In an unintentionally hilarious / regurgitated press release on another website UP executives noted that they have "the network capacity to handle any volume rebound in 2021 and even has room to grow".
ROFLMAO. The verbal tap dancing by them is deafening. Of course they have capacity, as noted here and elsewhere they have been driving customers away in droves. Their numbers are pretty flat 2019-2020 except for the successful and substantial decrease in the employee count.
Supposedly they will be increasing capital expenditures and that will be interesting to see where it will be used. Probably not in Hearne, TX.... More Unlimited Parking ?
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Apparently, Their view from the Executive Offices,[polished by some , intra-mural, professional, wordsmiths] read the stats differently, from those of us out here in the cheap seats...
The word of the day: 'agenda'
MikeF90 .......they have been driving customers away in droves.
Where is the independent, objective study showing management has driven customers away in droves, whatever that means.
In various threads here over the last few years, I've read quite a few less-than-complimentary comments about UP. Now, I'm not super interested in the business side of railroading, so don't follow it that much.
From a railfan's point of view, in terms of history, image, their steam program, etc., I actually think of UP as The Big Dog in railroading. Another reason may be because they are the only one of the big four to still bear its historic name. When I see the Big Boy, I don't think, well there's a railroad in trouble.
So for us who are not clued in, could some of UP's detractors please explain in simple terms what's so bad about UP.
I did learn in the Powder River Basin article that UP lost a lot of its PRB business to BNSF. Is that fact what's behind a lot of the disrespect towards UP?
I've never had the opportunity to photograph a UP train. But that's an omission I definitely hope to correct this summer.
JPS1 MikeF90 .......they have been driving customers away in droves. Where is the independent, objective study showing management has driven customers away in droves, whatever that means.
Is 'the Cat's owner' satisfied with their UP service if any?
Certain you have vast experience in proving negatives, it is always so easy without the ability to access the raw data facts.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Lithonia OperatorSo for us who are not clued in, could some of UP's detractors please explain in simple terms what's so bad about UP.
I'm not a UP detractor (or follower, really), so this is an "outside" observation.
I suspect animosity over UP stems from two things.
First, they swallowed up a lot of lines, all of which had their own followings. Seeing "fallen flag" equipment on any train became an event. The last few CNW locos still in CNW paint were widely celebrated.
Second, something of greater importance to modellers, the license fees they imposed on model manufacturers (and thus on modellers) for UP logos, heralds, and other service marks (including the paint scheme). While not unusual in and of itself, such a fee was unfamiliar to the community as prior to that using railroad marks was pretty much a free-for-all.
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tree68Second, something of greater importance to modellers, the license fees they imposed on model manufacturers (and thus on modellers) for UP logos, heralds, and other service marks (including the paint scheme). While not unusual in and of itself, such a fee was unfamiliar to the community as prior to that using railroad marks was pretty much a free-for-all.
Not just modelers and toy and model train makers, but UP went after calender makers and other railfan-market publishers for using UP logos, heralds, and the same from the railroads they absorbed.
A settlement/agreement endorsed by all was negotiated by Mike Wolf of MTH, but UP did wind up with a lot of embarassment and egg on their corporate face before it was all over, so much so I wouldn't be surprised if the instigators at UP lost their jobs over it. We'll never know about that at any rate.
During the whole dust-up all I could think of was what Joshua Lionel Cowen of Lionel Trains would have said:
"WHAT? I've been giving you boys a lot of free publicity by putting your name on my trains, and now you want me to pay you?"
"I'll tell you what, you want to see your name on my trains from now on? I'm not gonna pay YOU, YOU'RE gonna pay ME!"
Don't laugh! When Lionel was developing their post-war 2333 F-3 diesel locomotive both the Santa Fe and the New York Central chipped in for the development costs just to get their names on the toy!
When UP took over what became the fallen flag carrier - it was the UP way or no way. UP choked itself when it took over CNW and later SP. The fallen flag carriers were operating in a manner to keep their operations fluid. When UP came in and did it 'the UP way' without any understanding of how the properties had been operating it took periods of FRA supervision to get things in working order.
UP was not unique, CSX & NS suffered similar problems when they absorbed their portions of ConRail.
Prior to my retirement a little over a year and a half ago, my employer had three production sites captive to UP in Texas. I will assure you that dealing with them from a customer perspective was a bloody nightmare.
At one of the sites in the Houston area, our service schedule was literally adjusted and readjusted as frequently as every two weeks. And even then UP missed their schedule at least half the time. The local operating folks would promise to advise us if there would be any disruption in the service schedule yet that notification occurred only about a third of the time.
In addition to the questionable local service, shipments to customers would get hung up enroute or just short of interchange. I'd like to have a buck for every truck we had to send a customer to tide them over till UP finally delivered a delayed car to the customer or to the interchange railroad that served the customer.
And despite all the documented issues we would present during contract negotiations, rates continued to escalate every year.
I literally reached the point that when one of our sales people would bring me new business that was to move by rail, I would plead with them to let me move it by truck.
In the years I dealt with UP, I can honestly say I never felt like we were a valued customer despite their lip service to that effect.
BaltACD When UP took over what became the fallen flag carrier - it was the UP way or no way. UP choked itself when it took over CNW and later SP. The fallen flag carriers were operating in a manner to keep their operations fluid. When UP came in and did it 'the UP way' without any understanding of how the properties had been operating it took periods of FRA supervision to get things in working order. UP was not unique, CSX & NS suffered similar problems when they absorbed their portions of ConRail.
All railroads have a 'culture'. Good or Bad they have a culture. Some railroad cultures are not compatible with the cultures of other railroads. When 'mergers' happen cultures clash. Some times there is little result in the clash of cultures, sometimes there is near gridlock as the culture clash plays out.
UP also has a bad habit of slow communication with customers...
SD60MAC9500UP also has a bad habit of slow communication with customers...
Of course no matter how snowy and icy it gets, feel free to come get a trailer that's there already -- no safety issues there...
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