IslandManUnrelated to railways or indeed Pan Am, here is a bit of commercial cunning which people might find mildly amusing:
Well, this isn't commercial, but...
Saw a picture of a fire scene not long ago, and it's obvious that the firefighters from one station had heard the joke:
A fellow saw some firefighters with "None" on their t-shirts. Asked for an explanation, the firefighters observed that a neighboring fire department had as a motto, "Second to None." So they were "None."
A truck at that fire scene had clearly emblazened on the side of the cab, "None."
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
jeffhergert IslandMan Enzoamps Well, one railroad does not a trend make. Over the years how many railroads were named the Something & Pacific, when they didn't come near the Pacific? Guilford is regional, but they probably do not intend to be that way forever, PanAm is a stronger marketing tool. 'Pan Am' to most people means international air travel, even if the airline bearing that name has long since gone bankrupt. Would 'Rock Island Line' be a good brand name for an up-and-coming airline? Perhaps 'Can Am Railways' would have been more appropriate, different enough from 'Pan Am' to avoid confusion but similar enough to piggyback brand recognition. They could still have used the old airline's colours and insignia. 'Can[ada] Am[erica] Railways' also neatly summarises the railway's geographical position and cross-border connections. I think the Can Am motorcycle people may have an issue with Can Am Railways. https://can-am.brp.com/ A group proposing a major electrical transmission line project has used (and modifed) "Rock Island Line" into Rock Island Clean Line. (Being a RI fan, I am not amused.) https://www.rockislandcleanline.com/site/home Jeff
IslandMan Enzoamps Well, one railroad does not a trend make. Over the years how many railroads were named the Something & Pacific, when they didn't come near the Pacific? Guilford is regional, but they probably do not intend to be that way forever, PanAm is a stronger marketing tool. 'Pan Am' to most people means international air travel, even if the airline bearing that name has long since gone bankrupt. Would 'Rock Island Line' be a good brand name for an up-and-coming airline? Perhaps 'Can Am Railways' would have been more appropriate, different enough from 'Pan Am' to avoid confusion but similar enough to piggyback brand recognition. They could still have used the old airline's colours and insignia. 'Can[ada] Am[erica] Railways' also neatly summarises the railway's geographical position and cross-border connections.
Enzoamps Well, one railroad does not a trend make. Over the years how many railroads were named the Something & Pacific, when they didn't come near the Pacific? Guilford is regional, but they probably do not intend to be that way forever, PanAm is a stronger marketing tool.
Well, one railroad does not a trend make. Over the years how many railroads were named the Something & Pacific, when they didn't come near the Pacific?
Guilford is regional, but they probably do not intend to be that way forever, PanAm is a stronger marketing tool.
'Pan Am' to most people means international air travel, even if the airline bearing that name has long since gone bankrupt. Would 'Rock Island Line' be a good brand name for an up-and-coming airline?
Perhaps 'Can Am Railways' would have been more appropriate, different enough from 'Pan Am' to avoid confusion but similar enough to piggyback brand recognition. They could still have used the old airline's colours and insignia. 'Can[ada] Am[erica] Railways' also neatly summarises the railway's geographical position and cross-border connections.
I think the Can Am motorcycle people may have an issue with Can Am Railways.
https://can-am.brp.com/
A group proposing a major electrical transmission line project has used (and modifed) "Rock Island Line" into Rock Island Clean Line. (Being a RI fan, I am not amused.) https://www.rockislandcleanline.com/site/home
Jeff
Oh well, back to the drawing board! I still think that using a bankrupt airline's name for a regional railroad is a pretty weird idea, owing more to the owner's personal enthusiasms than commercial considerations.
I suppose the difference between 'Rock Island Line' and 'Pan Am' is that the former incorporates the full name of a real place whereas the latter does not. There must be many businesses in Rock Island IL that use 'Rock Island' as part of their brand name.
There other ways in which a name for the railway could hint at 'Pan Am' without using that name explicitly. I think I'll keep them in my head and do some research, before registering them...well, you never know, might be a useful source of income for my dotage.
Unrelated to railways or indeed Pan Am, here is a bit of commercial cunning which people might find mildly amusing:
After the downfall of the USSR, the big Western washing powder manufacturers launched a huge multi-million dollar advertising campaign in Russia. One of the advertising slogans used was "You only need half as much [famous washing powder X] as ordinary powder". The owners of a rusty Soviet-era chemical plant had a 'lightbulb moment'. They knew that the stuff they made was indeed about half as effective as the Western brands, but on the other hand it was about ten times cheaper. They quickly started using the brand name 'Ordinary Powder' and thereby effectively obtained millions of dollars worth of free advertising!*
*Addendum: In case you thought that this was a piece of BS, here's a link to the website of the manufacturer of 'Ordinary Powder'!:
http://www.nevcos.ru/catalog/seriyaobichniyporoshok/
I wonder what would have happened to railroad names had the government not blocked the railroads from moving further into air travel?
What is wrong with Pan Am? Pan American. Pan means across. So "Across America".
Norm48327 Johnny, I empathize. I have a rare surname. There are less than fifty of us in the US and the spelling usually leads people to misprounence it. Welcome to the world of illiterates who only see what they want to see. I, too, am of the old school, and will ask the correct pronunciation of a name I am not familiar with.
Johnny,
I empathize. I have a rare surname. There are less than fifty of us in the US and the spelling usually leads people to misprounence it.
Welcome to the world of illiterates who only see what they want to see. I, too, am of the old school, and will ask the correct pronunciation of a name I am not familiar with.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
I live in northern New England. Guilford Transportation had a TERRIBLE reputation. Worst PR imaginable. Pan Am is a revered trademark with positive vibes. I’m guessing when Mellon found the brand for sale cheap, he figured they had no place to go but up with renaming the railroad Pam Am. I have done business with the Amtrak-operated Downeaster; my impression is that the passenger service has a pretty good relationship now with Pan Am. It’s still odd to see that famous logo on the freight RR’s diesels.
Still in training.
Norm
From time to time, I get a call from someone wantin to sell something such as solar panels. When I tell the caller that I live in an apartment, the usual response is that the caller hangs up immediately.
Oh, yes, some callers want to speak to "John Deg-ges;" I say, "This is John Degges (one syllable), and if the caller apologizes, I say, "It's not a common name."
Johnny
When I get calls for, well, anyone, I always answer "Speaking". Some of the reactions are too funny to keep up the charade, but I try and sometimes it gets even funnier.
"Hellen?"
"Speaking." (in my normal MALE voice).
"WOW I heard you had a bad cold! Are you seeing doctor?"
"No."
"Ummm... well I was going to ask if you could get away from John this evening and we could get together, for some.... well... you know."
"Well... maybe you and John could get together instead?"
"Uh! You mean, he knows?"
"Sure, he said he'd like to join us some evening."
-----------
You should hear what I do to telemarketers! They are the most fun.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
DeggestyAs to telephone calls,
When I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB, my number was not far removed from both the officers club and the emergency number (pre-9-1-1). I never got any emergency calls, but did get one or two for the club...
The spam callers are now spoofing local numbers. As I get calls regarding renting our banquet hall, I can't simply ignore them, or use a smart alec response, although I am sorely tempted to do so.
My favorite is the one where the recipient of a telemarketing call posed as a police detective and was questioning the telemarketer about the "murder"...
Semper Vaporo No, I will not send over another portion of deep-fried squid. This is not the Chinese take-away. You are connected to a private residence on a white, slimlined telephone with last-number redial facility. - Hyacinth Bouquet (Bucket) "Keeping Up Appearances"
No, I will not send over another portion of deep-fried squid. This is not the Chinese take-away. You are connected to a private residence on a white, slimlined telephone with last-number redial facility. - Hyacinth Bouquet (Bucket) "Keeping Up Appearances"
Good one! Extra points.
A friend of mine repeatedly got phone calls at his home number for some girl named Lisa. Finally he got tired of it and told anyone calling that she'd moved to Alaska. Some time later he met the actual Lisa only to find out that she had in real life recently moved to Alaska.
I simply tell the caller that I have had the number as my residential number for however long it is that I have had it (going on five years now).
I still vote Santa Fe as the best name in raildom. BNSF is awful. Wish they would change.
The 'Story' regarding the "Paul Harvey Rest of the Story side" is quite a 'tale' !
A little drilling down from the 'Wiki' link provided by Paul North @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Systems
Provides some information of interest on the geneology of PAS.
FTL:"...Guilford Transportation Industries (GTI) was formed in 1977.[2] GTI entered the railroad business in 1981 with its purchase of the Maine Central Railroad from U.S. Filter Corporation. This was followed by its 1983 purchase of the Boston & Maine Railroad, and in 1984 it purchased the Delaware & Hudson Railway (D&H). In 1988, GTI declared D&H bankrupt. D&H employees took it over, with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway managing it. The employees then sold out in 1991 to the Canadian Pacific Railway.
GTI purchased the name, colors, and logo of Pan American World Airways in 1998. In March 2006, GTI changed its name to Pan Am Systems.
The company is privately owned by Timothy Mellon, an heir to the Mellon banking fortune, and several other stakeholders including former Penn Central employee David Fink and son David A. Fink..."
And then furth from the link @Wiki: "...
And then there is this for a 'finish' : from the lin provided by Wiki: @ http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/BIZ/802050394&sfad=1
This last link really provides "The Rest of the Story" [It almost reads like a 'Hollywood' movie script! ]
Randy Stahl I think they do get calls from people that want to buy a vintage stewardess uniform or an ashtray ..
I think they do get calls from people that want to buy a vintage stewardess uniform or an ashtray ..
Note that the Pan Am route from the Albany, NY area to near Boston is now owned by Pan Am Southern and designated as the "Patriot Corridor". PAS is jointly-owned by Pan Am and Norfok Southern. See (among others):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Southern
- PDN.
As to telephone calls, going on five years ago, I moved from one of the SW suburbs into the north part of the city, and had to get a new telephone number. Once in a while, I still get a call from someone who asks about the restaurant service, or from some company that wants to sell the restaurant something. Whoeveer it is who calls only knows that my number used to be that for a restaurant.
[quote user="IslandMan"]
Randy Stahl The Mellons bought Pan Am airlines at bankruptcy auction. They are also selling Pan Am airline memorabilia. I don't think Pan Am has anymore airplanes but now they have freight trains.
The Mellons bought Pan Am airlines at bankruptcy auction. They are also selling Pan Am airline memorabilia. I don't think Pan Am has anymore airplanes but now they have freight trains.
Randy Stahl It must be fun working in Pam Am's office. They must get dozens of calls from people who want to book a flight to (say) Rio or Costa Rica!
It must be fun working in Pam Am's office. They must get dozens of calls from people who want to book a flight to (say) Rio or Costa Rica!
Pan Am trademarks were bought out by Guilford owner Tim Mellon in 1999. He then had a couple of flights out a day out of Portsmouth NH and some charter buisness. The airline end then fizzed out.
I still have the coloring book given to me in 1962 on a class trip to the Pan Am terminal at Idlewild airport. I was 7 at the time. We were given booties to cover our shoes when we went aboard a Boeing 707. It was luxurious to me, but what did I know at that age. The boys got Junior Pilot wings, the girls got Junior Stewardess wings. I lost the booties and the wings, damn it!
Murphy SidingPan Am railroad makes more sense than a lot of the marketing names used for computer stuff. Would Adobe Railroad, Firefox Railroad, or Java Railroad be any better?
Or -- much worse while being horribly more plausible -- what about naming rights, as with all too many sports venues?
"Guaranteed Rate Terminal Railroad"?
"Minute Maid Rapid Transit"?
"Arm and Hammer Light Rail"?
I'd encourage speculation ... but suspect I don't have enough Zofran.
pan Am railroad makes more sense than a lot of the marketing names used for computer stuff. Would Adobe Railroad, Firefox Railroad, or Java Railroad be any better?
JC UPTON Deggesty ..... For years, the way from Baton Rouge to New Orleans was the River Road--which more or less followed the bends of the Mississippi. When a shorter highway was constructed it was the named "The Airline Highway." The Airline Highway fairly closely follows the Louisiana & Arkansas (KCS) RR (which was built much earlier than the highway)
Deggesty ..... For years, the way from Baton Rouge to New Orleans was the River Road--which more or less followed the bends of the Mississippi. When a shorter highway was constructed it was the named "The Airline Highway."
.....
For years, the way from Baton Rouge to New Orleans was the River Road--which more or less followed the bends of the Mississippi. When a shorter highway was constructed it was the named "The Airline Highway."
The Airline Highway fairly closely follows the Louisiana & Arkansas (KCS) RR (which was built much earlier than the highway)
Growing up in New Orleans, I originally thought the name came from the fact that it was the route to the airport, but later I realized that many other cities in Louisiana had major routes named Airline Highway.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Excerpt from http://www.duxburysystems.org/downloads/holladay/graniteville/hazards/train/panam.htm So when Mellon read in a newspaper that the second incarnation of Pan Am had gone bust in February of 1998, he thought there might be something there. "We are in the transportation business, after all," he says. He tried every number listed for Pan Am until he found one that worked. "Is this airline for sale?" he asked the person who finally answered.
from the Far East of the Sunset Route
(In the shadow of the Huey P Long bridge)
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