"As if hordes of golf devotees aren’t enough, Oakmont could attract train buffs when Norfolk Southern parks more than a dozen vintage rail cars and diesel locomotives in the center of town during the U.S. Open.
“Forty to 50 railroad executives will use the cars to entertain corporate clients during the week of June 11-17.”
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_502453.html
Dave
Thanks for the link.
I’m sure the NS gives invites to its best customers to ride the train & see TW play
Sounds like a repeat of the Masters trip. The train passed by Harrisburg on the way to Augusta a week before the first tee time. At the time I asked a question on another forum as to whether NS was better off with its executives riding in the cars or in the office working. A NS engineer replied with a big smiley.
Poppyl
Wow, the management at NS must like golf…
Well, part of their “working” is establishing relationships with their customers. There is always going to be friction and conflict between a customer and a merchant (railroad). That’s good as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. It tends to keep everybody on their toes.
If the customer “Knows” someone at the NS, and can think of him/her as a “friend”, then “issues” can often be handled by a simple phone call. It beats calling in the lawyers.
Entertaining the customers has long been recognized as a way to establish these relationships. Sales representatives for the railroads take customers to lunch, to dinner, and hand out tickets to sporting events, plays, operas, whatever the customer is interested in. Railroads maintain country club memberships and the sales folks shoot “shipper golf” with customers at the country clubs. (The railroad guys loose.)
This is done to establish a “friendly” relationship in which “issues” can be worked out in a “friendly” manner. It’s important. And it happens in all lines of trade, not just railroading.
Jimmy Carter once went on a binge to reduce the expenses that could be written off for such entertainment. A Democrat senator named Huey Long from Louisiana replied with words to the effect: “Entertainment in business is like fertilizer in agriculture, it increases the yield.”
When they’ve got important shippers on those office cars they are, in fact, working.
Greyhounds is right, complimentary tickets to the World’s Greatest Golf Tournament will go a long way into improving shipper/carrier relations. You can be sure that NS won’t be the only outfit that will be making an appearance at Oakmont.
That train also visited the National Open two years ago in Pinehurst, NC.
They parked it for the week in the sleepy hamlet of Aberdeen, NC – part of the tri-cities that include Southern Pines and Pinehurst. There was copious food and liquor being dispensed in the party areas set up near the cars – some were conducted on decks that probably were erected for the occasion.
Aberdeen is the home base for the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad Co. There is a crossing and interchange with CSX right in the middle of downtown, IIRC. Plus a RR museum and some historic RR buildings.
I do not recall seeing any locomotives. I did not hear that it was brought to the area at Winged Foot GC last year, either – in Mamaroneck, NY.
Kudos to NS – seems like they have a bunch of clients that like big-time golf, and an extra-sharp marketing team. The cost for corporate hospitality chalets on-site at the golf course – which I’m sure NS will purchase – usually run anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000 and up for the week. I’m sure Dave will keep an eye open for related stories over the next few weeks. Included in those prices are tickets, VIP parking, and an endless stream of gourmet food and liquor (I’ve seen 100-foot bars) served by chefs to tables with linen, fresh flowers and china. Big screen HD TVs are scattered about the room so no one misses any of the action – in fact, some corporate guests never even bother to leave the air-conditioned goodie palace to walk around the course. Some of the major Fortune 500 players also hire Tour players to stop by (during practice days) to schmooze their clients and sign the following. Usually souvenir U.S. Open-logoed hats, shirts, etc. that also carry the sponsor’s logo (a no-brainer there) are freely passed out. A great way to extend the ben