Is anyone else getting tired of the tirade against the UP? I know I am. While I understand how some feel about losing their favorite railroad, that’s just the way the business world is. Back in 1965 industry leaders were expecting to consolidate into 2 to 4 major carriers. The strong survive, the weaker get eaten up. I would guess the reason the UP name has survived is it’s name recognition is probably greater, especially to non-railfans. At times in it’s history, it was bankrupt. It took E. H. Harriman to get control and lay the foundation for which turned it into a major railroad institution that survives today.
Is the UP perfect? No. I should know, I work for them. Do I complain about how they do things? Sometimes. My co-workers, the old heads at least, are former CNW. More than a few came from the Rock Island, before and after it’s shut down. We even have one that started under CGW. Do I hear complaints at work. Of course I do, but there are a few things my co-workers say is better under UP than CNW. Ask any former CGW or MStL person who worked for the CNW. You’ll hear about the same complaints. It seems rarely is the new company looked upon as favorably as the company they replaced. Nostalgia is funny that way.
The UP is a modern business. It’s not the UP of 30 years or more ago. I don’t think any major business in any industry is like it once was. They are all concerned more with the bottom line, making shareholder value the most important consideration. Make business decisions that are good short term, but questionable long term. There are a few times I think the UP does that, but I think every major company does.
The UP does try to be a good neighbor, believe it or not. (I think they go too far sometimes, but that’s just me) While you can’t please everyone, they try to minimize the impact their operat
Bravo! Jeff. My only complaint with UP is that I’d have to drive an hour to see one of their trains. When I did see one on vacation, it had one lease locomotive, and one NS.
Well written, Jeff. One other point I’ll bring out again is that I still don’t understand how any railfan can hate the only railroad that maintains it’s own (mammoth) steam locomotives, and spends quite a bit of time running them all over their system. It just boggles my mind.
This hits home with me, cause I was young, and stupid…I took the old ATSF Yellowbonnets for granted, and now they are hardly around. I actually miss seeing them around nowdays
I agree. While I do think the copyright charges on the models suck, overall it a very good railroad that I like to watch. The UP bashing, saying the same thing over and over, gets very old very quick.
There is one thing I can’t ever forgive UP for- closing the C&NW (ex-CGW) Oelwein shops. Sure, C&NW owned and ran them at the time, but we all know UP essentaly had control of the Northwestern in 1993 (when the shops closed). BTW, how much C&NW stock (if any) did UP own in 1984?
1989 Japonica Partners LP and Blackstone Capital Partners LP attempt a hostile takeover of the C&NW. The Union Pacific had to purchase millions of dollars in C&NW stock and the C&NW had to assume very heavy debt to fend off the takeover. While that saved the C&NW from a dubious fate, it left the Coal Line with the burden of pulling out of the debt and left the Union Pacific with what amounted to ultimate control over the C&NW.
1991 The Traditional Yellow returned to the paint schemes of the rolling stock, the locomotives, and the Business Train. Not only did it honor a long tradition, it also weathered much better.
1993 An initial public stock offering is tendered. UP investments are transferred to non-voting common stock, representing 25% ownership.
Well said Jeff. I too grew up on the U.P.'s Marysville, KS. Sub and had my very first cab ride in a GP30. I remember the days when I would see the U50C’s, DD35B’s, GP30B’s and GP9B’s. I was a little kid but, I still remember seeing the St. Joseph, MO local come through Home, KS with the above units in ABA or ABBA consists.
It amazes me how some of the members on this forum are never happy with what U.P. does. Especially, with the heritiage units. I mean, yeah, they’re not going to look like the original paint schemes for the previous railroads but, just use some imagination when you look at them. Because you never know what paint job MKT, MoP or WP would of had if they were still around.
I’m not quite sure I understand the royalties for putting the UP logo on models. I know Kleenex was quite upset when “kleenex” became common usage for facial tissue and their brandname was in jeopardy, but I don’t see how UP could be hurt by models - nobody is going to refer to trains as Yupes and it’s free advertising.
YES!! I am sick and tired of all the UP bashing. SP, DRGW, CNW, MOPAC, WP, etc. are gone. GET USED TO IT!! BTW, Lord Atmo, I’m sure the crew that had that incident would just “love” your signature.
after reading my rants everywhere, you should know exactly why…
not getting any deeper than that.
enr2099, read the text next time. it says “great job with those remotes”. REMOTES! REMOTE CONTROLLED LOCOMOTIVE! there was NOBODY INSIDE!
i will not adapt to CNW’s death. i will forever hate UP. however, my solution is rather to move to a BNSF track. a peaceful resolution. this title means i dont belong here. so… i’m out
Locomotives are not sentient beings. Even with RCO, someone has to be running it. Even if the RCO unit ‘got away’ from the crew, as can happen, I’m not sure I’d want to see that sig day in and day out if I was on that crew.
Yes I am, VERY sick of it. Too many people love to be unhappy now adays! And Max, Im not sure what the UP does, but the BNSF has a remote control operator IN the cab. And obviously a switchman on the ground. So you dont know if anybody was inside or not! And your still insulting the person who was operating the remote. UP had nothing to do with the derailment themselves, the controller did though! Alec
Isn’t spewing hatred for the UP much akin to bashing any sitting President, the Yankees, The Donald, MicroSoft, SUV owners, oil companies or any other large, easy, megabuck target?
"after reading my rants everywhere, you should know exactly why… " Ah, ok. So you hate them because you think there Scotchlight isnt as pretty as CNWs (yes, he really said that people), because there is just too much yellow,because they dont run as many trains in Altoona as the CNW, because they bought your beloved CNW 11 years ago… I get it. Alec