Firelock76 Union Pacific does have a very strong sense of it's corporate history, and so they should. Stop and think about it, how many companys dating back to the 1860's are still in business nowadays? I can only think of a handful; Colt, Winchester, Remington, and believe it or not Milton Bradley, the board game people. Quite an achievement when you realize it.
Union Pacific does have a very strong sense of it's corporate history, and so they should. Stop and think about it, how many companys dating back to the 1860's are still in business nowadays? I can only think of a handful; Colt, Winchester, Remington, and believe it or not Milton Bradley, the board game people.
Quite an achievement when you realize it.
I believe that Colt was absorbed by Fairbanks Morse during its corporate restructuring in the 1950's-1960's and the parent company renamed itself after its best known subdsidiary.
daveklepper And the Long Island Rail Road
And the Long Island Rail Road
Whoops! I forgot about them, although I'd hesistate to call them a "business" since the LIRR is state owned and run and doesn't have to make a profit like the others concerns I mentioned. But I'll concede the point, the LIRR is the oldest railroad in the country still operating under it's original name.
And there's one more I just thought of, the Strasburg Railroad!
Great news. The tour sounded awesome.
Good to see the progress being made on Big Boy. 2 friends and I got a tour of the steam shop last summer and Ed showed us what was going on One of our friends knows Ed and has met him many times when he was been in KC area, so she helped us get our private tour. I can tell things are moving along and hopefully will continue to do so.
Likewise UP operating income in 2016 was 7.1 billion. It spent nearly a billion buying back it's own stock. 4 million is like digging thur your sofa seats for those guys.
And one turbo-electric too?
Remember in the business of large steam, $4,000,000 doesnt go very far. they also have a great passanger car fleet and several diesels to service with that money.
Shadow the Cats owner They have been for the most part Pro Steam for almost 60 years non stop with excursions. They have never been 100 percent dieselized since 844 was never retired ever from the active roster in her life. They know what part history plays in their public image and take great pains to protect it. They created a dedicated funding stream to keep their heritage program running when they started licensing requirements for their Trademarks on models. You may not think that is much money but it adds up fast. This is according to our friend in the program. They get enough from those license deals that they generate on average 4 million dollars a year for the Maintance and repair of the Steam Engines Heritage Diesels and Passenger Car Fleets that the UP has. That is in addition to the budget they get from Omaha to spend each year. 4 Million bucks to buy whatever they need in parts tools equipment.
They have been for the most part Pro Steam for almost 60 years non stop with excursions. They have never been 100 percent dieselized since 844 was never retired ever from the active roster in her life. They know what part history plays in their public image and take great pains to protect it. They created a dedicated funding stream to keep their heritage program running when they started licensing requirements for their Trademarks on models. You may not think that is much money but it adds up fast. This is according to our friend in the program. They get enough from those license deals that they generate on average 4 million dollars a year for the Maintance and repair of the Steam Engines Heritage Diesels and Passenger Car Fleets that the UP has. That is in addition to the budget they get from Omaha to spend each year. 4 Million bucks to buy whatever they need in parts tools equipment.
And just how long do you expect the UP Board to remain with it's current attiude on steam? Wait long enough and the plug will get pulled.
At Midway we sank 4 of their carriers along with 1 heavy cruiser which cost us 1 carrier the Yorktown and one Destroyer. We at the time had 30 carriers under construction at the time. The Japanese had 6 more under consturction. Then at The Canal as it became to be known our surface fleet learned in a hurry how to fight and win night engagements with the Japanese Navy leading up to the Battle with the Kirashima and the USS South Dakota and Washington Slugfest of a battle. Also our logistics planners and cargo loaders learned that you better have the ships ready for combat unloading in a hurry on the beach.
I wouldn't go quite that far on several counts. While El Alamein was a major victory for the Imperial Army, it was more of a milepost than a turning point. Midway and Guadalcanal together were turning points for the Allies in the Pacific.
Wasn't Midway the El Alamein of the Pacific? Winston said, "Before Alamein, we never had a victory, after Alamein, we never had a defeat."
But, it sure sounds like the UP isn't screwing around!
Shadow, that is one heck of an example of The Greatest Generation!
Shadow the Cats owner When the Yorktown was repaired in 3 days the goal was combat effective not 100 percent repaired.
When the Yorktown was repaired in 3 days the goal was combat effective not 100 percent repaired.
That's pretty much what I understood, Nimitz and his staff thought that an incompletely repaired Yorktown was worth more in batle than it would have been sitting at Pearl. Nimitz had to pull quite a few tricks just to be able to get the ships to Midway, as Washington had other ideas. Unfortunately, Joe Rochefort found out that no good deed goes unpunised.
I suspect many a steam locomotive was put in service with Yorktown repair jobs, especially during the height of WW2. With a year to go and an experienced and well equipped steam crew, I don't see the 4014 becoming a Yorktown repair job, though there may be some work needed to be done afer May 10, 2019.
FWIW, Midway was the first major victory for the US in the war, though Coral Sea was considered to have been slightly in favor of the USN over the IJN. Both the USN and IJN lost a lot of carrier power in the final two carrier battles of 1942, with the next and last carrier battle in 1944's Battle of the Philipine's sea, A.K.A. Marianas Turkey Shoot.
Good Lord.
My great uncle had 3 ships blown out of the water under him in WW2. Yorktown at Midway sunk. He was then transferred to the Wasp she was sunk near the Canal. His third one was the Hornet at Santa Cruz she was sunk. After coming home after losing the Hornet he was put onboard the Essex and served out the rest of the war in safety as he put it. We never lost an Essex class in combat they got hit but not one was ever sunk in combat. Why he was put on the Wasp was he was considered a crack shot on the 40mm Bofors AA guns and after the attacks at Midway he was in High demand.
Well God bless your uncle and his memory, and all his shipmates as well!
And all you folks out there believe me when I say I have nothing but respect for the men and women of todays Navy, and I mean no disrespect to them when I say the following, but the World War Two Navy was the best we ever had!
It was a priviledge to know men that served in it. What a bunch!
Oh, and I just remembered, there was a kid who worked for my grandfather who joined the Navy when the war came. He was on the "Yorktown." He didn't come home. God rest his soul.
When the Yorktown was repaired in 3 days the goal was combat effective not 100 percent repaired. She was still down 2 boilers had holes between decks under the hanger bay part of her arresting gear was still in tatters and they had to take survivors from the Lexington and the aircrew from the Saratoga to get her ready for the battle. She still managed to sink one carrier helped on the Hiryu and was under tow out of the battle area and could have been saved if not for the 2 sub launched torpedos that hit her. Source for this my own great uncle a crewmember of the Yorktown that was on her at Midway. He died in 1990 but had told me many times how she was a great ship and never to forget what it costs for our nation to be free.
Shadow the Cats ownerThe only trip any of the 3 steam engines is making this year is 844 on the Frontier Days trip beyond that everyday is at Cheyene on 4014 getting her up and running. Why are they pushing so hard for 4014 to be up next year they announced it 6 years ago that she would be running in 4019 and they are not going to miss that deadline short of a nuclear war per my husbands friend.
2019 being the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I knew some guys who were very familiar with the rush "Yorktown" rebuild prior to the Battle of Midway. Don't kid yourself, it wasn't a total refit, there were a helluva lot of jury-rigs done just to get her back out there again.
None of which I might add were to blame for the eventual loss of the ship.
Those same World War Two navy vets told me "You've never seen guys work until you've seen guys work trying to save a ship!"
At any rate, there's no battle outcome depending on the resurrection of 4014, just some corporate embarassment if it isn't ready in time.
But I'm confident it'll be ready in time for the Golden Spike Sesquicentennial.
Firelock76The thing is, some things can't or shouldn't be rushed.
Tell that to the folks who rebuilt the carrier in three days during WWII.
Remember faster, better, cheaper, pick any two? This just rules out cheaper and takes some potential source of slack out of the critical path. The TQM methodology is unlikely to be compromised in the effort.
The only trip any of the 3 steam engines is making this year is 844 on the Frontier Days trip beyond that everyday is at Cheyene on 4014 getting her up and running. Why are they pushing so hard for 4014 to be up next year they announced it 6 years ago that she would be running in 4019 and they are not going to miss that deadline short of a nuclear war per my husbands friend.
Hmmm, there must be some hard-core steam freaks in Omaha!
The thing is, some things can't or shouldn't be rushed. If it's possible, fine, even great, but Mr. Dickens should remind them that he's not rebuilding 4014 for someone to run next year, but for someone to run 50 years from now.
The philosophy of "delayed gratification" is a very practical one.
My hubby has a friend from HS that is on the Steam Crew in Cheyenne. They got new marching orders from Omaha at the start of the Year. 4014 is to be running by March of next year and screw the budget on OT and Labor costs just get it done was the word from the HQ. They want her up and running in time for the College World Series so they can show her off there.
I was in Cheyenne yesterday for a shop tour guided by Ed Dickens. The 4014 is completely disassembled at this point, the boiler is sitting on 2 freight car trucks. It's cleaned, patched, and most of the new staybolts are in. Got a good close look at the front engine unit which was completely disassembled cleaned repaired and is getting new lube lines, which evidently are inaccessible when the locomotive is all put together. There's a LOT of work ahead for these guys, but it looks like they're doing it right! Even on a Saturday afternoon there were several men in there working on it.
BaltACDThe video should be required viewing for all those who are complaining about the time and money it is taking the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to restore and rebuild the 1309. You can't go down to Lowe's, Home Depot or Ace Hardware to secure the necessary parts and when it is necessary to manufacture the required parts - not everyone can do it and those that can don't work for free.
Doesn't seem to matter how many times you tell people to use common sense, there's always going to be those who just don't get it. I think Wesley Snipes said it best in the movie Blade. "There's always some(body) who tries to skate uphill."
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
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