Coleman Randall Wrote:
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> I have made an interesting observation. The Union
> Pacific Railroad has an number of public relations
> programs such as a museum and a Steam program but
> an appropriate public relations attitude in
> dealing with the public seems to be missing.

Cite examples.

> I was at a Western Pacific Historical Society
> Convention a few years back and was told by a
> former employee of the UP that the UP "was a
> horrible railroad to work for" and she now works
> for BNSF and finds that experiance to be a
> definate improvement.

Which means what, exactly? That a former employee might have an axe to grind?

> And another interesting observation is that
> whenever an excursion operates over BNSF trackage
> it usually gets to its destination on time and the
> promoters encounter less red-tape getting the
> excursion approved that with the UP when their
> trackage is proposed to be used and they are often
> successful like those down the Columbia River to
> Wishram or Bend on the BNSF of the SP 4449 or
> those from LA to the Grand Canyon of the BNSF
> 3751.

So what? I've been on many UP excursions that arrived on time or even early. Did you ride the UP trip at the NRHS Convention in St. Louis a few years ago? It was on time to the minute, while the first trip over the BNSF for the same conventionwas so late the passegners didn't get basck in time for the night photo session.

> Last year on Saturday, April 1, 2006 the Amtrak
> Chartered Feather River Express Excursion was
> three (3) hours late arriving in Portola on the
> Eastbound trip due to being put in the siding to
> let three (3) freight trains pass and the 1991
> Feather River Flyer excursion was late for the
> same amount of time even though that excursion
> used UP's equipment. That lateness left many
> elderly riders stranded in Portola that night on
> the train and in motels instead of being in Reno
> because of the dangerous freezing temperatures
> outside and that many of the Charter buses
> operators gave up on serving the train due to its
> extreme lateness to Portola.

Did you conveiently overlook the rockslide that delayed the train?
Or do you think UP caused the slide just to make the train late?

> I bet that BNSF's attitude would have been the
> opposite in this situation and the passengers
> would have got to Portola on time. Right?

Sure! They would have jumped right over that rock slide.

> I've even noticed that the BNSF freight trains
> move faster accross UP trackage in regards to
> trackage rights agreements that UP's freights do
> on their own railroad line.

Cite examples.

> I even read the story of which CSX took a generous
> action of clearing its line between Cincinati and
> Atlanta to help the RBBB Circus Train get to its
> destination to Atlanta to be on time for its
> upcoming performance after an ice storm hit. Would
> UP be so generous in such a situation

How would we know until such a situation presetned itself. UP has been handling the circus for many decades (as have BNSF and it's predecesors). They are not known for delivering the circus late.

> Even the rude behavior among the Steam Team of the
> 844 and the 3985 seems to be a problem towards the
> public as well.

This I've gotta hear more about. You'll have to prove this charge with specifics before I can take you seriously about anything. Those people are railroad professionals as well as railroad employees. I've never seen, heard or read anything derogatory about their behavior in public or in private. Maybe you were rude to them and they reciprocated?