I am usually more of the glass is half full perspective anyway, but quite literally I am paid to increase the carloads of our short line clients, so I tend to pay close attention to this part of the business.

I also don't disagree with Mr. Hunn's point about some opportunities being lost due to narrow minded or short sighted shortliners, but I think they're actually quite rare. I do feel lucky to have been able to participate in a very broad spectrum of the business, and know first hand that a lot of these cases (much discussed here and on other railfan sites) are a lot more complex than they might first appear. Stuff both happens and it rolls downhill.

As the original poster is experiencing, it takes a lot to put together a supply chain using the railroads. I will say that, in my experience, you just need to ask for help from the right people though, and they'll usually work their as$ off to get a deal done.



Rich Hunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree with Mr. Murray to a point and certainly
> to the point of his experience. I would only add
> that while his experience has been largely
> positive there are any number of examples that
> could
> have been helped greatly by the people he's met.
> It's like anything else, 80% of the shortline
> successes probably come from 20% of the
> participants. There have been a number of
> promising lines
> that have been been fettered away by inept people
> and I'm sure the list can name a good many of
> them.