CFC ending...

[Todd Cline]

First off here, NOBODY better turn this thread into a political platform! That being said, it looks like the govt. has pulled the plug on the CFC program. Lets see how this short-lived program might/might not improve rail traffic here in Michigan. I hope to see a big upswing on the CN, ( I still consider it GTW), Been awfully dead around here lately, I hope we see more traffic this fall. I don't want to see any political opinions here, I just want to hear about any upswing in traffic on the CN. Thank you for your indulgence, and lets all just get along....

Todd

[GreatLakesRailfan]

I'm attempting to avoid the political bs...

I think the major factor that will affect CN's traffic will be the purchase decisions of those who have been able to get back to work due to the increased demand for automobiles. If they pay off their bills and save a bit of money keeping in mind that the CFC program is ending and the potential effect that will have on the auto industry, I don't think we'll see much change in CN's current traffic levels (or any railroad's, for that matter). If they throw caution to the wind and resume their consumeristic ways of the past, we may see a few more containers moving by rail, full of consumer goods. For a while.

[TSB]

Da#m Canadien government won't let us call it GTW.

[KenB]

What does the Canadian Government have to do with not calling the GTW the GTW? The Canadian National is an inversor owned railroad and I'am doing quite well with the stock I own in it.

[GTWFRED]

Saw a long and I mean loooong string of empty autoracks (couldn't get a car count) led by a CP loco on the CSX eastbound through Lansing yesterday, hoprfully a good sign. I never saw that many autoracks on CSX track, here.

[TSB]

What does the Canadian Government have to do with not calling the GTW the GTW? The Canadian National is an inversor owned railroad and I'am doing quite well with the stock I own in it.

I left the GTW on 3 July 1987. I was Treasurer and Director of Finance of GTW and Treasurer of GTC (holding company for all US possesions of CN.) Shortly thereafter the Caniadien government (100% owner) repatrioted the organization and the GTW was reabsorbed into CN. Many functions were transfered back to Canada that were sent stateside in 1971 and 2 when we Americans were recruited and given authority. CN went public long after that but my statement remains true.

The short answer is that I was just ragging Todd.

[TrainWatcher]

Saw a long and I mean loooong string of empty autoracks (couldn't get a car count) led by a CP loco on the CSX eastbound through Lansing yesterday, hoprfully a good sign. I never saw that many autoracks on CSX track, here.

X500 Fred. Normally they have freight too, but yesterday they only had racks, not rare, but its a good sign all the same.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

And an ending thought...$3.50 gas and everyone working? Or $2.20 gas and unemployment? Where does it end?
The only thing about CNBC is Erin Burkette and the other women talking away...about what?
Dano

How many people are still paying the credit card bills for the gas they burned when gas was $3.50 or more per gallon last year? Throw in the fact that Americans had to spend so much more of their incomes on gas last year that normally would have been spent on other things, and the "trickle down" effect is that those working for companies who went under when their customers had to buy gas instead of their product are now (mostly) unemployed. I'd hate to think what things would be like by now if gas hadn't gone back down for a while.

[anumber1]

I don't wanna be the $6 gas champion but...

It makes rail/inter-modal work. It makes team tracks make sense. I makes a warehouse sound better to the bean counters than "just-in-time". All good for us rails. If I am running trains, I can afford to commute.

Boats shipping cast iron from third world countries is wasteful. Having third world countries make everything is.... well...

[DLM]

From Dok's earlier post on TOFC intermodal traffic being down.

TOFC is down beacuse railroads are increasing TOFC rates, Scheinder and Hunt are getting rid of TOFC trailers in favor of containers, and LTL and UPS 28' pup volumes are off. At this point in time, most general use intermodal trailer fleets have been phased out. I would guess I have not loaded one in 5 years for my customers as container rates are so much lower. Pretty much thes only companies using TOFC are the LTL trucklines and UPS. But I sure miss the days when my customers could load 47,500 lbs. of can goods, wine, or paper into a 45' trailer.

COFC carloadings is now the better number to watch.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Maybe it's just me but from the looks of the trains I saw today, the majority of the TOFC trailers were Roadway/Yellow (LTL?) and Fedex. I haven't been seeing nearly as much UPS recently as I've seen in the past.