Mr. Wick Moorman- Congratulations

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Trains Newswire of this date carries the story [in part]:

WASHINGTON — Charles “Wick” Moorman will be Amtrak’s next president.

In a release sent to employees mid-morning on Friday and announced publicly by Noon Eastern time, Amtrak officials say that Moorman will take over from President Joe Boardman on Sept. 1…" [snipped]

[snipped] Further: “I think Wick is an excellent choice. He was one of my top two picks,” Ellis says. “He’s somebody who understands railroads, understands passenger trains. He’s an excellent people person, and I’m really excited about it.”

More praise came in from Jim Souby, Colorado Rail Passenger Association president, who says Moorman can offer Amtrak more credibility with freight railroads.

After Moorman’s own 2015 retirement from freight railroading, he became Norfolk Southern’s most vocal defender as Canadian Pacific and it’s, CEO E. Hunter Harrison, tried to takeover the railroad with unsolicited bids. Those bids were unsuccessful.

“With Wick onboard, Amtrak and its passengers, employees, and business partners will benefit from forward-looking, customer-focused, and innovative leadership. We value the excellent working relationship that we enjoy with Amtrak, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead for both freight and passenger railroads,” says James A. Squires, Norfolk Southern CEO…”

About all one could add is, " Best Wishes, and Success to Wick Moorman!

He arrives at a time when AMTRAK can grow into its imagined National role. [yeah][:-^]

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Anyone besides me getting a mental image of N&W 611 roaring up the Northeast Corridor?

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Not me.

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No

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I think Condolences are more in order than congratulations.

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Some of you boys are taking me WAAAYYY too seriously. It’s a sense of humor and a sense of the ridiculous that gets me through some very trying days.

On the other hand, it would be cool. Amtrak needs a guy at the helm with a sense of cool.

As in, put together an Amtrak special, put a steam engine on the head end, invite politicians with a lot of pull for a free ride, use it as a way to get publicity and make some powerful friends, then see what happens.

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I’ll play with you on this subject, Firelock! [8-|]

The idea of operating the 611 on the NE Corridor raises the troublesome (to purists) issue of running steam engines under catenary.

Why not use the 611, or the 765, or some other big, suitable steam engine to haul specials between Harmon and Rensselaer? Now that’s something to visualize!

There is, however, the pesky problem of obtaining coal and water along the way.

So, how about a shorter distance (38 miles vs. 104), say between Hartford and New Haven on the now-being-constructed double track main line?

Yeah, I know. If only, huh?

After all, what do I think this is, England? No doubt, any day now those steam locos and specials there (e.g. “Cathedrals Express”) will show how silly and far-fetched such notions as doing anything similar here really are.

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That’s the spirit NKP!

And who knows, maybe the catenary on the NEC could use a good steam-cleaning?

Anyway, I think the Brits are pretty good at showing us the way of these things. The Brits know “cool,” in addition to which I think they’ve still got a sense of fun concerning railroading which a lot of people here don’t have. Hey, Harry Potter went to Hogwarts behind a steam engine, didn’t he? J.K. Rowling just knew it wouldn’t have worked behind a diesel.

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Wick Moorman has just been put on a suicide mission. Being a Amtrak President is not a retirement job to take it easy.

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Pull the coaches out of Penn Station with an electric, then switch at Sunnyside Yard to 611 or 765 and watch the show over Hell Gate Bridge. I know the New Haven had freight motors, but it would be our version of the Brits running steam over some of those enormous bridges over the firths.

A Baby J???

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With the extension of the Lynchburg train to Roanoke due to happen in the Fall of 2017, and knowing that Wick has a pretty solid connection to the VA Trans. Museum and NS, how about 611 on the inaugrial run from Roanoke? You’d just have to cut it off at Manassas, turn it and run it back on the evening train.

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To the best of my knowledge there’s been only one steam locomotive that’s run over the Hell Gate Bridge under it’s own power, and that was the “General” on it’s way to be exhibited at the New York World’s Fair in 1964.

We’re WAY overdue for another steam run over Hell Gate!

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Found the following linked image of ‘The General’ crossing Hell Gate Bridge:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/lirrconductor/HellgateGeneralLoco_small.jpg

Here also is a link to a RAILROAD.NET Forum @

http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=93999

The Photos credit in that FORUM is credited to TRAINS Mag. IT also has a lot of information concerning how The General got to NYC

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http://www.southernmuseum.org/2014/10/a-new-look-at-the-generals-trip-to-the-1964-worlds-fair/

http://www.worldsfaircommunity.org/topic/4520-the-general-locomotive/

Excerpts from L&N employees’ magazine (1964)

The historic locomotive General has taken itself to the New York World’s Fair.

The little engine, built in 1855 and made famous by its participation in a dramatic episode of the Civil War, is being exhibited at the Better Living Center through cooperation of the Railroad after making its first ru

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Way cool stuff!