I suppose this CNSF has more railroads in it than letters…Santa Fe, BN, CN and COSCO…
(I only have the March)
So, what would you like to see in the May issue of Trains Magazine?
what year?
…Yes, 250 billion per year…Alarming…! It will only get worse if we soon don’t do something to slow it or try to turn it around…I wonder when we’ll try to start doing that…China and some other Asians will bury us if that trend is not slowed or stopped.
90(+) pages…
COSCO is “owned” by the People’s Republic of China Army. Instead of taxing all the peasants the government assigned businesses to the various military branches so they would have an income stream. So all of that revenue from the shipping containers goes to purchasing everything from bootlaces to nuclear weaponry for the Chinese Army. Just something else to keep in mind while you are trackside.
If we take it to the logical extreme, Montana grain farmers are aiding and abetting the Chinese Army.
Captive rates for Montana grain shippers on BNSF - which go to pay for capacity expansion on BNSF’s import intermodal LA-Chicago speedway - which makes it that much easier for Chinese goods to enter our markets - which means more profits for COSCO - which means more cash for the Red Army.
No wonder those drunken red neck ilks hate Montana farmers!
So the Montana farmers are actually financing the Chinese Army.
If they stopped shipping grain on the BNSF, there would be no money to put in the Transcon, COSCO profits would drop and the Chinese Army would collapse for lack of funds. You would think that for the love of country, the farmers would stop shipping their grain.
Of course, with open access COSCO could run their own trains and cut out the middle man.
A Map of the Month, showing how much is left, and who operates, the Milwaukee Road, or the Rock Island, or the NYC.
The return of the Annual Motive Power Survey, listing all locomotive deliveries during 2005. Also a look at the roster of one of the Big 4 systems, showing where the locomotives are based for maintenence and what kind of service they are assigned to.
Fallen Flags - Part 5 by J David Ingles. The first 4 parts were in the 4-74, 5-74, 6-74 and 1-84 Trains.
A Fred Frailey article on Class 1 operations. Perhaps focusing on the Chicago-KC corridor or the El Paso-Colton Sunset Route.
An article on a Regional or Shortline, with a roster and a map.
An article on a city with more than 3 railroads and preferably with Amtrak, writen like the Trackside guides. New Orleans was just covered in CTC Board, and Pittsburgh in R&R. Perhaps Philly, Cleveland or Memphis.
An article on William Woodard, father of Super-power.
A sequel to this article-
4-8-0s to Mallets to Jawn Henry
Trains, October 1984 page 34
motive power development on Norfolk & Western
( N&W, “POND, C. E.”, STEAM, ENGINE, LOCOMOTIVE, TRN )
detailing the dieselization process on N&W.
The first in a series of articles on geared steam by Jim Wrinn, detailing Shays.
So I have sort of lost the connection here. Just who are you calling a drunken red neck ilk so I will know if I should feel personally offended or if I should stick up for some other group. Are you trying to pick a fight on the weekend while Bergie is away or what?
Well, since this is Murphy’s topic, let’s all do our best to keep this away from a pissing match…
My post is tongue in cheek [:p] for those of you who don’t know what sarcasm is…that being said…
The point being made is that it is mostly domestic producers such as Montana grain growers) who are subjected to captive rates, while overseas importers are immune to captive rates. And since BNSF feels it is fit to take those captive profits and use them to build up the import corridors rather than the export corridors, the indirect effect is that Montana farmers who utilize BNSF are providing the necessary funds which make it easier for overseas imports to be brought into the US. COSCO is one of many container lines which thus benefit from BNSF’s market skewing, and if indeed COSCO is a de facto subsidiary of the Red Chinese Army…(feel free to connect the dots).
And under open access, COSCO would receive no further benefits since they already are the recipients of cut throat shipping rates from BNSF, et al. But the Montana farmes would receive substantial benefits since they would now have intramodal competition to bring down their shipping rates. It’s basic economics of a true free enterprise system unchained from the monopolistic tendencies that sometimes occur under partial deregulation (such as Staggers).
Since most of you who are opposed to intramodal competition still can’t grasp it, all we want for our
C’mon arbfbe, you know my stand on Montana farmers (and domestic producers in general) as it relates to the ongoing rate disparity. As Rush Limbaugh sometimes does, it is sometimes useful to illustrate non-sensical status quo with an absurb analogy to get the point across.
The “drunken red neck ilks” in this metaphor are those who claim patriotism, yet are themselves willing participants in disparaging the USA in their support for the anti-US rate discrimination being employed by the railroads. Admittedly, some of them probably are dumb enough to try and blame Montana farmers when and if the US gets into a military confrontation with Communist China.
I once had an old an aunt, who had the dreadfull habit of turning every conversation to revolve and her, and her many real, and imagined health problems. Thank God,she had no interest in open access, BNSF, or Montana freight rates.
Seriously, What articles would YOU like to see in future issues of Trains Magazine?
“Now, if only TRAINS would take a page from the spirit of David P. Morgan and give a willing analysis of the import/export rate disparity brought about by Staggers…”
That’d be a good start.
[/quote]
“Now, if only TRAINS would take a page from the spirit of David P. Morgan and give a willing analysis of the import/export rate disparity brought about by Staggers…”
That’d be a good start.
[/quote]
Some time back, on a different thread,you said some less-that-flattering things about DPM, and his perspective of the railroads. So you like the spirit of his writing, but not the perspective? Isn’t that something like saying you like the work of Steinbeck, but don’t like what he wrote?[:-,]
“Now, if only TRAINS would take a page from the spirit of David P. Morgan and give a willing analysis of the import/export rate disparity brought about by Staggers…”
That’d be a good start.
[/quote]
Some time back, on a different thread,you said some less-that-flattering things about DPM, and his perspective of the railroads. So you like the spirit of his writing, but not the perspective? Isn’t that something like saying you like the work of Steinbeck, but don’t like what he wrote?[:-,]
[/quote]
Let’s not split hairs here, because content of writing and content of magazine submissions are two different things.
Can you tell us exactly what I said about DPM that you found so disparaging? From what I remember, Micheal Sol correctly pointed out that DPM was an excellent writer, but not any kind of expert in railroad engineering profiles. DPM’s opinions on which railroads were best were based on his perspective as a railfan, not as an expert in professional engineering.
What I have said about DPM’s tenure as editor of TRAINS was that I appreciated his willingness to explore topics that were taboo in the railroad culture (such as open access, wider track guage, etc.), and to bring in writers such as John G. Kneiling who regularly rocked the boat.
Can’t one disagree with DPM’s POV’s and still find value in his oversight of TRAINS article content? Or are we all supposed to march in lock step with every thing he wrote in unquestioned obediance?
Try not to get too upset by the comments of FM. After all he is the house ditto head and as such he will employ the tactics of the political and religious right. Such things as calling people unpatriotic when they disagree with the political agenda of the right wing or accusing people of hatred when they don’t share the accuser’s beliefs are common.
There is actually a biblical source for the hate idea as the disciples were warned that they would be hated when they evangelized in far off lands. Some still believe that any criticism of views or beliefs comes only from hatred.
I don’t think that I hate anybody. At least I hope that is the case. I know for sure that I don’t hate Montana farmers. I don’t think it rises to a level of hatred, however I must confess that I rather dislike people who accuse me of hating someone with whom I disagree.
“Admittedly, some of them probably are dumb enough to try and blame Montana farmers when and if the US gets into a military confrontation with Communist China.”
Hmmm, do we have our first contestant here?[}:)]
jeaton, next time you have access to a dictionary, try and look up “sarcasm”.
I don’t know about y’all, but My folks are Montana farmers. I live in the south, so does that make me a drunken red-neck Montana farmer? AntiGates, I like the photo about Wal*Mart. They have a BIG investment in China.
But – the problem with China is a LOT bigger than most people have even dreamed about.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_Warfare
The second one’s kind of ironic isn’t it?
[8D]