I just saw this article on line. Too bad!
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadas-biggest-model-railway-masterpiece-built-over-decades-113008768.html
Hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s day.
Dave
penny wise, pound foolish. How much will the higher rent REALLY add to a corproation’s bottom line? .00001%? No one will notice the difference. But the era of good will is over, no one seems to really care anymore, in either direction.
I hope they can find someplace new to build again. Been there, done that - the club I used to belong to, once we got the layout well on the way, the landlord decided to triple the rent, assumign we were captive. A sawzall is a nifty tool… and he greatly underestimated the neighbors - he had a tough time leasing the building after we left, because any time a prospective tenant looked at the building, one of the neighbors related the story. Most of them left. It all worked out as the club found a buildign to buy outright and now has a far larger permanent home better than what the shady landlord was giving them
–Randy
This is one reason why it’s somehow ingrained in my blood to detest CN.
CN is just as cut throat as UP.
I just looked at photos of the layout and it is really something. The article said it took 40 minutes to loop the entire track so for those more mathematically inclined than me: I multiplied the 40 minutes by 87 (1:87) and then divided by 60 min/hour and came up with a figure of 58 hours. Does this mean it takes 58 scale hours for a train to traverse the entire layout? That’s pretty impressive.
Wayne
It hasn’t ruint my day exactly, but in a fraternal way I am feeling disappointed for fellow modelers and at the actions of CN. It’s a growing and avaricious trend World Wide amongst the Big Business community that the bottom line is all that is important to them with never a thought now-a-days for them to give something back to the community from whom their business benefits. Maybe that’s a generalization, who knows, but skirting the obvious response that it’s CN land then its their right do what ever they like with it - it does seem to me that it’s just another rusty rail spike along the way where a, business decision, is for its own sake, all that is important to them. In today’s world, and its been this way for a while now, the comment espoused by Julie Senecal, a spokeswoman for CN who it was reported to have said in part, "CN had a long-standing relationship with them, it was a good relationship. But basically we had to re-evaluate the lease and come to a decision” Its an often heard example of this corporate belief where all that matters is that it’s a business decision and that makes it all right and screw every body else. Nothing personal, its just business!
Perhaps the rascals at CN see the change in land use from industrial to residential – I guess to trendy and expensive loft apartments and condos to be an opportunity to maximize their income stream. All I can say is that I’m glad I don’t have the same thoughts that these indu
Ok, now I’m really impressed after watching the following video of a camera on board one of their trains. The video demonstrates the extent and complexity of this layout and although the camera hits the scenery once in a while it doesn’t stop the engineer from opening up the throttle a few times for a very interesting ride:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AmfmCanadaCentral
Wayne
I share the concern about Corporate greed, but the Board of Directors would be negligent in their duties for not maximizing the profits (legally) for the benefit of the shareholders. It’s a shame, but that is just business in the corporate world where at times people get run over by this corporate monolith.
Wayne
5 years. If the article’s facts are right, and I don’t know why they would or wouldn’t be, the club knew that things would be changing in 5 years. Do I feel sad they have to tear down? Of course, but I cannot fault CN for giving them a 5 year notice that something was goign to give. It’s a heck of a lot more time than many clubs get from landlords.
OMG, you have to be kidding me, and it’s all the railroad’s fault. Wow, how ironic is that. It’s all about the money, nothing else.
It’s everwhere, corporations are taking over our lives. We have to sit there and watch their stupid TV commercials all day long, we have to watch the NFL, NBA, MLB, and any other sport being destroyed by corporations.
It doesn’t matter, Corporate America, Corporate Canada, etc. It’s a sad, sad world we live in.
And there in lays the truth of it - in corporate eyes, that is. The old chestnut they also bust out in explaining their often heartless decision making is that they are obliged to operate in the interests of their shareholders. It’s nonsense really because corporates do much in their decision making that does not look after the shareholders, but instead rewards other areas of interest that a companies board may identify as being prudent, or of self interest.
The alternating campaign cries from these folks is, Its a business decision - or, we are only acting in the best interests of our shareholders when in fact greed and self interest and the accumulation of increasingly large, yet often unjustified, bonuses are of singular importance to these people.
Often shareholders meetings are a place where a companies chairman seeks a vote from the shareholders for yet another big increase in directors fee’s and bonuses - even when the company has not performed all that well.
An example closer to home than Canada is when various companies went to Washington looking for public support or bail outs and they saw no irony is using bucket loads of this dough to pay directors and upp
Having pulled an A in Economics 101, the only thing I can say is, welcome to the real world.
Time was, a railroad company would write off the difference as part of the advertising budget. Now, it seems that railroads are trying hard to get and stay below the public radar. As an example, note the disappearance of owner identification from bridges and overpasses.
The other hand is, anyone who depends on charity, whether individual or organization, can expect the well to run dry at almost any time.
The smart maneuver would be for that club to buy a building outright, as Randy’s club did. In this depressed economy, there might be a bargain or two available - but not in an area where the industrial is giving way to high-end condos. Then they can rebuild, with decades of development to help them improve the original design.
Whatever they do, I wish them luck.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Not living in Canada, I don’t have all the pieces to this, but I don’t buy that. Teh club I was in was evicted by Chessie. They now have their own building donated when a former clubmember passed away. That same clip went through a minor trimming. Those who chose to leave landed in a hobby shop. Raise your hand if you’ve had to move or abandon a layout. Again, I’m sorry they had to move, that will be a shame to lose such a massive layout. But CN’s not at any more fault than any other landlord in the world. They had a five year notice. The News headline that should’ve come out 4.5 years ago was “Canada’s largest Model Railway Seeks New Venue”.
Had CN said “Get out, you have two weeks.” Then I’d be right beside you lambasting them, they’d deserve it. As it is, Mom is currently renting our old house. For few other reasons than she wants out of it, she’s decided to sell it next year. Is she wrong?
This is one of the classic problems with clubs - the rent. All the really smart clubs BUY real estate so that no one can make them move. And, in the long run property ownership is often MUCH cheaper than even below market rent.
And personally, a downtown location would keep me away - as a visitor or a as a member.
I’m not interested in going downtown anywhere - loft neighborhood or not.
Sheldon
It’s sad that they lost their lease and I hope they find a new home.
But it’s no surprise. Corporations don’t operate for the benefit of the public, their neighbors, or their employees - despite their ads. They operate for the benefit of the President/CEO, the board of directors, and occasionally their stockholders. Otherwise they really don’t care. It’s all about maximizing the top guys’ incomes.
Paul
No, of course Moms not wrong. However, if she wa
Hobbies are about relaxation, sharing, teaching kids new things besides street violence, business, and corporations in particular are about taking as much in funds and property from people as possible. Oh well, won’t be around too many years longer to see what America becomes.
Bob
This is a pity. But I have to think that every club that rents its location, or is graciously “permitted” to occupy it for free or for $1 a year by a generous owner, is in an equally vulnerable posture. The same is true of railroad historical societies that rent space for archives and such, or depend on someone allowing use of their home. Things happen fast.
Last year a long-time club in Milwaukee lost its space when WK Walthers needed the warehouse space that was pure surplus when they first relocated to their current building. I was told the acquisition of LifeLike as well as the decision to carry Lionel and Maerklin, all contributed. But the club was always aware that this was a possibility. I don’t think anybody was screaming at Walthers about it, although the club did adopt something of a “you want the space? you figure out how to take this dang thing apart” attitude.
CN is taking heat because they are (frankly) such jerks in so many other respects.
From the CN’s perspective they may well have assumed that a planned disassembly of the layout started years ago when they gave their first notice. And the club may well have thought, what’s the difference how much time we have? The thing isn’t movable anyway. A character in one of Woody Allen’s movies once said "“Marriage is the death of hope” – but being a renter can rank right up there as a hope killer.
Dave Nelson
8:28
Those poor people getting hit by a gynormus camera!
David B
The club decided to let this slide for years. Any of the purported “suffering” is at their own hands. I hate it that companies are out to make money. I hate it more that the guys at the top are primarily in the quest of taking care of themselves first. But since I am no longer a child, I get to govern myself taking this knowledge into account.
Mike
So, how about MR doing a feature article on this club/layout before it is gone? Seems like a great one to do!
Sorry the layout has to go, but it is the time and place they are in. Lots of downtown areas are getting second lives, see Vancouver’s Yaletown for example. Sounds like CN gave them ample warning of changes, but oh the irony!