A while back my English class wrote business letters to companies around the country. I chose to write to Union Pacific because, well, you'll see when you read it. For those of you who responded to my "Who do I contact?" post, thanks! That really helped me send it to the right dept.
OK, here is what I sent.
Dear Mr. Young:
I would like to applaud you for being a driving force to make Union Pacific a great company. I am a fifteen year-old rail fan, and over the past few years I have had some great experiences with UP. It all started when my mother’s college friend’s brother-in-law found out I loved trains. He is a conductor for Union Pacific and he sent me one of the most valuable presents I believe I will ever receive. A hat, the kind only distributed to employees.
The first time I figured out the hat was something special was June 1st, 2007 in Pueblo, Colorado. A Union Pacific mixed freight was stopped, waiting for a block to clear. My grandfather and I figured this was a good time to take some photos. Upon seeing my hat, the engineer poked his head out the window and asked if I would like to come up into the cab. Stunned, I found myself climbing the ladder and sitting in the engineer’s seat. My grandfather stood outside, taking pictures of his 11 year-old grandson sitting at the throttle of 12,000 horsepower.
The next ‘incident’ occurred last summer. My grandfather and I were at Topeka’s Great Overland Station, watching some new equipment being moved in. We thought we were lucky just to have been able to watch the move. Then a white Tahoe with Union Pacific markings pulled up and four UP employees got out. Presumably they were on lunch break and had come over to watch the move. One of them spotted my hat, and everything changed. He walked over and asked if we would be interested in some free tickets to the ‘You Route the Steam’ excursion out of Kansas City. Unfortunately, we had to decline because we had a schedule. We told them that we would be in North Platte, Nebraska a few days before then. “Oh, I can hook you up with somebody there to give you a tour of the yard if you like,” he said.
A few days later, we are in the parking lot of the Golden Spike Tower waiting for somebody to show up. My grandfather and I assumed it would be some uninterested intern. A company SUV pulled up and a man got out. He introduced himself and we were shocked to find out that he was the director of eastbound traffic thru the yard, or something along those lines. We had a fantastic and very thorough tour, but the best part was when we found out via his in-car radio, that the 844 was given clearance to pass thru the yard. Leaping out of our seats, my grandfather and I grab our cameras to take some one-of-a-kind photos of one of the most beautiful steam locomotives in the world coasting thru the world’s largest rail yard. We have had a fantastic day of rail fanning so far, but unbeknownst to us, there lies one more surprise for us.
Later that night, after supper, my grandfather and I walk over to where the 844 is parked for the night. We take some more photos and marvel at how ‘alive’ it is. As we watch some crew members service the locomotive, the engineer walks up and talks with us for a few minutes. After a while, he climbs back up in the cab and walks back to us a moment later. He hands me a thick bundle of papers. Closer inspection revealed it to be the track warrant from Cheyenne to North Platte. I was holing gold in my hands.
Looking back, I marvel at how kind every Union Pacific employee I have met has been. Even though UP is America’s ‘Premier Railroad Franchise’, I feel a very community and employee oriented company lies beneath. That’s not a bad thing for such a large company to have.
Thank you Union Pacific, and all those who work for the good of your customers, shareholders and one another. In the eyes of a fifteen year-old, you have achieved just that. Going above and beyond.
All because of a hat.
Regards,
And here is what I got back.
Dear ------ ------:
On behalf of Chairman Jim Young, thank you for your kind words. It’s always nice to hear from a fan – after all, safely delivering the goods you and our nation use every day is our No. 1 priority.
This year, we are proud to commemorate Union Pacific’s 150th Anniversary and hope you will join the celebration by visiting our anniversary website (UP150.com), which features an interactive timeline of our history, events being held nationwide, and a place for you to share your wonderful Union Pacific memories with other railroad fans.
Included in this letter are commemorative pins that I hope will bring you as many good memories as your hat. The first honors Union Pacific’s 150-year legacy that began when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862. The other two pins are from our participation in the 1996 and 2002 Olympic Games – one of the many national traditions we are proud to support.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Turner
Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations
Any typo's are my fault, I had to type this up from a printed letter.
Thanks, UP!
Acela
The timbers beneath the rails are not the only ties that bind on the railroad. --Robert S. McGonigal
You hear it all the time at the rail road..."Some days chicken, some days just feathers."
Looks like you got chicken.
And, from the quality of your writing, you paid close attention in English class.
A very well written concise and informative posting that keeps the reader interested in how it ends.
Well done all the way around.
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edblysard And, from the quality of your writing, you paid close attention in English class. A very well written concise and informative posting that keeps the reader interested in how it ends.
Congrats on your 'score'.
I have had the privilege of meeting Mr. Turner and having a nice chat with him. Very nice guy. Glad you got a response.
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
Very well done although a response from Mr. Young himself would have been nice.
Ulrich Very well done although a response from Mr. Young himself would have been nice.
Agreed, but hey, a Senior VP of anything is neat, too!
And as far as the writing goes...well let's just say the best English teacher I have ever had is my grandfather. Never learned anything outstanding from anyone at school. In fact, aside from the 100% written at the top of the paper, the only comment I got from my English teacher: "Was a bit long, but enjoyed the story! :) " And yes, the did use a ' :) ' .
On the other hand, I have been thinking about using this letter as a base for an article I would submit to Trains. I would, of course, elaborate more.
Okay, tonight I finally don't have any homework. I'm getting started on an article that I am planning to submit to Trains. Who knows if they will put it in, but hey, I can't say I didn't try!
For now, my questions are:
Thanks!
Leapin' Lizards ! How fortunate to have a tour of what I call the Railway Mecca of the U.S., from the google maps I can hardly fathom the size of that facility in North Platte, it's enormous, are your next plans to move to North Platte?
tatans Leapin' Lizards ! How fortunate to have a tour of what I call the Railway Mecca of the U.S., from the google maps I can hardly fathom the size of that facility in North Platte, it's enormous, are your next plans to move to North Platte?
YES!!!
Here's my 2 favorite shots from inside the yard.
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