First things first. I have no problem with the upcoming CP/KCS merger. I actually own some CP stock (handed down from my dad)…and even lived in Canada for four years. What I have a problem with is the new name. It appears that Canadian Pacific Kansas City is the choice. How small-minded. Canadian Pacific has been a dominant name in transportation on this continent for well over a century. Kansas City Southern is relatively unknown outside it service area. So…why not think big and call the merged system CANADIAN PACIFIC CONTINENTAL? Any thoughts?
In a different thread here, I stated that I think it should be named Canada America Mexico Railroad, and be known as CAM.
The naming of railroads consolidated into new larger companies the last 40 years hasn’t been the most important consideration. Or the most inspiring.
It’ll probably end up being just initials like CSX or BNSF. The letters once meant something, but no longer do.
Jeff
Or
American & Pacific
Oh, thats right A&P is taken so
Atlantic, Pacific & Gulf.
APG RR
I believe CPKC is intended to be the name of Canadian Pacific’s US subsidiary not the whole company
Doubt that CP will even mention KCS in there name, maybe they will go back to Canadian Pacific RailWAY, or Canadian Pacific & Panama Canal Railway.
Actually, they have already announced it’s Canadian Pacific Kansas City, CPKC. We’re just Monday-morning quarterbacking.
But what they chose is a lousy name.
Kansas Pacific is already taken, but resurrecting the Canada Southern name could work well. How about a few others.
Toronto, Hamilton & Mexico?
Calgary & Rio Grande Southern?
Kansas City, Mexico & Northern?
Mexico-Kansas-Canada?
International - Great Canadian?
The former TFM subsidiary could be renamed the International of Mexico, or perhaps Canadien Pacifique de Mexico (note spelling).
North American Railroad
Since we are discussing the merger, I will pivot slightly and hopefully not hijack the thread.
Has anyone read the 4400+ page application? Doubt it.
Has anyone read parts of the application? I made my way thru the first 1100 pages or so, not necessarily reading completely but skimming thru certain parts and carefully reading other sections.
Very interesting reading with considerable insite into the current operations for KCS and CP and the methodolgy for increasing business in 3 years. Can the marketing boys and girls pull this off? What will be the advantages of single line service? Will there be pushbacks from CN, UP, BNSF and others to retain business? How will the customer base react?
The application uses existing databases of freight movements, both rail and truck to identify potential conversions to the CPKC system and assigns probabilities of fulfilling those conversions.
This struck a chord with me as I have used that system in my 30 year sales career. As Dwight Eisenhower once said…something to the effect that ‘plans are worthless, but planning is invaluable.’ I found that to be true. Seldom did the plan workout exactly but the process usually result in a yearly sales number that was very accurate. Accurate results but inaccurate allocation.
What is extremely interesting is the data showing the train counts by subdivisions, traffic densities, and the maps. Current operations are outline, not by schedule but by scheduled trains. Projections were then built based on the sales and marketing projections along with new train symbols and origin/destinations/block operations.
Certain line segments will explode with new trains. For instance:
KCS south of KC (Pittsburg and Heavener subs) will increase from roughly 12 trains per day to 25 to 28 daily trains.
CP from Bensenville to Sabula from 2.9 trains to 11.1.
CP from Sabula to Davenport from 7
My town sits on a double mainline BNSF route. BNSF doesn’t exactly flow off the lips. That’s why, after 15 years, it’s still called Burlington around here.
For me, CPKC is the same. I can’t believe it will become the common way to call it.
And it is still the Santa Fe around Topeka.
To: Ed (MP173); Since you seem to have access to some of the CP/KCS info: I am curious to see how some ‘other’ KCS Trackages will opssibly ‘shake out’?
the ‘Meridian Speedway’ whoch is of course, Split with NS and KCS… and then there is its " Northern extension" which became part of the KCS property; if IIRC about Nov. of 1993 or '94 (?). It was orig part of GM&O/ICRR that ran from approximately Shreveport(La) East to connect with NS (trackage rights?) into Birmingham (?) Alabama. ( AKA “Merridian Speedway”). The Northern leg was the MidSouth Railroad, and later was AKA the Corinth and Counce RR ; which terminated in the area of Counce, Tn. (at that time there was a large paper mill, and a welded steel pipe manufacturer. Adjacent to waterway’s access of Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River system ) …
Not sure how much rail traffic there is for KCS in that market? Kind of interesting that CP/KCS will have a potential to posibly, access River traffic in an area that could be considered the “Deep South”. Could s be a tie-in with the current activities at the Post of Savanah , Ga. and their pushing for ‘Inland Ports’ to break up the traffic blockages on the East Coast Ports? Just curious. [:-^]
MP173:
I have been trying to download the full application to read it, but cannot find it. What is the link so I can download it or could you send me a copy at igoldberg1@earthlink.net. It will be greatly apprecitated.
Ira
I live in Baton Rouge, on the “L&A” portion of KCS…
Lasrt month, while spending the night in New Orleans prior to an extremely early flight, the hotel check-in desk had a “book” marked “Burlington”… and BNSF only got into New Orleans since the SP/UP combination…
The desk clerk told me that the “Burlington” book was, she thought, for Signal Maintainers, or perhaps some MOW personnel…
I’ve never had a problem with BNSF; I just pronounce it something like “bunsuff”.
Just now, when I saw CPKC, I saw the light: “cupcake”.
How about, ‘The Long Way’.
I do hope it’s successful. I wonder if anyone thinks about what the customer thinks, though.
sampf
The application is showing similar “growth” trains and tonnage for Meridian Speedway and the line north of Meridian.
Meridian is showing a decrease from 12.6 to 11.3 trains per day and the sub going north is steady at 2 trains per day.
I have family in Columbus, Miss and have casually observed that line. Wow, it was really in great condition, if memory serves me well. CWR and high ballast. Interesting area with considerable industry. My BIL works at the big steel mill there.
I will try to find the link to the report. I tried to email it to Ira and it was too big to email.
Ed
Found it…
Bill Stephens excellent 2 page summary of the 4400 page report complete with map showing increases in trains. It was in teh Nov 4th News.
I would really like to have a discussion on this application and thoughts concerning several items including:
-
Projected volumes.
-
Train count increases.
-
Infrastructure investment.
-
Other stuff
It is big read but lots of good stuff contained including data on current operations.
ed
[quote user=“MP173”]
Since we are discussing the merger, I will pivot slightly and hopefully not hijack the thread.
Has anyone read the 4400+ page application? Doubt it.
Has anyone read parts of the application? I made my way thru the first 1100 pages or so, not necessarily reading completely but skimming thru certain parts and carefully reading other sections.
Very interesting reading with considerable insite into the current operations for KCS and CP and the methodolgy for increasing business in 3 years. Can the marketing boys and girls pull this off? What will be the advantages of single line service? Will there be pushbacks from CN, UP, BNSF and others to retain business? How will the customer base react?
The application uses existing databases of freight movements, both rail and truck to identify potential conversions to the CPKC system and assigns probabilities of fulfilling those conversions.
This struck a chord with me as I have used that system in my 30 year sales career. As Dwight Eisenhower once said…something to the effect that ‘plans are worthless, but planning is invaluable.’ I found that to be true. Seldom did the plan workout exactly but the process usually result in a yearly sales number that was very accurate. Accurate results but inaccurate allocation.
What is extremely interesting is the data showing the train counts by subdivisions, traffic densities, and the maps. Current operations are outline, not by schedule but by scheduled trains. Projections were then built based on the sales and marketing projections along with new train symbols and origin/destinations/block operations.
Certain line segments will explode with new trains. For instance:
KCS south of KC (Pittsburg and Heavener subs) will increase from roughly 12 trains per day to 25 to 28 daily trains.&