Piggyback The Answer To Transport Problems, Published 2 Aug 1958 Piggyback
is the transportation in the future for freight in the opinion of
ex-Ottawan L. J. Henderson of Montreal, who now is the Canadian
National's "Mr. Piggyback." Half apologizing for talking on a shirt sleeve afternoon about freight transportation, the former head of the Nepean Bus Lines, readily conceded that the figures: 36-25-36, the ideal measurements of milady's bosom, bustle and the waist were more interesting. "In transportation," said Mr. Henderson," Piggyback is the wedding of rail and road" Piggyback, he explained, is the carrying of loaded trucks on fast-travelling flat cars aboard high speed freight trains. " In a reasoned thesis about the older mode of transportation, namely rail, he reminded his Kiwanis hearers yesterday at the Chateau Laurier that the wear and tear of freight traffic also wore out 3,000 box cars a year. He further indicated that a box car, in an unwieldy freight train, or out of it, only travelled two and a half hours a day. "And if it is not moving, it is not making money" reminded Mr. Henderson. Speaking of road and rails, Mr. Henderson said, "if I were a shipper, I would say 'a plague on both your houses'. Both agencies, rail and road, have the know-how that one can help the other " "My bet is that the railroads will continue to improve their speed between terminals, and as a result of dieselization and electronic yards, will handle 7,000 cars a day." The highways be termed as inadequate, and every new baby bom will be driving a car in 20 years, he prophesied. He further predicted, that in a world of shrinking inventories piggyback offers the consumers new fast service. But he hates the idea of rail and highway carriers killing each other off. What he termed "senseless duplication" could be solved by piggyback. Lyle Blackwell presided, Walter Smith introduced the speaker, and he was thanked by Gordon Caplan. |