CP Rail COO resigns effective immediately

RhB_HJ Oct 2, 2012

  1. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9
    Not really a surprise, but a darn shame!

    http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/01/cp-rail-chief-operations-officer-franczak-steps-down/

    The statement that the position will not be filled speaks volumes i.e. E. Hunter Harrison (The Flatlander) will try to run the whole shebang all by himself. It will be interesting times when Winter rolls around and the sledding gets tough in the mountains. The Gordian Knot on the CPR is buried in the mountains i.e. Kicking Horse and Rogers Pass. No finagling of any kind will change that, it rules power positioning and train length in a big way, not to mention the amounts of snow and the effort required to keep the line open. "The Flatlander" may issue orders to his heart's content, the CP will never be the CN, even if he stands on his head.
     
  2. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

    5,508
    2,011
    98
    You know, it's very interesting, I've talked to a fair number of CP employees current and former. All levels and one thing I can say is. As far as CP employees are concerned EHH is going to make the CP 100% while also completely destroying it through incompetence.

    Seriously though, the active employees seem very split. There was little love lost for previous management among them.
     
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,734
    653
    And it gets more interesting. We shall see how it unfolds, possibly by this summer.
     
  4. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9
    But first they have to get through the winter.


    :rolleyes:

    I'm just waiting for "The Flatlander" to order some of that large DC power from EMD.

    :uhoh:

    Or some other equally "smart move".
     
  5. TrainboySD40

    TrainboySD40 TrainBoard Member

    257
    21
    22
    Living near the tracks, I worry that he'll pull the same stuff he did at BC Rail - Thinking that you can marshall cars the same way on a steep grade as on a flat.
     
  6. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

    5,508
    2,011
    98
    CP started looking at EMD again before Harrison came back.
     
  7. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,734
    653
    How is CP for power at present? Shortage? Many BO units?
     
  8. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

    5,508
    2,011
    98
    I know they are deadlining a lot of older EMD power, but they also ordered 500 some ECO rebuilds from EMD, so they are going to have a huge number of modern 2000-3000HP units. Should start showing up this month.

    They've also been rebuilding their SD60 fleet and some of the more functional SD40-2s are getting the CFR 1033 Tier 0+ upgrade with AESS and computer controls.
     
  9. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9
    @YoHo

    Looking doesn't mean buying.:wink:

    @ Boxcab E50

    30 ES44AC in delivery this year. 4400s is about all I ever see out here in the mountains. SD40-2 on MoW trains.

    @ Trainboy SD40

    That's what my fear is, too. Stupid crap like the Chekamus disaster and knowing that Transport Canada has only a "reactive" function i.e. lets have disaster and then issue orders, sure won't help.
     
  10. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

    5,508
    2,011
    98
    Granted, but that's not the point. Power purchase decisions are long term things and any decisions made in the near term started long before Harrison came on board.
     
  11. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9
    Quite true, that's the gist of my
    comment. As it looks it took CN a long time to get around to the realization that AC power is more efficient than DC. In my former life (back in 1972) I was at Sécheron SA in Geneva for a bit of training on 50HzAC to DC to variable frequency AC 3-phase chopper technology. One of my questions to the designer "How long before this will be used for heavy duty rail traction?" Answer: "We are working on it". When did CN order the first AC units?
    But I must admit it's not easy to get one's head around the max torque, max adhesion at min speed principle, unless one harks back to the steam age.
     
  12. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

    5,508
    2,011
    98
    I would point out that Norfolk Southern stayed with DC as well and they're hardly a flatlander railroad. Furthermore BNSF stuck with DC exclusively for all non-unit coal/grain traffic until quite recently and only switched, because they could get the AC units with 2 fewer Traction motors. BNSF doesn't exactly have a Flat railroad either.

    UP has no problem sending SD70Ms up Donner Pass on heavy freights.

    But the facts are that the economics of AC have become much better than they were even 10 years ago while at the same time EMD and GE are making it harder to buy DC. So I wouldn't expect EHH to switch to DC power at all.
     
  13. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9
    IMHO it's not about will it work (of course DC works), but how well does it work considering all factors that come into play and the alternatives that are available. This is similar to the to-DPU or not-to-DPU question.
     
  14. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

    5,508
    2,011
    98
    That's true.

    And I pointed out 3 railroads, UP, BNSF and NS that have concluded that DC works perfectly in mountain railroading.

    You are trying to use CN's purchasing of DC units as a cudgel. That somehow, because CN thought DC was the right traction system for their system that EHH would of course feel the same is true for CP.
    But there is nothing about DC traction that makes it universally unsuited to CP's system and there is no proof that EHH made the decision to purchase DC with no thought to the CN system.
    And There is no reason to believe that EHH would make a motive power choice based purely on the base cost...and even if he did, as I said, the base cost of DC is rising, because EMD and GE don't want to build them.

    My point is I'm rejecting your claim that EHH would chose DC traction "just because." When so many other factors are either being ignored or dismissed.


    EHH engenders a lot of strong opinions, especially over the way he has treated his employees, but nobody of note has ever accused him of being a bad businessman or an ignorant railroader.
     
  15. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9
    Where I come from, anyone who treats his employees with disrespect or worse is a lousy business man, just like anyone who doesn't listen to what the front line people have to say about the running of the railroad is an ignorant railroader. But as always that is strictly my opinion.

    BTW Looks like there are others - whoever they may be???? - holding similar opinions. http://www.fyouth.com/news/corporate-villain-of-the-month--hunter-harrison-january-2012

    :uhoh:
     
  16. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

    5,508
    2,011
    98
    That was a horribly written op-ed.

    Any time you start out calling someone villain of the month, you're not going to get me listening.
     
  17. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9
    That's why they say "Everyone is entitled to their opinion". ;) :)
     
  18. RhB_HJ

    RhB_HJ TrainBoard Member

    163
    0
    9

Share This Page