Living along a CP main in PA was like living next to a very busy short line. Terrible track work, the bottom of the bread basket engines and very short trains. But since the beggining of the year this has changed ten fold. Major track replacement projects on at least 50 miles of mainline. The addition of multiple sidings. Plus the addition by Canadian National and NS of 10,000 addtional tons per day ( about one train each way per railroad). This coming as a huge surprise since the line has been in terrible shape since it was reopened 7 years ago. There is now around 18 trains a day on the line ( 4 NS Trains) (4 CN Trains) ( 10 CP Trains) (2 Extra’s “coal trains”). This making for some very interesting railfanning. During the past 7 years of traffic on this line almost every CP train has had SD-40 after SD-40 but now its a rarity to see one, its all 90macs, AC’s, -9’s, and even some GEVO’s now. Its very impressive. From what I hear the future holds even more good news with talk of NS wanting to add even more traffic after the capacity projects are complete. But one thing is bugging me. CP is a small company with very little to spend on track repair. So where did they get the money for this? Ive heard alot about this around the area and from what I hear its all Canadian Nationals and Norfolk Southerns money and not CP’s. So we shall see, to me its looking like theres not much time left for CP’s southern district in the U.S. NS[:D]buyout? hmmmmmmmmmm.
“CP is a small company with very little to spend on track repair.” Can I ask you on what you base this statement? The Canadian Pacific Railway is a class I operation, and always has been. Canada probably would not exist today without the CPR. I wi***hat I lived in your area, for it is kind of rare to see anything lettered for the Canadian Pacific where I live.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
My statements are based on opinion of myself and fellow railfans around my area. I mean small in the respect of being one of the smallest class one railroads, but they are a very good company and I have nothing against them. But I do see some very interesting “things” happening on the U.S. side (D&H) portion of the railroad. This comment is not to offend any Canadian Pacific fans its just to get you thinking about their future in the U.S. this has nothing to do with CANADA or the Canadian Pacific in Canada. Its a thriving world class operation that I respect ( in CANADA) and other parts of the U.S.
CP is a small Class 1 in the northeast, as they are a western railway. They get their profit from hauling coal, grain, potash and sulphur to Vancouver for export. That is why they have acquired 642 AC locomotives over the last 10 years.
4 SD90MAC-H
61 SD9043MAC
20 SD9043MAC leased from CEFX
438 AC4400CW
59 AC4400CW leased from CEFX
60 ES44AC
The former D&H lines have not been successful for CP, and are now almost an open access railroad. Perhaps this is the future for secondary mainlines, with two or three railroads sharing a route. KCS and NS’s agreement on the Meridian Speedway may have resulted from this.
Where in PA do you live? I live North of Philly.
That’s funny, I will be heading up to Steamtown soon but I don’t know how soon.
Dale has some interesting points. To add a bit to the thread, however…
The old D&H spine line from Montreal (well, Rouses Point) to Harrisburg, more or less, was sort of an orphan. With apologies to those who live at both ends, while both ends are great places, Montreal was and is a major hub of east-west Canadian railroading, and central PA kind of belonged to the PRR. Who went in between? Nobody. It has taken a while, and some really good joint trackage agreements, for Canadian Pacific to come up with ways to make this property into an asset, and they deserve a tremendous amount of credit for having done so, and for having the cojones to put their money into upgrading it. The upgrades, incidentally, are not just in PA – the line along Lake Champlain is also getting attention.
And as Canadian Pacific noted up above, Canada would simply not exist today if the Canadian Pacific railroad had not been built, or at least not as it is today: completion of the CP was a condition for British Columbia to become part of the the Commonwealht, and there is no doubt in my mind that the prairie provinces would have gone south, not east, had it not existed. It’s a tremendous story.
And last… I’ve been a CN man all my life, but CP has always given us a darn good run for our money, and still does. Being one of the 6 great Class I rail systems on this continent, and one of only two which goes coast to coast, all the way, is no small achievement. (OK – I can’t resist: CN is the only one which serves all Three coasts!)
Jamie,
You have some very good points, i will tell you living around the D&H main and now CP main has been an experience as it went from being a one train a day each way operation to a multiple train fully functioning thriving main line and it has been a pleasure to watch the transformation. But again I just feel the D&H has more potential as direct shot to Canada for NS than it does CP. From what I understand, personally knowing Canadian Pacific Employees. Norfolk Southern has already expressed interest in purchasing the line from Harrisburg(Sunbury) to Canada but CP was offering the line at to high of a price so they never went through with the deal. Lets not also forget that this line also has a conneciton to NYC and obviously New England two other essential locations for NS. Again it will be interesting to see what happens in the near future with the good old D&H.
upking – indeed it will. and NS is a right canny company, too. Whatever, it’s all good news for the D&H! CP, I think, regards the line as a good direct shot into the southeastern US – just the flip of NS’s thinking. So if they can get together on trackage rights…
Now how about rebuilding the Poughkeepsie bridge, getting trackage agreements with the little (really little!) Housatonic Railway, and getting both of them (NS and CP) into southern New England via Maybrook? Ah… maybe I’m dreaming again!
I believe the some of the money they are using comes from the old standy,
The Taxpayer.[sigh]
Very little, if any: Canadian Pacific is not a Crown corporation, and gets no Federal assistance. There may be some local money involved in grade crossings etc. – which are the responsibility of the local highwaymen anyway.