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News Wire: Amtrak names Atlas Air's Flynn to succeed Anderson as CEO (updated)

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Posted by Brian Schmidt on Monday, March 2, 2020 11:32 AM

New chief executive to take office April 15; Anderson to remain as advisor for remainder of year

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/03/report-atlas-airs-flynn-to-succeed-anderson-as-amtrak-ceo

Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine

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Posted by Backshop on Monday, March 2, 2020 12:00 PM

In 6 months, people on here will be bemoaning the good ole days when Anderson was in charge.

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Posted by MMLDelete on Monday, March 2, 2020 12:29 PM

He must like trains. He's taking a 93% pay cut!!

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, March 2, 2020 12:42 PM

Atlas Air?  An air freight outfit?  That doesn't augur well.

Containerized passengers?  

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, March 2, 2020 12:45 PM

And nobody seems to want to comment on the 'he's expected to stay five years' line...?

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Posted by CMStPnP on Monday, March 2, 2020 12:47 PM

He-he-he, Southern Air Transport.Geeked    I'll bet few here know the fuzzy background of that company.

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, March 2, 2020 12:49 PM

Backshop
In 6 months, people on here will be bemoaning the good ole days when Anderson was in charge.

Since Anderson will be an 'Adviser' to the end of the year.  It will take longer than 6 months, and despite how bad the new guy may be, no one will ever consider Anderson's tenure as 'good old days'.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Victrola1 on Monday, March 2, 2020 1:34 PM

Amtrak prepares to enter the age of passenger jet service. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saG-QQSiG4I

 

 

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, March 2, 2020 1:45 PM

A fitting example!

Rebuilt cheap RDC, with sheet-steel 'styled' nose and F7 numberboards for windows, towed backward behind a Geep as the intermodal train thunders by.

Then fire up the obsolescent turbojets bought as surplus from retired equipment, and buck your way down the bolted-joint main in a huge cloud of black unburned fuel and road dust... 

I remember once again the tagline in a National Lampoon article about the Metroliners, some years later: "Speeding America into the Fifties" -- "Railroading's answer to the DC-6."  This was railroading's answer to the B-47, well into the era of the B-70 and A-12...

... and no, it wasn't meant for passengers of the repeat, paying kind.

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Posted by Metro Red Line on Monday, March 2, 2020 3:36 PM

Flintlock76

Atlas Air?  An air freight outfit?  That doesn't augur well.

Containerized passengers?  

 

 

To be fair, unlike Anderson, Flynn also has railroad experience; he was a senior executive for CSX. 

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, March 2, 2020 4:33 PM

Has the Board 'forced' Anderson to move on?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by n012944 on Monday, March 2, 2020 5:02 PM

BaltACD

Has the Board 'forced' Anderson to move on?

 

 

Why would they?  I doubt foamers opinion of him matter to the board.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/nyregion/amtrak-ceo-william-flynn.html

"By all accounts, Mr. Anderson, who guided Delta through a bankruptcy proceeding, has been successful"

An "expensive model collector"

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Monday, March 2, 2020 5:27 PM

Most metrics would suggest Anderson did a pretty good job in a situation where so much is not within his power to change.  There's a place for nostalgia seekers but that's not in a modern passenger rail system. 

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Posted by NKP guy on Monday, March 2, 2020 6:10 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI6dsMeABpU

 

   My feelings exactly.

 

 

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Posted by York1 on Monday, March 2, 2020 6:15 PM

I feel like lighting a firecracker here.  Let's go for it!

Anderson was in a position answerable to Congressional budget constraints and oversight.  He faced a public with attitudes that ranged from shutting the entire system down all the way to immediately criss-crossing the country with HSR.

What, specifically, did Anderson do wrong?

York1 John       

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Monday, March 2, 2020 6:26 PM

BaltACD

Has the Board 'forced' Anderson to move on?

 

So what is your opinion of the new chief, given you both worked at CSX? 

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, March 2, 2020 7:15 PM

n012944
BaltACD

Has the Board 'forced' Anderson to move on? 

Why would they?  I doubt foamers opinion of him matter to the board.

I don't think it's foamers, I think it's politicians bringing pressure.  It might be something related to the charge-the-scooter-people-$25,000: the timing of this announcement seems to match.

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, March 2, 2020 7:38 PM

Overmod
 
n012944
BaltACD

Has the Board 'forced' Anderson to move on? 

Why would they?  I doubt foamers opinion of him matter to the board. 

I don't think it's foamers, I think it's politicians bringing pressure.  It might be something related to the charge-the-scooter-people-$25,000: the timing of this announcement seems to match.

People with the resources to own and operate private railroad cars normally have very deep political ties and influence.

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Posted by n012944 on Monday, March 2, 2020 8:54 PM

Overmod

 

 
n012944
BaltACD

Has the Board 'forced' Anderson to move on? 

Why would they?  I doubt foamers opinion of him matter to the board.

 

I don't think it's foamers, I think it's politicians bringing pressure.  It might be something related to the charge-the-scooter-people-$25,000: the timing of this announcement seems to match.

 

 

Or maybe it is because his three year contract is up this year.

An "expensive model collector"

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, March 2, 2020 9:58 PM

n012944
Or maybe it is because his three year contract is up this year.

Naaaah, too simple.  Too obvious.  All us conspiracy theorists and speculators can't have any fun if the obvious reasons were to apply.

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Posted by 243129 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 8:52 AM

Brian Schmidt

New chief executive to take office April 15; Anderson to remain as advisor for remainder of year

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/03/report-atlas-airs-flynn-to-succeed-anderson-as-amtrak-ceo

 

I worked with his father, brother, and uncle. He comes from good stock.

 

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 10:09 AM

243129

 

 
Brian Schmidt

New chief executive to take office April 15; Anderson to remain as advisor for remainder of year

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/03/report-atlas-airs-flynn-to-succeed-anderson-as-amtrak-ceo

 

 

 

I worked with his father, brother, and uncle. He comes from good stock.

 

 

Is he a "chip off the old block?"

Johnny

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Posted by 243129 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 11:17 AM

Deggesty

 

 
243129

 

 
Brian Schmidt

New chief executive to take office April 15; Anderson to remain as advisor for remainder of year

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/03/report-atlas-airs-flynn-to-succeed-anderson-as-amtrak-ceo

 

 

 

I worked with his father, brother, and uncle. He comes from good stock.

 

 

 

 

Is he a "chip off the old block?"

 

 

I don't know him personally, but I would think so.

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 12:35 PM

Official Amtrak statement:

https://media.amtrak.com/2020/03/amtrak-names-william-flynn-as-ceo-and-president/

Note the hints in his statement about likely initial priorities.

Joe, you have my interest and attention.  Just what did his relatives do when you worked with them?

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Posted by 243129 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 2:28 PM

Overmod
Joe, you have my interest and attention. Just what did his relatives do when you worked with them?

His father and I were firemen together on the Shoreline Division NY.NH.&H. , his father eventually becoming a road foreman, his uncle was an Amtrak engineer on the NEC (also with me) and his son, who sadly passed away at a young age, was a conductor for Amtrak on the NEC. All good railroad men.

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 5:22 PM

243129
 
Overmod
Joe, you have my interest and attention. Just what did his relatives do when you worked with them? 

His father and I were firemen together on the Shoreline Division NY.NH.&H. , his father eventually becoming a road foreman, his uncle was an Amtrak engineer on the NEC (also with me) and his son, who sadly passed away at a young age, was a conductor for Amtrak on the NEC. All good railroad men.

Would you say, "In like Flynn"?

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 7:24 PM

charlie hebdo

 

 
BaltACD

Has the Board 'forced' Anderson to move on?

 

 

 

So what is your opinion of the new chief, given you both worked at CSX? 

 

I'll repeat the question

 You usually have strong opinions about CSX and Amtrak.  So what about Flynn? 

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Posted by 243129 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 8:09 PM

Electroliner 1935
Would you say, "In like Flynn"?

Yes, you could say that.Stick out tongue

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Posted by trackpenny on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 1:01 AM

Check out Airline Pilot Central forum-Cargo=Southern and Atlas. I have my popcorn popping. He hates unions

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Posted by Backshop on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 7:44 AM

Atlas is one of those last minute, low cost cargo carriers, just like Kalitta.  They hire low-time pilots who want to fly big planes but normally can't get hired by the majors.  That Amazon Prime jet that crashed into Galveston Bay last year was an Atlas plane.

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