-line.html

FWIW: Conventional wisdom would indicate that the MILW Western Lines were losing money, but this statement contradicts conventional wisdom, and warrants further research for students of the Milwaukee Road.[/QUOTE]

Thanks mate!
So, is the The Nation Pays Again: The Demise of The Milwaukee Road 1928-1986 – 1984 by Thomas H. Ploss, worth getting then?

 

[montanan]

I have no idea of what management was thinking when they wanted to abandon their Pacific northwestern lines. It was their money maker. Competing with all of the railroads in the midwest really didn't make sense.

 

[Milwaukee Road 113]

Have to agree Montanan, for what I've learned and am still learning, it was a bit of an odd decision...

 

[Milwaukee Road 113]

Looks interesting...

 

[Milwaukee Road 113]

http://www.bronx-terminal.com/

 

[montanan]

In the last years of the Milwaukee Road the management made so many bad decisions. If smart decisions would have been made, they might still be around.

 

[logandsawman]

Sometimes it feels like they purposely make bad decisions. They like to use the phrase "you don't see the big picture". I think the "big picture" is sometimes the "little picture" that makes someone's pockets fat.

 

[BigE]

Seems to me after reading all these historical posts of recent that the railroad industry, in general, has always suffered from a chronic case of piss poor management.
I can't think of any industry that has seen so many divestetures, bankruptcies and outright failures like rail transport.

I might go so far to say without government help and propping up, Amtrak would have been gone a long time ago. I recently compared a train ticket and an airline ticket. Not even close. Sure you don't get the coolness of a train ride but money still talks louder when you don't have it to burn.

Just my observations. Don't anyone get their panties in a wad.
E

 

[Milwaukee Road 113]

I drink to that BigE!

 

[logandsawman]

Big E--Nothing proves this out better than the early days of the Northern Pacific Railway. The first bankruptcy in 1873 credited to poor management by Jay Cooke, the second in 1893 by poor management by then president Thomas Oakes, who put in branch lines to nowhere.

What followed was internal feuding, court proceedings, and competition with the Great Northern. The Saga continued... All sorts of "big ego" struggles led to the final win out of James J Hill's grand plan of consolidating the GN with the NP finally happenned in 1970 (54 years after his death), and included the CB & Q, and the S P & S, creating Burlington Northern Railroad.

 

[Milwaukee Road 113]

Was the PC a victim of the same?

 

[logandsawman]

It sounds like "clashing corporate structures, incompatible computer systems, and union contracts" had a lot to do with the demise of the PC; which originated in the merger of PRR, NYC, and NH;

Additionally, the Interstate Highway System and overregulation of railways by the ICC handcuffed the railroads from adequately responding to market forces. Other forces, such as the decline of manufacturing; helped lead the PC to the nations sixth largest bankruptcy, also citing hurricane Agnes as the final nail in the coffin.

 

[GarryCBQ]

Never hid in the weeds, always in plain sight, or inside the tower. Weeds are infested with mosquitoes, , towers were (generally) air conditioned..

Worst time, was the day I had someone from the System Rules department and an FRA guy with me.....they really wanted to make an example of someone. So, we set up in the weeds, and waited. the only train that went by that night did everything by the book. My "guests" were so mad. WTF, it was Monday night, which was normally light on traffic. System guy should have known that. They never came out and bothered me again.

Joe ... That's funny. Thanks for sharing the story.

............

I like the photos of Australian locomotives.

I completed upgrading my AHM ore cars, and they should work fine with my ore cars made by Walthers and by Roundhouse.

I'm still busy doing taxes for people and doing honey-dos for Spring cleaning. ... Gotta wonder why I retired so I can do other people's stuff.

 

[montanan]

Good Morning,

32 and sunny right now, supposed to be mid 60's by Wed. Pretty tough being couped up inside an office on these first days of spring weather!

73 degrees here this afternoon. We'll send it your way as soon as we finish enjoying the warmth.

Here's a picture of a wrecked Milwaukee Road box cab at Garrison, MT in 1918

 

[montanan]

This one is for you LOUIS. You ashed for a picture of the B&O wagon top, and here it is. This is the first Fox Valley car I have ever bought and I like it. It also came with real Kadee couplers and metal wheels. Now all it needs is a bit of weathering and it will fit right in. Came last week and I forgot to get a pic for you.

 

[BigE]

[I also posted this in the structures and building section]

Anyone know where I can get one in HO?
Find me some plans to a British police call box and I'll scratch build one if needed.
Surely there has to be another Whovian around here?
E.