UPRR Article in This Months Trains Magazine

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It would appear thru the years the way the article was written that UPRR never invested in their plant as they said the LAX/SLC line was "mainly" single track with passing sidings many miles apart. The question is if the UPRR did not use the $$$$$ to improve the plant from the time they acquired the line what did they do with the $$$$$$$ they made over those many years? As for the Sunset route I have info that passing sidings are only 6/8 miles apart. Last year I was in Western Ariz @ Marana to watch the bullet train go by. Marana is about 25 miles west of Tuscon. I was their all day & from early morning till the bullet train passed I would say their was only 10/12 trains total in either direction before the passing of the bullet train. I could check my tape to get the exact amount. of trains that passed my location that day before the bullet train came by. The last train went by W/B 20/30 minutes before the E/B bullet train came by. That train was put in a passing siding 5 miles west of me. After the bullet train went by their was 2 more E/B trains that followed the bullet train & then they allowed the W/B train to go on its way. Since their is only a short distance between the sidings why would the UPRR not invest in connecting the dots so they would have a double track line their on that route?

[Anonymous]

Check under the mattress!! I don't think track is the only plant/expense they have. Plus they have investors to reward.

[Anonymous]

SP Western Region Track Profile 1990, cross-checked with latest UP and
AP timetables and consideration given for recent additions of 2nd main track, shows distances between passing sidings from Apex (summit of Beaumont Hill) to Tucson range from as little as 2 miles to a maximum of about 8.5 miles. From Tucson to El Paso, distances between sidings tend to be slightly longer, but still in the 5 to 9.5 mile range.

[spbed]

Clem thank U 4 ur conformation. My information came from the UPRR site when you were able to access the timetables for each of their sub divisions. Lately I have not been able to do that so I guess they took that option away. I have hard copies of both subs east of LAX to Tuscon. I think they are named Yuma & Gila but I can check when I return home tonite.

[spbed]

MWH either they did not make enough money or they needed the $$$$$ tor pay dividends to the SHs or they took the the money from the RR co to use in another of their companies. I really cannot answer the question you posed but to have a line for many, many years & not improve it so that they really compete in the transcon traffic sounds like they sent the $$$$$ elsewhere. Especially since Trains Magazine hypes up the BNSF & what they are doing to take their RR forward in the new century. If the BNSF sees such a future for the LAX/Chic traffic why does not the UPRR see the same?

[Anonymous]

A few years back they did spend money to link up sidings (resulting in 2nd main track) on moderately steep grades east and west of Benson, and same thing just last year on the east side of Beaumont Hill. Yeah, more of the same across the "flatter" parts of the Sunset would help. That's a money issue for someone else to calculate. Linking up sidings on the Sunset in SW Arizona sounds smarter than rehabbing the west half of the PHX line, much as I'd like to see trains running again west of PHX.

[spbed]

Clem yes I was at Beaumont hill last year & from the summit eastward until the curve begins you can see it is double tracked. WB is also doubled above the summit but for how long you cannot tell unless you were lucky to take a ride in a loco along the route. But for sure from the papers I have the sidings are I would say on average 5/6 miles apart. Actually I thought to myself that it was almost a double tracked route. As it is really level ground with hardly any rivers it would seem to be very easy to connect the sidings. Then then could use the Sunset then the GS then the BNSF make a connection to the former CNW once the bottleneck in El Paso is cleared up for the rackers, double stckers & piggies to compete with the BNSF on the transcon. They could use the overland LAX/SLC/Ogden line for the slower merchandise traffic. You know if you goto Colton you will see many stackers & rackers coming & going from the BNSF Cajon line to their own Sunset route. From the containers of the stackers it is easy (at least for me) to tell if they are Chicago bound or going to the Gulf or Dallas. The rackers naturally their is no way to tell the destination.

[greyhounds]

QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed

MWH either they did not make enough money or they needed the $$$$$ tor pay dividends to the SHs or they took the the money from the RR co to use in another of their companies. I really cannot answer the question you posed but to have a line for many, many years & not improve it so that they really compete in the transcon traffic sounds like they sent the $$$$$ elsewhere. Especially since Trains Magazine hypes up the BNSF & what they are doing to take their RR forward in the new century. If the BNSF sees such a future for the LAX/Chic traffic why does not the UPRR see the same?

They'll put the money wherever it earns the most return. It that means putting it in other business, they will. If it means paying it out to shareholders, they will.

They can't do anything else and stay in business. They can't just decide to take a lower rate of return - no one will invest in their enterprise. It litterally is "Other Peoples' Money" and those people will take it away if the return isn't there.

[spbed]

MWH everbody is entitled to his opinion. No I am not putting the UPRR down I am just disappointed from what the Trains articles said. Sorry I am a self made man not college educated like you so maybe my grammar is not up to your standards. My son who is a Wharton Grad & I am sure keep up with your grammar & handles all my $$$$$ matters has decided in his wisdom their are better places to invest my $$$$ to get the best ROI for me then the UPRR. As a example he found a penny stock @ $ 0.10 18 months ago that is now @ $6.00 & is expected to again double in another 16 months. You tell me me would I make more $$$$$ in UPRR stock then my penny stock that I have many thousands of shares in? Please kindly keep in mind just because you a columnist does not mean that others also cannot assess the situation. You have no idea who I am nor what my backround is & until you learn more about me you should not be critical to someone whose grammar standards may not be the same as yours. On the streets of NYC their is a name for people like you which I will leave unsaid.

[spbed]

MWH will see as we go along.

[Anonymous]

Speaking of respect, I think it is a bit disrespectful of MWH to attack spbed on grammer and incorrect terminology out of the blue like that. From his posts, I had absolutely no inclination of any "disrespect" to railroaders, the UPRR or this forum. I've been a railroader for 17 years, and true, some of the terminology spbed uses isn't technically "correct" but I knew everything he was talking about and I think everyone else on here did too. That whole thing about a "lack of respect for railroaders" came across as "holier than thou" and mean-spirited. Just my opinion.

[spbed]

pltbrnch Thank U 4 ur support. It is greatly appreciated. I also felt naturally that MWH was way, way off the track since he has no idea who I am & what backround & expertise I may bring to this board. I also thought the forums are for people that have the same interests in this caseRRs to mutually discuss them in a civil way. Maybe MWH will be man enough to admit the errors of his way.

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MWH tks for ur apology

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MWH somehow you really misunderstood what I was saying. Just for the record my most favorite RR is the UPRR & my most fervent wish is to make enough $$$$$$$ to pay them so I can run across their system up in locos. Every year I depart the E/coast to train watch the UPRR. This year I am planning to go to Granger to see the juncture between the PNW & Calif lines I am also going to Ogden, SLC & Pocatello. In the fall I am going to El Paso to see the split between the GS route & the Sunset route. From the magazine article I will now also try to get to Sierra Blanca to see the split betweeen the T & P & the Sunset route. You will note this is all UPRR.