Please forgive my ignorance in advance as I am trying to learn.
As a railfan and modeler, I very much enjoy seeing business/inspection trains with the classy streamlined and heavyweight cars. They symbolize the beauty, quality, and fine craftsmanship of our railroading history.
However, with the high costs of fuel, loco/car maintenance, crew, food ammenities…what do these trains actually accomplish? We often read that railroad brass are constantly finding ways to trim expenses. But besides the track/roadbed conditions, what is an “Inspection Train” inspecting that a M.O.W crew or Sperry Car can’t do?
The Business Train. Is this for onboard business meetings? A pleasure outing for company officials? A tour for business executives or big stock investors considering shipping on the railroad? A bean counter would likely say “it’s cheaper to charter a luxury bus” ( BTW: my wife is a bean counter)
When I read of train crews complaining that some locomotive toilets don’t get cleaned because the railroad cutback on servicing personnel…it does sort of make one say “Hmmmmmmmmmmm”.
Ive seen a few UP Business Trains and I dont have a problem with them.
Sometimes one of these trains pass shortly before the MOW shows up to do work.
But are they cushy playgrounds of the powerful? Irrevelant. Keep in mind that Tycoons and powerful people from the early days of railroading had business cars that were quite well fitted.
If you wanted to jam the UP Directors into a old bay window caboose and painted “Business Car” on the side and watched them try to function… why that wont work very well.
The end car of the train had a large plate glass window with stadium style seating so they can observe the track, GPS so they can track thier position and other goodies.
The alternatives might be (1) stay in the office (2) drive along the highways paralleling the line where they exist (3) hi-rail (4) fly over in a helicopter.
The first alternative is I think bad; I don’t know anyone who can successfully manage without seeing what they’re managing and meeting the people. The inspection trains stop at every major terminal for meetings and discussions, and local operating/engineering officers ride their territory on the train to meet and discuss issues with their headquarters counterparts.
The second alternative is not very good either – there’s a great deal of the railroad system that’s not anywhere close to a parallel road, the time lost in out-of-circuit driving is enormous, and you can’t get mu
Makes better sense to me now. I’ve been a railfan since about age four (I’m 45 now), but this shows me that there is always something interesting to learn about the industry.
Yes, historically there have always been these types of trains. In fact, they were much more lavish in the past.
I spent a lot of time listening to customers about what they needed from us and explaining what services we provided that meet those needs. A business car is one good way to do this because you have a capitve audience. Since my customers were each giving us over $10 million per year the cost of a ride between Reno and Oakland or Oakland and LA behind Amtrak on the Airsle was an expense my budget could absorb.
The ‘routine’ Inspection trip provides Senior Management the opportunity to interact with Division Management on the performance, both operating and maintenance of way over the Division with first hand observation and real time explanations from the parties responsible.
I would add that these kinds of trips also work as something of a morale booster among the rank and file. At the very least, the boots on the ground will have somewhat more respect for the top executives that get out in the field than for those that never leave the ivory tower.
And don’t forget the Super Bowl Specials and Bankers Specials and the best part of these they can put on an eloborate show for the customers and most becomes a tax write off for Railroad. UP and BNSF here in the west operate Bankers Specials and even those for other clientele that can run to many cars as both have large fleet of passenger cars at their disposal. It is not unusual for even two specials to be on the road at any one time either.
Although I now understand the benefits of these trains, I wonder if the big Class 1s are going to cutback on these runs because of the high price of diesel fuel?
I’m hoping to take photos of the next CSX business or inspection train that comes into Tampa with the F40s on the head end.
The last several Ive seen were either DD40’s or Number 844 or 3985 if not the DD40’s then the same power they put on Coal trains but much cleaner and (Filtered word referring to Mr Clean)/span.
“You have to spend money to make money”, is an adage that justifies business trains to many. And as long as they believe that, there will be business trains. They may be fewer and smaller, but I think the perception is they are crucial to securing new business for the railroad. Perception is reality, even if the numbers say otherwise.
No, Al, the tax deduction does not work that way. If it costs me $10,000 to operate a train as a customer special, then I am entitled to a $10,000 tax deduction (a reduction of my income) before the tax rate is applied. However, if that same train is operated on a fare basis, my cost is still $10,000, and I am still entitled to that same amount as a deduction.
The cost is far out weighed in the possible increase in revenue to the railroads. There is also the PR aspect as well as the UP demonstrates yearly with their steam program and with the Centennial unit. I for one always take a day off from work to chase the trains. Hence this is what I primarily model with freight still being modeled. You can’t have one with out the other.
Outside of the Hunt-ATSF transaction, I really am not a fan of business cars or business car trains. Back in 2001 while working as a local condr, One day we were instructed to pick up a few business cars in Topeka and bring them to KC on the rear of our train. If memory served me correct, I think they were going to law enforcement golf tournament. The frmn on site helped us in getting the cars on the train @ TOP. He stated that the cost of getting the cars ready and then just sending them to Kansas City was around 10 grand. That is money that could have been better spent elsewhere. Far as I’m concerned, scrap them all!!!
SFbrkmn you say that the 10 grand could be better spent else where but don’t elaborate. The BNSF could save even more money by eliminating your position and leaving you either jobless or option 13 to another position. There’s an old adage that goes, You have to spend money to make money. But possibly being union, you won’t believe that based upon union teachings. The business fleet serves a very vital function for your employer. So whether you like it or not, those cars are here to stay.
It is amazing how they maintian and polish that business equipment, but can’t be bothered to wash some of the grime off our work engines every once in a blue moon so we don’t get filthy goign from unit to unit. But oh well, we are just union crybabies that the RR can live without.
Stick a car on the end of a freight train and haul these “suits” around the country, thats saving a few bucks, if you think this is bad check out the oil execs and their fleet of corporate jets if you want to see something obscene, it’ a disgrace that these guys flit around the world when they could pick up a phone and solve the problem. A friend who worked for an oil company flew himself and 2 engineers and their wives from Calgary to Los Angeles for 5 days to look at a valve, who knows how much it cost? This ridiculous the way they compensate themselves.