1 minute read
The Little l?ain That Gouldn't
When the Union Pacific Railroad and the Southern Pacific Railroad merged in 1996 it was heralded as the beginning of a new level of service. It was all that and more. The problem is that it's been poor service, slow freight, delayed delivery, lost cars, you name it.
After more than six months of earnest promises by the Union Pacific followed by continued poor performance, shippers are still plagued by inadequate service. How bad it is depends on what part of the country is involved.
In the West, shippers generally agree the situation is brightening. Rail points at Klamath Falls, Or., Roseville and Colton, Ca., are seemingly moving toward normal service levels, though reports of delays in spotting cars, tracking cars and the occasional lost car persist. Horror stories are fewer.
In the South, the mess is far worse. In a recent announcement the UP and the Burlington Northern said they would jointly dispatch cars in areas of Texas and Louisiana. Thev also would share track ownership in the 342-mile line between Houston and New Orleans once owned by the Southern Pacific. More than a few shippers and government officials saw the latest plan as a license to stall. Ironically, the announcement came on the heels of a National Industrial Transportation Board meeting to discuss rail problems in the West.
Union Pacific said it intends to spend more than $570 million in two years upgrading operations in Texas and Louisiana where problems have been the worst.
Customers and critics have even called for dismantling the merger between Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific Rail Corp. Some even accuse the road ofbeing less than forthright about its spending plans, saying monies allocated for improvements are what the UP planned to spend anyway and are not really for overcoming the present problem.
For the nation's largest railroad that light at the end of the tunnel may simply be a stalled train.
I " Yellow Pine Boords 'C', 'D', #2 l" Yellow Pine Boords (Potierns)
2x4 thru 2x12#1, #2, #3 MS Yellow Pine
1u,2u, 4',6" Yellow Pine Wolmonized l" Ponderoso Pine Boords'C','D', #2, #3
2" Doug Fit #2 & Better, Utility
2" Spruce Pine Fir #2 & Better, Ufility
Redwood & Cedor - Inveniory
Yellow Pine CDX & Sturdifloor
Yellow Pine BC Sonded
Yellow Pine Premium & Decorotive Sidings
Woferboords
Fir Sonded & Fk Sidings
Hordwood Plywoods
Hordboord Sidings - Mosonite #1 
Treoted Plywoods Avoiloble
