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[Anonymous]

I posted thefollowing to the UP board at railfan.net. about a month ago.

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On my return drive from Chicago (See My Aborted Amtrak Trip on the Amtrak board) I drove down US 67 from St. Louis to Little Rock last night. The highway parallels the ex MoPac main from Texas to St. Louis. For one 38 mile stretch from Walnut Ridge to Newport, AR it runs right along the single track UP mainline. In that one short stretch, which I travelled in about 35 minutes last night, I met FIVE northbound UP trains!!! Four were manifests and one an empty unit coal train with distributed power pushing on the rear. With the exception of the first train which was running at the reduced speed limit over the BNSF (ex-Frisco) diamond at Hoxie, all looked like they were hitting the max speed allowed on this single track CTC controlled line.

In the old days, when they were still in use, we would call this " running on another's markers". To me this was an amazing example of the tonnage that could be moved over single track when directional running is the mode of operation. The UP basically runs northbound trains over the old MoPac and Southbounds over the fromer Cotton Belt between St. Louis and Dallas/Ft. Worth.
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This as a example of the way TODAYS Union Pacific runs the railroad. Yes the UP made mistakes particularly when they ignored the know how of the former Esspee railroaders. Their problems were compounded by the unprecedented boom in freight traffic. Is the UP perfect? No they still make mistakes and have a lousy record in handling Amtrak trains, but they have learned and continue to improve.

What possible difference does the COLOR of a locomotive make? Four pink engines with green spots rolling an intermodal at 60mph or handling a 110 car coal train with two more pink engines on the rear is still a sight to make my heart beat faster. If you dislike the UP or any other successful railroad take a trip out east and hike one of the "rails to trails" that was at one time a main line railroad.

[Anonymous]

Very mature, As if the railroad cared what we think.

As if we had a right to tell the railroad what to do.

As if it mattered what any railroad wanted to do with their property.

It's their business to do with as they please with what they have, it's their nickel.

To hate them for whatever reason is absurd, did they slap your wife? Kill your baby?
kick your dog?

Get a life and get on with it already.

[Valleyline]

All this hand wringing about the poor old SP being bought out by the bad guys at UP is a joke. Everyone who cares a hoot about railroading knows that SP was a long term basket case, unable to survive on its own. One can conclude that UP saved them from oblivion. How many of you critics actually read "Trains" anyway? And, how many class I's have survived as long as the UP, with a steam program to boot? KCMOWMAN (above) sums it up very well.

[trainboyH16-44]

Yeah, but also fear it.
I am deeply afraid of the possible merger withCP, and I would deeply miss it going past my house if it happened, Hate the UP, stop railfanning, possibly commit suicide (All joking) and, whoops, I almost said something in really bad taste!
Oh well,I'm sure it won't happen soon (Knock on wood)
Trainboy

[Anonymous]

Along with all other threads with "despise" and "UP" within 5 posts of each other, this one has proven to be trouble. I will throw in my two cents, for the heck of it.

UP...What to say...

I have nothing against them personally. It's not like they ran over my dog or anything. I never see anything UP, except on my trips to Nashville and other areas westerly. I don't get why everyone despises them so...I definitely don't agree with their taxation of all products with their name on it, and their new heritage schemes are murderous to the original paint schemes. But I don't hate, despise, or even dislike UP.