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Harrison discussion of Canadian Pacific steam program generates controversy
Your buddy Hunter seems to be a graduate of the William H. Vanderbilt School of Public Relations.
We all know if it’s on the Internet, it must be true. Really, TRAINS, putting this out there is pretty questionable without some substantiation of what actually was said.
We all know if it’s on the Internet, it must be true. Really, TRAINS, putting this out there is pretty questionable without some substantiation of what actually was said.
Only 100,000. Seems like a big donation to me. Purpose of steam: Advertising, pleases the public, shows a promising future to shareholders.
I SEE VERY VERY LITTLE INTEREST IN RAILROADS IN CANDA -EVEN THE INVIORMENTAL DO NOT KNOW THE BENEFITS TO THE INVIORMENT OF THE STEEL WHEEL ON THE STEEL RAIL I WILL BET THAT 90% OF THE PEOPLE WHO RIDE THE ROYAL CANADIAN PACIFIC ARE FROM THE U S A AND OTHER COUNTRIES …
IF IT DOES NOT SHOW A PROFIT THEN GET RID OF IT - AFTER ALL A PRIVATE COMPANY IS HAS NOT GOT THE UNLIMIT4ED RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT PATRONIZED.CPR IS A PRIVATE COMPANY - NOT GOVERNMENT THAT IS WHY WE SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM OUR C E O/S ETC -TO MAKE GOOD SOUND FINANCIAL DECISIONS
THINK ABOUT IT !
Ask Mark Perry ( mailto:maperry@mts.net ) who the person was that asked the question. According to Mark "This from a retired CPR guy who attended the town hall meeting in Vancouver . . . "
Mr. Symonds should ask UP and NS why the have their steam programs. After all, they are profit making private US corporations.
The spreading of B(fertilizer) does land some good.
This report seems couched in many references to the internet reports along with “Contacted by TRAINS newswire,”
That showers down on this report an, at worst, 9 out of ten rating if judging verification.
This reporting tells me that the fertilizer may have been spread. This report is NOT at all deficient reporting, Journalism requires damage control by getting multiple info’ sources or making a story that says a bunch of unsubstantiated stuff exists, and about internet references, Blair’s correct, please let none of us forget, “if it’s on the internet it must be true”
Rightly, he writes of the manure distributer.
Appeal to the Deity of your choice…please
Do we know who the retiree is who asked the original question? Did TRAINS try to contact him?
Maybe we should lock CP’s Hunter in a cage with the WWE’s Hunter(aka Triple H)
It’s funny…you’re all talking about the Steam trains in canada, yet you fail to even ask the question “Will MILW 261 ever ride its own rails again?”
Unverified email? An attempt to be like the New York Times and several other big city newspapers that deal in alternative reality, rumors, and stories based in fantasy.
Is anybody really surprised by Hunter’s apparent (if the report is even true) opposition to steam? Under his tenure, CN wouldn’t even host a steam locomotive excursion, yet alone support a steam restoration program. He’s a bottom line guy. To hell with everything and everybody as along as money is made. Unless they’re making a bunch of money, the CP luxury excursion trains are also gone. Ask Fred Frailey, he’s Hunter’s best friend.
Stockholder money is supposed to be used to make money for stockholders. I have no problem with a CEO or other corporate official stating that the stockholders’ money is theirs and not his to play with. That said, advertising and public relations expenditures of any kind – charitable donations by a corporation are in that class – are all held to that same test by law: does it serve the interests in some manner of the stockholders? Obviously the UP and NS and other roads have determined that it can and does. Perhaps because they realize that at some point every railroad might well need to be asking for a favor from local government or craft union, or a friendly article from a reporter, or in some other manner would benefit from being viewed favorably by those who are NOT stockholders. The concept of “goodwill” can be reflected on balance sheets and a case can be made that roads that Harrison has influenced could do better on that – to their benefit.
First, let me say this is yet another example of someone with a personal agenda trying to skew the facts to fit their views. This used to be considered “yellow journalism” and highly unethical but in today’s world anyone with a blog and NO journalistic training is considered a “news source”.
Railfans can hate EHH all they want but the only opinion he and the CP care about are those of their stockholders. Those are the people they are paid to represent and do right by financially.
Compared to running a steam program, helping food pantries with the Holiday Train and donations to public releif agencies touch a far greater share of the general public and cast the company as a “good corporate citizen”.
A steam program has its advantages and achieves certain goals, but if they do not align with your corporate vision then it is a waste of your stockholder’s money. Right now both the UP and NS see their programs as worth the expense, but BNSF and CSX do not. This does not make any of them “right” or “wrong”, just of differing viewpoints.
If CP decides not to continue their program (which has been in a de-facto state of suspension for a while now), then we can hope they will at least find a good home for 2816 where she will be USED and appreciated and be receptive to occasional operations by responsible groups such as Friends of 261.
What does inviormental mean?
The benefit of a steam program is positive pr. The public can make life very hard on RR operations if it has a mind
American Red Cross listed at goodsearch.com & isearchigive.com. Check out charityusa.com .
I’ve read this a few times now and I’m not getting what was controversial. If Harrison had allegedly said “Steam? It’s freakin’ awesome! We’re going back to it, and within ten years all of our trains are going to be coal powered! We’re going to spend one billion this year on adding water troughs, water towers, and coal yards to our network!” then, well, now that would be controversial.
Tit for Tat, Hunter does not like Steam on his railroad,
I don’t like his intermodal trucks tearing up my highways.