Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS Network Operations Center

Interesting read on Norfolk Southers new NOC in Atlanta

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/class-i/at-norfolk-southern-automation-is-driving-information/

 

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

Thank you for the link.
Interesting read, like a supplier's sales brochure.
All the politically correct photos and incomprehensible techno babble.
I wonder what audience it is meant for.

No mention of Amtrak Nos. 19 and 20 performance.
Perhaps some programmer mistakenly entered Amtrak trains into the Movement Planner as local freights.

Good to see that NS has hitched their dispatching wagon to GE which itself is circling the drain as its stock approaches $0.00 due
to mismanagement. NS has already hitched its corporate wagon to the dearly departed spiritual leader of all railroads: EHH.  Does
anyone have a Harrison Dispatching Center yet?

Funny, I didn't see any positive quotes from the migrant workers, I mean train dispatchers.  
 

Says Cheng ( Clark Cheng, NS Senior Director of Operations Research), “We want to be a tech company that runs trains, using technology to solve problems in a traditional industry.”

Interesting quote. I'd rather they were a logistics and transportation company focused on my movement needs. For many years the railroads have said "we are a railroad, we run trains". That's not really where it's at...... now they want to be a tech company that runs trains. Tech for the sake of tech maybe. Still not focused on the end game.

This is what happens when you allow Wall Street to sit in the driver's seat of the company in question...

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/18 07:14 by ns1000.

train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Says Cheng ( Clark Cheng, NS Senior Director of
> Operations Research), “We want to be a tech
> company that runs trains, using technology to
> solve problems in a traditional industry.”
>
> Interesting quote. I'd rather they were a
> logistics and transportation company focused on my
> movement needs. For many years the railroads have
> said "we are a railroad, we run trains". That's
> not really where it's at...... now they want to be
> a tech company that runs trains. Tech for the sake
> of tech maybe. Still not focused on the end game.

Exactly. Technology is supposed to be a tool to make things better. Now the real purpose of the business is an excuse to use technology. Sad fact is, sometimes it actually gets in the way of making things better, cheaper or faster which is the only reason for it (technology) in the first place.

It is like saying I want to start selling product through a pyramid scheme, now what can I sell?

Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/18 09:37 by NYSWSD70M.

> This is what happens when you allow Wall Street...

Wall Street makes the world go round, and has for the last 125 years. Fact of life. Without Wall Street the RRs as we know them wouldn't exist. Having Wall Street men in charge of RRs is nothing new. 

ctillnc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > This is what happens when you allow Wall
> Street...
>
> Wall Street makes the world go round, and has for
> the last 125 years. Fact of life. Without Wall
> Street the RRs as we know them wouldn't exist.
> Having Wall Street men in charge of RRs is nothing
> new. 

True. But as Lee Iaccoca pointed out, Wall Street's role used to be to finance ideas and producers, not to control and dictate management policy.

Posted from Android

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ctillnc Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > This is what happens when you allow Wall
> > Street...
> >
> > Wall Street makes the world go round, and has
> for
> > the last 125 years. Fact of life. Without Wall
> > Street the RRs as we know them wouldn't exist.
> > Having Wall Street men in charge of RRs is
> nothing
> > new. 
>
> True. But as Lee Iaccoca pointed out, Wall
> Street's role used to be to finance ideas and
> producers, not to control and dictate management
> policy.
>
> Posted from Android

Where would you classify the Harrimans and Van Sweringens?

Wall Street or railroaders

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NYSWSD70M Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ctillnc Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > > This is what happens when you allow Wall
> > > Street...
> > >
> > > Wall Street makes the world go round, and has
> > for
> > > the last 125 years. Fact of life. Without
> Wall
> > > Street the RRs as we know them wouldn't
> exist.
> > > Having Wall Street men in charge of RRs is
> > nothing
> > > new. 
> >
> > True. But as Lee Iaccoca pointed out, Wall
> > Street's role used to be to finance ideas and
> > producers, not to control and dictate
> management
> > policy.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Where would you classify the Harrimans and Van
> Sweringens?
>
> Wall Street or railroaders

They were robber barons, but they did let their roads do what they had to do to keep moving freight and the C&O for it's part had an active R&D office that actually invented many things we take for granted now. The Harrimans and Van Sweringens knew you had to do a job and provide a service to make your money. 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NYSWSD70M Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ctillnc Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > > This is what happens when you allow Wall
> > > Street...
> > >
> > > Wall Street makes the world go round, and has
> > for
> > > the last 125 years. Fact of life. Without
> Wall
> > > Street the RRs as we know them wouldn't
> exist.
> > > Having Wall Street men in charge of RRs is
> > nothing
> > > new. 
> >
> > True. But as Lee Iaccoca pointed out, Wall
> > Street's role used to be to finance ideas and
> > producers, not to control and dictate
> management
> > policy.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Where would you classify the Harrimans and Van
> Sweringens?
>
> Wall Street or railroaders

The Harriman's bought the Union Pacific out of bankruptcy and built it into an extremely strong, well capitalize entity. They even helped do the same with the SP until they were forced to divest. They invested money and resources long before they expected a return. As a reward, they profited from it all.

The Van's built a house of cards on borrowed money but they did not really exploit the property in the name of personal enrichment. Their purchase of the C&O enabled them to finance the purchase of other properties to build an empire. However it was never about rape the property and leave behind a shell. It didn't end well for the Van' but many of the properties were in much but shape because of them.

Also, the Harriman jumped in and got their hands dirty running the property. The Van's did too but it wasn't their own money. They controlled Allegheny (or was it Allegany) as long as they kept up with the payments.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/18 10:00 by NYSWSD70M.

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
snip
> >
> > Where would you classify the Harrimans and Van
> > Sweringens?
> >
> > Wall Street or railroaders
>
> They were robber barons, but they did let their
> roads do what they had to do to keep moving
> freight and the C&O for it's part had an active
> R&D office that actually invented many things we
> take for granted now. The Harrimans and Van
> Sweringens knew you had to do a job and provide a
> service to make your money

Yes.

That is a basic obligation of most owners. Like it or not, Many owners have given investment bankers and hedge funds oversight of their shares.

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > NYSWSD70M Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > ctillnc Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > > This is what happens when you allow Wall
> > > > Street...
> > > >
> > > > Wall Street makes the world go round, and
> has
> > > for
> > > > the last 125 years. Fact of life. Without
> > Wall
> > > > Street the RRs as we know them wouldn't
> > exist.
> > > > Having Wall Street men in charge of RRs is
> > > nothing
> > > > new. 
> > >
> > > True. But as Lee Iaccoca pointed out, Wall
> > > Street's role used to be to finance ideas and
> > > producers, not to control and dictate
> > management
> > > policy.
> > >
> > > Posted from Android
> >
> > Where would you classify the Harrimans and Van
> > Sweringens?
> >
> > Wall Street or railroaders
>
> They were robber barons, but they did let their
> roads do what they had to do to keep moving
> freight and the C&O for it's part had an active
> R&D office that actually invented many things we
> take for granted now. The Harrimans and Van
> Sweringens knew you had to do a job and provide a
> service to make your money. 

I understand your point but I always thought of the "Robber baron's" as those that raped the property and left it for dead. Harriman, Hill and the Van's got into it for the long haul.

They may have been looking for "excessive profits" but who's call is that? Are Buffet, Jobs, Bezos, etc "Robber barons"?



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/18 08:02 by NYSWSD70M.

train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Says Cheng ( Clark Cheng, NS Senior Director of
> Operations Research), “We want to be a tech
> company that runs trains, using technology to
> solve problems in a traditional industry.”
>
> Interesting quote. I'd rather they were a
> logistics and transportation company focused on my
> movement needs. For many years the railroads have
> said "we are a railroad, we run trains". That's
> not really where it's at...... now they want to be
> a tech company that runs trains. Tech for the sake
> of tech maybe. Still not focused on the end game.

Oh boy... this is not good

YES!  YES!  YES!  You nailed it! 

=============================================================


train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Says Cheng ( Clark Cheng, NS Senior Director of
> Operations Research), “We want to be a tech
> company that runs trains, using technology to
> solve problems in a traditional industry.”
>
> Interesting quote. I'd rather they were a
> logistics and transportation company focused on my
> movement needs. For many years the railroads have
> said "we are a railroad, we run trains". That's
> not really where it's at...... now they want to be
> a tech company that runs trains. Tech for the sake
> of tech maybe. Still not focused on the end game.

Yardplanner will be epic!  Can't wait to see those dwell times!  Let me guess Roanoke or Linwood first?

SOU3921 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yardplanner will be epic!  Can't wait to see
> those dwell times!  Let me guess Roanoke or
> Linwood first?

Dwell times are absolutely on Wall Street's radar. And customers'

Posted from Android

Lose customers and dwell times come down too....???!!!!!

Who needs pesky customers to have a RR...as long as the people at the top are making money??!!

Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/18 04:41 by ns1000.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SOU3921 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yardplanner will be epic!  Can't wait to see
> > those dwell times!  Let me guess Roanoke or
> > Linwood first?
>
> Dwell times are absolutely on Wall Street's
> radar. And customers'
>
> Posted from Android

I couldn't care less about dwell times. I have never had a plant manager ask "how many hours/days was my car in Buffalo"? Total transit time from origin to destination is what counts.

How do those differ? As an example, if one time NS routes the car (from a UP Chicago interchange) Elkhart to Bellevue, OH to Buffalo to Corning, it sees three yards. This will result in slow service even if the dewel times are relatively low. By comparison, if the cars move directly to Bellevue and sit three times as long (but in only one yard) the cars will still generally arrive sooner. Worse yet the point to point transit time in never consistent with either the loads or empties. As a result, planning is impossible when compared to a truck or other modes.

The subject of dwell time comes up occasionally in earnings calls. Most analysts have channel checks with customers to validate observations, management. Etc.

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The subject of dwell time comes up occasionally in
> earnings calls. Most analysts have channel checks
> with customers to validate observations,
> management. Etc.
>
> Posted from Android

It is the only metric they can or are willing to measure because they don't dare measure total transit time. Dewel has meaning for the Railroads. Not very useful for the customer.