In the short time I’ve been on these forums, there’s plenty of anti-UP postings. I should know because I’ve done a few. I am quite honest in that my antipathy to UP comes from being a huge BN/BNSF fan my entire life.
But I want to open it up to UP fans. Why are you a fan of UP?
Please no anti-UP posts.
I really want to hear the other side’s point of view on this one.
First and foremost, because I’m a railfan, so as long as its a steel wheel on a steel rail, it’s good by me! [^]
With that aside, I can delve into a little bit deeper. Think about the Union Pacific for a moment. The UP is the lone (major)banner that has not morphed into anything else in this country. The Canadians have the CP and CN, both entrenched in quite a bit of history. While American merged roads have histories of their predecessors, their own identities cease to exist beyond the 70’s.
Not so with the Union Pacific. The name reaches all the way back to the era of Abraham Lincoln, and the efforts to build the transcontinental. Holy cow! Think about that. For more than 140 years, the name Union Pacific has been tied to one of the biggest accomplishments of our country.
While there have been casualties, and some of them near and dear to us (C&NW and D&RGW come to mind for me), the Union Pacific soldiers on.
They have the best PR department in the railroad industry today, too. Name another railroad that carries on a proud steam program that runs mammoth steam monsters in the 21st century? Sure the BNSF allows an excursion from time to time, but the UP is commited to their OWN steam program, preserving their history.
And how about the paint scheme? I love Armour Yellow, and always will. And I have a good idea that it’ll be around for a long time. Throw some wings and a flag on there, and you have a scheme that shows a railroad proud to be an American railroad.
For me, the drama of Big Steam run by a Big Railroad in a Big Way, or watching a UP coal drag come down the Moffat Sub, or watching the endless procession of trains through Nebraska is an effect no other railroad can match.
May the C&NW and D&RGW (and other good roads) rest in peace. And may the Union Pacific banner fly proudly for many more years.
[(-D].
[crickets chirping]
I like UP because it’s the best show in town here.
I have always liked UP’s big motive power of the past, especially their turbines. Big Boys, Challengers, 4-12-2’s, DD35’, DDA40X’s, ALCO C-855’s, and TURBINES. If it was huge, I LIKE IT.
Unless your are a customer of, a supplier to, or investor in Union Pacific, why should your opinion matter?
Have you ever given your opinion of a car you couldn’t afford or didn’t want? Have you ever sounded off on a minister, businessman or politician whose career you couldn’t affect in any way? Are there certain vegetables you refuse to eat and do you think Del Monte cares?
It’s in the American nature to express opinions vociferously. Railfans are just as American as everyone else, only in this case they may just have superior knowledge.
[banghead]
What is it about the Union Pacific that we DON"T LIKE? I think just about everyone knows the answer to that. Allan.
[|(]You are just being subtle about your UP bashing.[|(]
Anyways I love all western railroads but the UP is top dog with their Streamliners of the 1950’s, building the transcontinental railroad, the bigboy, challenger, their amazing turbines, the DD40X, and the simple fact I fell in love with their trains as a boy.
James[C):-)]
I am not really a Union Pacific fan per se but I don’t understand why any railfan would dislike any railroad that runs trains. Sure I wish UP had been more successful with their business model in the last few years but they still run trains, lots of trains and I love that. As others above have mentioned, Union Pacific offers a connection to the past that few other railroads offer, I love that.
I have driven I-10 across western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona paralleling UP’s Sunset mainline watching as train after train raced over the desert at 70 mph with its string of railcars stretching across the landscape. Anticipation and excitement always started to build every time another headlight would popped up on the horizon until the train roared by. It was hard for me to understand why the same event had no impact on my wife who is not a railfan. However, if you are a railfan and you feel the same excitement then doesn’t that make you a UP fan? I’d suggest yes. However, if you are a railfan and it doesn’t make you feel excited then I don’t understand you. My point is that as railfans I think we should really be fans of all railroads even if we have preferences for certain ones over others.
They may say thats why they hate UP but we all know its because UP has merged their favorite RR out of existence. And I’ll bet for most of them, that RR is the SP.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but don’t try to make it seem like you hate UP because of something else (like dirty Flags). [:p]
I don’t have a favorite RR anymore because it was divided in 2 by CSX and NS… but the trains still run, and at my favorite places and THAT’S what its all about.
I like all RRs; 3985 and 844 are even more reasons to like UP.
Because I’m a stockholder and they send me a free calendar every year.
And don’t forget some people in this forum actually work for them.
My interest is more historical. As others have said where else could you find 4-12-2’s, Big Boys, Turbines, Streamliners. UP was largely a bridge route and their business was moving stuff from one end of the line to the other and they did that like no one else. Let some other railroad deal with drag freights and local switching. I think they got in trouble when they bought MoPac because they really didn’t understand that part of the business.
Because they greatly assisted me in making me a success in my chosen field of traffic management. OTH the BNRR & ATSF were far more negative towards the requirments of my companies needs & were in fact extremely uncooperative in their dealing with my former company. [:o)][:p][:)]
[quote]
Originally posted by BNSF4ever
[
I’m not really a fan of UP, but as a railroad they have been around a long time and have done the hard yards in developing motive power. They were in there trying diesels from 1934, and they tested turbines of both kinds.
Occasionally they go a bit over the top - three cylinder 4-12-2s never were going to work in the long run, but they got the Challengers instead. The 4-8-8-4s were probably too big, but they didn’t get too many of them. The double engine diesels, and the recent 6000HP units were probably in the same class, but you don’t know until you try.
The basic UP colour scheme is good - it shows the dirt, but that’s an encouragement to keep it clean.
Now, I’m a foreigner, and where I come from, displaying the national flag is sometimes thought of as being a little brash. In one European country, except on the national day, it is illegal. Now this doesn’t mean I don’t like national flags, but as someone once said “nationalism is the last refuge of the scoundrel”.
I hope they will soon get back to putting the railroad name on the hood sides. The national flag doesn’t tell you who owns the locomotive, and there are still a few other roads in the USA, thankfully!
Peter
My opinion why I like UP is because it is the 2nd RR that i grew up with. I live within 30 feet of train tracks. CNW used to own the RR tracks and then UP bought the line and I have grown up with Union Pacific coming past my house. Another reason is since they’re the largest RR, I hope I have a pretty good change of working for them someday.
Dustin
Seriously? A resident cannot display a flag to show his support of his country save for one day a year? Wow…
You wouldn’t be able to disclose the name of the country in question would you?
Chris
Denver, CO
You cant really call me a UP fan, but i like them a little bit. My eyes go wide open when i see a ex CNW SD40-2, which i got to go in 3 days ago. But , i also have to like them because where i railfan i see the WC,UP(coal trains to Weston)and the Minnesota Commercial. SO its not that busy, but when the UP coal trains come in , i am always up there.
Alec