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Its time for railfans to put there money were the mouth is and Fund a Railroad IPO and run a RR!

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 19, 2004 8:04 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by cherokee woman

HEY!! I want a job on this railroad of ours. What do you want me to do? (and it
better NOT be housekeeping: have enough trouble with that at home.) How about
ticket taker?



<I was going to say Chief Cook (since you plan meals in the coffee shop so much) but Arkansas and Kentucky are just toooo close together for my safety. Add to the fact that you do have my address and phone number, so I guess I will just keep that thought to myself. [;)] >
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Posted by cherokee woman on Sunday, September 19, 2004 6:47 PM
HEY!! I want a job on this railroad of ours. What do you want me to do? (and it
better NOT be housekeeping: have enough trouble with that at home.) How about
ticket taker?
Angel cherokee woman "O'Toole's law: Murphy was an optimist."
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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, September 19, 2004 3:06 PM
Friends, there already are railroads successfully run by railfans. Is the name the Blue Mountain and Reading? How about the Strassburg? Mt. Washingotn Cog? and more. The East Troy (Wis) Trolley Museum (which also handles carload frieght with a trolley freight locomotive, just like the class interurbns did!) The owner operators of these lines are truly both railfans and practical railroaders. And may be they all be truly blessed!
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 19, 2004 3:05 PM
Careful what you wish for. We already own a railroad and have nothing but Amtrak bashers to show for it.

Wayne
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Posted by jeaton on Sunday, September 19, 2004 2:04 PM
OK, the yet to be determined Chairman of the Board has called a combined Board/Officers meeting. The agenda:

1. 9:00-10:00am Coffe Break.

2. 10:00am-3:00pm Decide on restaurant for Lunch.

3. 3:00pm-5:00pm Lunch (Possibly later pending resolution of Item 2)

4. 5:00pm-? Come up with the name for the company.

5. ?-? Adjournment vote.

Those in attendance should advise family of possible extended absence.

WHAT A TEAM!!!

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 19, 2004 12:32 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

Jim-E&O Errors and Omissions. I'll get my insurance license and broker the deal. No conflict there.

Jay[}:)]





Jay [;)]

When I sold life, health, and P and C insurance I had an E & O policy. It was required. [:(]

But I still think E & O sounds like a good nic for a railroad. <Bet Locomutt would agree [;)] >
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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, September 19, 2004 11:33 AM
Colors might be red -- that's Tuscan red -- and gold...

"The road of PURR-fect service"

In this day and age of printed wraps for vehicles with advertising on them, and inexpensive vinyl cut lettering (cf. Reading and Northern) we don't have to settle for a stylized paw print. Why not do the broken dish as the REAL dish -- Chessie her own precious self. (We'll reserve Peake and the kittens for later)

Come to think of it, dark blue and yellow are good colors, too, even if CSX has a bit more 'right' to 'em. As I noted in another post, I liked the old Chessie System diesel paint, too.

Do we get to put up overhead wire CATenary ASAP? Or use tabby 'tiger stripes' for anticollision markings?
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Posted by locomutt on Sunday, September 19, 2004 10:23 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

Well,with all these other "GOOD" people running this,I guess I can kick in.
I like the idea of a "Paw Print" for the herald,don't really care about the color of
paint,so long as it is NOT yellow with any gray.

You know,after thinking about this for awhile,I think we might really have a
good chance of making a class railroad.

Oh yeah,Has anybody come up with what uniforms would look like? I mean
we can't go around looking scruffy and like we haven't changed clothes for
several days. After all, we are professioals,aren't we.

I'm not sure what job I would like to have,but for some reason,security comes
to mind. I like telling people where they can go.[:D][:-^]



Colors . . . well I kinda like Blue and Red (so would a lot of people out west) or we could jump coasts and go with a nice light blue (and don't forget a word or two about "Quality"), or we could go with a nice madrian orange and white (very visible but the orange looked Red when new and only looked orange when faded so lets just go a nice Red and White).

I thought railroads were "self-insured"? So where do we get an E & O policy? (Kinda sounds like a good railroad nic, doesn't it? [:D]

Walt, when you mention "security" and telling people where to go, did you have anyONE in mind? [}:)] [;)] [:D] <Jim can guess REAL GOOD.> [:p]

Will we start using kitty litter as ballast? [:D]

Replace bottled water with MILK?

Is every Friday "Causual Day"? Clothing optional [}:)]

Instead of "Bears" wearing engineer hats will our souvenirs be Cats being engineer hats. ( Hey this one could really CATch on. [;)] )




As far as colors go,I'm rather partial to med.or dk. blue;with the paw print either in white,or
yellow.[:)]

Okay,have we named the line yet? The CAT-A-LANA LINES might work,or it could be the
UNI-SYSTEM[:)]

Yes we can use kitty litter for ballast,just have to remember to buy white glue by the tank
car load.[:)]

Use of the "cat" as a souvenir sounds good,but we might have a problem with another
road who seems to have a trademark on that[:(]

And as for the "security," just try to keep "UNAUTHORIZED" people off company property,
and prosecute tresspassers the FULLEST intent that the law allows.[:D]
And if that comes under the heading of this means you;Then guess what.[:D]
Yeah Jim,you do guess pretty well[:D][}:)]

Don't know about "causual" Friday;I just thought uniforms would be a little nicer.
Nothing fancy mind you,basicly shirt with logo on it and med.color slacks.[:D]

Walt[^][:p]

Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!

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Posted by jeaton on Sunday, September 19, 2004 9:50 AM
Jim-E&O Errors and Omissions. I'll get my insurance license and broker the deal. No conflict there.

Jay[}:)]

PS Did somebody mention Auditor?? Do you really want some suit running around snooping into your business.

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 19, 2004 9:44 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

I still have an ALCO S-6 for sale, along with a GE 60 tonner.
Randy



I wouldn't mind engineering the Alco but the GE, nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. [;)]

We will see if we can get our mechanical VP to buy the Alco. Hey, I think YOU are the mechanical VP, looks like the loco just SOLD. [:D]
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Posted by Randy Stahl on Sunday, September 19, 2004 9:12 AM
I still have an ALCO S-6 for sale, along with a GE 60 tonner.
Randy
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 19, 2004 9:04 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

Well,with all these other "GOOD" people running this,I guess I can kick in.
I like the idea of a "Paw Print" for the herald,don't really care about the color of
paint,so long as it is NOT yellow with any gray.

You know,after thinking about this for awhile,I think we might really have a
good chance of making a class railroad.

Oh yeah,Has anybody come up with what uniforms would look like? I mean
we can't go around looking scruffy and like we haven't changed clothes for
several days. After all, we are professioals,aren't we.

I'm not sure what job I would like to have,but for some reason,security comes
to mind. I like telling people where they can go.[:D][:-^]



Colors . . . well I kinda like Blue and Red (so would a lot of people out west) or we could jump coasts and go with a nice light blue (and don't forget a word or two about "Quality"), or we could go with a nice madrian orange and white (very visible but the orange looked Red when new and only looked orange when faded so lets just go a nice Red and White).

I thought railroads were "self-insured"? So where do we get an E & O policy? (Kinda sounds like a good railroad nic, doesn't it? [:D]

Walt, when you mention "security" and telling people where to go, did you have anyONE in mind? [}:)] [;)] [:D] <Jim can guess REAL GOOD.> [:p]

Will we start using kitty litter as ballast? [:D]

Replace bottled water with MILK?

Is every Friday "Causual Day"? Clothing optional [}:)]

Instead of "Bears" wearing engineer hats will our souvenirs be Cats being engineer hats. ( Hey this one could really CATch on. [;)] )

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Posted by locomutt on Sunday, September 19, 2004 8:32 AM
Well,with all these other "GOOD" people running this,I guess I can kick in.
I like the idea of a "Paw Print" for the herald,don't really care about the color of
paint,so long as it is NOT yellow with any gray.

You know,after thinking about this for awhile,I think we might really have a
good chance of making a class railroad.

Oh yeah,Has anybody come up with what uniforms would look like? I mean
we can't go around looking scruffy and like we haven't changed clothes for
several days. After all, we are professioals,aren't we.

I'm not sure what job I would like to have,but for some reason,security comes
to mind. I like telling people where they can go.[:D][:-^]

Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!

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Posted by edblysard on Sunday, September 19, 2004 5:23 AM
Sure Jim, you can run the motors...
As soon as Mookie tells us what color to paint them, and where to put the cats paw print logo!

And yes, Mark, I do get out of the yard once in a while, Uncle Pete lets us come play in his sandbox on occasion.

Although there is a lot to be said about running a small railroad on RTC, with a few of UP's CTC sections thrown in, and having most of it FRA exempt, in that all of it is "inside yard limits" and under the restricted speed rule.

You yourself pointed out that the average freight train speed is 25 mph, and our max speed limit on our "running rails" is 20.

You can move a heck of a lot of cars at 20 mph......

I spent a day up in the control tower, watching our general yardmaster, who has to wear the dual hat of yardmaster and dispatcher...keeping track of 20 or so of our jobs without the benefit of a CTC board, both our "road" and yard jobs, and keeping tabs on the member line's inbound trains and crews, is a little more hectic than I like.

Do it right, and things seem to just about run themselves, but screw up one simple little move, and you shut down the entire thing.

Why you guys dont all have gray hair, facial twiches, and ulcers the size of baseballs is beyond me...

Ed

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 19, 2004 12:54 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

Ok, I bite...
I take out a equity loan on the old house...sell the kids, and rent the Magnum out for joy rides, but I get to be the trainmaster....
So, what color other than battleship gray for the New, Employee Owned KCS?

And who get to run TexMex?

Mudchicken can be the chief engineer/MOW foreman...Mookie is administration/vice prez in charge of public relations, Kevin is the...well, what is Kevin.....ah ha!
Motive power desk!
LC is the super...and CSXengineer is roadforeman of engines...
Keno is personel, and tree, (Larry) our safety officer...
Hemphill can be chief dispatcher, first trick...(no more midnights....not bad Mark!)

lots of jobs up for bids...

So, whos in?

Ed
Ed



I would be happy just to be a loco engineer. OK?

<Can we buy 5 or 7 chime horns? PLEASE. [:D]

And trainfinder can be the traveling "cell tester". [}:)] [;)] [:D]

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Posted by MP57313 on Sunday, September 19, 2004 12:36 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard
Ok, I bite...
lots of jobs up for bids...
So, whos in?
Ed

Do you need an auditor?[:D]
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Posted by jeaton on Sunday, September 19, 2004 12:14 AM
I would take on bean counter, just give me plenty of ( )'s and -'s signs, and a fat E&O policy.

I propose junctionfan as a director and chair of the compensation committee. That should give him some respect.

Jay

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 10:43 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

I was asking for bids on jobs, we still need car knockers, I tagged you for chief dispatcher,
but now...
looks like I got promoted, and then stuck in Kansas....
Thats twice in one year....
Boy, this place if really really flat.....
and last time, I got to take my dog...
Think they got beavers here?

Ed


Ed-

I'm pretty sure they got beavers there...

Don't forget Randy, he is definitely V.P. Mechanical...

LC
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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 18, 2004 10:12 PM
I was asking for bids on jobs, we still need car knockers, I tagged you for chief dispatcher,
but now...
looks like I got promoted, and then stuck in Kansas....
Thats twice in one year....
Boy, this place if really really flat.....
and last time, I got to take my dog...
Think they got beavers here?

Ed

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, September 18, 2004 10:10 PM
Oh no... is this going to be like the D&H SD-45 gag in the "I Love Toy Trains" videos?

She was goin' downgrade makin' ninety miles an hour
When they heard that whistle scream,
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle
Scalded to death by the steam...

or

They arrested me and put me in jail
and called my pappy to go my bail
and he said "Son you're gonna drive me to drinkin'
if you don't stop driving that HOT... ROD... LINCOLN...
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 9:54 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

Just checking to see if you're planning to run the whole thing at restricted speed. That way you can get rid of an entire craft, you know, and make the yardmaster much happier, since he'll be boss of everything!


NO WAY!!

Number 8 AND SAND BABY!!! Here we come!!

And don't show me any bad signals...

LC
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 9:50 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

Ed, Ed, Ed ... there's a whole big world out there beyond the Yard Limit sign.


LOL!!

Hey! I ponied up first, I deserve at least V.P. Transportation...

I'm thinking Mark could take Haverty's job, I don't need THAT much responsibility...

Ed, you've been everywhere, I see you as V.P. Sales and marketing...

LC
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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 18, 2004 9:15 PM
OH NO!!!
It looks like I'm not in Kansas anymore.....

anybody seen my dog?


Ed[:D]

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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 18, 2004 9:05 PM
Ok, I bite...
I take out a equity loan on the old house...sell the kids, and rent the Magnum out for joy rides, but I get to be the trainmaster....
So, what color other than battleship gray for the New, Employee Owned KCS?

And who get to run TexMex?

Mudchicken can be the chief engineer/MOW foreman...Mookie is administration/vice prez in charge of public relations, Kevin is the...well, what is Kevin.....ah ha!
Motive power desk!
LC is the super...and CSXengineer is roadforeman of engines...
Keno is personel, and tree, (Larry) our safety officer...
Hemphill can be chief dispatcher, first trick...(no more midnights....not bad Mark!)

lots of jobs up for bids...

So, whos in?

Ed
Ed

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 6:43 PM
An then watch KCS plumit?

Heres what i think to the idea: I say screw maintenance, let's pull the old "CP M&O" division tactic: Forget about maintenance all together! let the ties Rot, and the rails screw up, which will force 10 MPH on most miles of the track- 175 Miles of boring dithering track? Let's settle for 10 MP of NS railroad- the busiest part- and completely screw them over- we'll forget about maintenance! open box cars our are moto- Let's leve evrything open? whats the max Speed our locomotive can do? heck- on va voir!

Sarcasim aside- We should really pool a whole wach of money and invest in Some serious Stockage: NO really! CP rail is at 33 bucks/22 American, CN is at 80 american\ 110 canadain... hmm Kinda of a kick in the bum-bum with the amount of money we have, let's Buy CP-

Then when we own CP we can start producing D&H toilet paper, Who wouldn't want to use that?

See if we were to buy Cn and place every single RR they've taken over, tnat would be coastly, and what would our modo be, collect all ten thousand, eight hundred and fifty rolls? uhhh...no.

We can make CP rail Ken.. What girl doesn't want a CP rail Ken?

THEN... We could make CP rail household acsessories.. And put on them "BUY HONEST MEN'S HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, NOT SOME JAILED WOMAN" hint, hint...

Bars of soap- Eau de CP- Available in Track scent, Station scent, limited edition Engineers sweat scent.. limited to 10 thou- no one thou.

Then we can start making automobiles- think about it- we'll but out GM.. the CP rail hummer, now with parts from 90 MAC's.. Because we put our trains in our hearts..

Who on this green earth wouldn't buy that..

Common we could turn the D&H eaters *burp* into somehting half decent, who is with me????



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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 6:36 PM
Oh...Count me in. The first stockholders meeting will be a live version of the Forum. Now that's entertainment.
I thought Bipolar disorder was something the west end of the Milwaukee Road suffered from.
I'm doing the posters.
Mitch
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 5:58 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

Lets see,
For 200 million, lets suppose you buy say, 25 new MK1500Ds...at 1 million each, that leaves you 175 million,,,so at a average of 1 million per mile, you can buy 175 miles of railroad, forgeting the salries of employees, insurance, maintainance of buildings, administration cost, (did I mention insurance?) cost of fule, sand, oil, (55 gallon drums Texaco lube aint cheap) and on and on...
You gotta raise a lot more that 200 million, althought that might get you a vote or two on UP"s board of directors, maybe...

Ed


$200M would give you a decent shot at the KCS. $15.00/share on friday. So if you put in $150M of your stake into KCS that's be 10Million shares or just under 1/6th of the 62,674,000 shares outstanding. I'm sure you'd get some directors and perhaps even control, with ca***o spare...

LC
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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 18, 2004 4:40 PM
Lets see,
For 200 million, lets suppose you buy say, 25 new MK1500Ds...at 1 million each, that leaves you 175 million,,,so at a average of 1 million per mile, you can buy 175 miles of railroad, forgeting the salries of employees, insurance, maintainance of buildings, administration cost, (did I mention insurance?) cost of fule, sand, oil, (55 gallon drums Texaco lube aint cheap) and on and on...
You gotta raise a lot more that 200 million, althought that might get you a vote or two on UP"s board of directors, maybe...

Ed

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 4:11 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by dragonslayer87

who would be the CEO, the HOBO?????


Nah, he can be the Vice Chairman (or is that the Chairman of Vice?)

You can make me any title you want, as long as I can run the thing without unreasonable interference...

Please note, I said "unreasonable interference". I'm open to all good management suggestions and even a little help now and again...

LC
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 4:06 PM
who would be the CEO, the HOBO?????

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