Luther Brefo wrote:Anchorman,
Whoever you may be, perhaps you did not understand me the first few times. I'm not locking this thread to appease anyone. I saw no reason to then and I see no reason to now. You guys are certainly pushing the right buttons though. It's almost as if some of you crave being forced to shut up.
As far as I know, the men and women(?) in Olean that "lost" their jobs didn't get removed from the NS payroll and instead were given options to transfer elsewhere on the NS system. Heck, I am sure some of them could have hired out with the WNYP if they so desired. It sounds to me like you were one of these guys if you are a railroader at all. It amazes me that you suggest NS provided better service on this line. If this were the case, why was the NS willing to let it go? It would seem that they would hold onto the ventures that were making them money and that they were happy with instead of what actually happened here. It appears to me that the NS looked forward, saw nothing but more dark clouds and decided to cut losses in a sense and hand it over to the up and coming WNYP even if it is only for a decade or so at a time.
LB - kudos to keeping the lively debate alive.
- also - pm sent
If you worked in a factory, and they decided to close, and you could bump within the company but to a different location, do you consider that losing your job? Some might not, but without any moving benefits or protection, I do. Of course they could've hired out with the WNYP. That was the only protection they got. Job offers that paid less with no protection and less benefits.
Yes I am a railroader(still am), and didn't work in Olean.
Service locals provide on a line has nothing to do with why NS got rid of it. Profitibility does. Still amazed? As another poster stated, Olean(DAL) tile is the only industry in Olean. In PA, you had Hawbaker, the Valley work, Pitt-Corning, and Ball Foster. Many others on the line went away for reasons I don't have the answers to(other than Granderson's burning). So from Machias to Driftwood you had 5 industries. That didn't support the stretch of railroad. The massive wreck on Keating Summit didn't help either. The H19 out of Olean did all these industries minimum of 3 days a week(in under 12 hours), with the H5w/H4w spotting Turtle Point. The reason you see the WNYP out there everyday is the BP/Driftwood interchange and recrews. Must be fun doubling and tripling the hill. Taking 2-3 crews to spot the Valley. As I'm sure you know, the NS still dispatches the line, and quite often I ask them how they're doing. It's gotten better as the crews get more qualified, but still not great.
I know most of you think that a shortline must provide better service than the big, mean class 1, but it's not always the case. Just because they have Alco's doesn't mean they know what they're doing. I really doubt NS will get the line back. I'll bet I never can run a real train down the Summit again, but don't sit there and type how great the world is when you have no idea about the line or what's really going on. I apologize if I came off rudely, but I'd be willing to bet WNYP won't get much more business on the line. Not much industry on it, unnless something moves in although I do know for sure their marketing dept. has GOT to be more aggressive than NS's.