From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   John Levine  wrote:   
      
   >>Significant value is created in the design phase and the skilled   
   >>manufacturer of major components, very little of which occurs in   
   >>Hornell.   
      
   >Huh.  I would have thought that traction motors and locomotives were   
   >major components, but opinions apparently differ.   
      
   Feel free to demonstrate that they design and manufacture nearly all the   
   parts for traction motors there, since you're ignoring what I'm saying.   
      
   As far as a locomotive, that's just a platform that valuable components   
   are assembled to. Final assembly of a locomotive is not where the major   
   value is added. In locomotive construction, the skilled labor does   
   the wiring for control systems, as an example.   
      
   EMD, years ago, kept the locomotive engine factory at McCook, Illinois,   
   but consolidated all final assembly at London, Ontario. The significant   
   value was added in McCook. Under Caterpiller ownership, final assembly   
   was moved to Indiana. They closed London given the demands of the auto   
   workers union. They kept McCook 'cuz cheaper labor wasn't the issue.   
      
   >And in any event, who else could they have picked to build train sets?   
   >Bombardier?  Hitachi?   
      
   If the nations of the world didn't have "buy domestic" laws and the   
   United States didn't have excessive buff strength requirements that   
   effectively freeze out European train sets? What's the   
   point in speculating.   
      
   --- SoupGate/W32 v1.03   
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