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Re: The UP vs. BNSF Management Style
Author: Coleman Randall
Date: 02-04-2007 - 22:49
Most of your comments are nonsense.
It is true that I am not completely happy with the UP's handling of its Steam Operations but this assertion should not imply that I don't think it is wrong for the other railroads to not allow steam excursions or not to have Steam programs as well.
Railroads I believe have a moral obligation to respect the needs of the public because their activities affect the activites of the public whether if it be moving passengers, the mail the food we eat etc.
And even when it comes to permoting historical activities that commemorate our Nations history like Steam Excursions even though not a right to us foamers they definately.
As for the problems with employees and their low morale and lack of public relations skills that is a problem of inaction involving the management of the railroad and a failure to solve the problem such as reducing their work hours and rasing the pay so that morale can improve.
I am a supporter of taking disciplinary action against employees that continously and hibitually demonstrate innapropriate behavior towards the public whatever it may be but believe that the prevention of such bad behavior can be addressed by perserving adequite morale among the employees in the organization as a first resort.
I am making the comparisons here to demonstrate that there are aparent problems with the UP management style and yes that railroad has good intentions to relate to the public but those efforts fall short in the pursuit to accomplish those aims i.e. the Steam Program etc. as it is the nations largest railroad the UP should be setting a better example for the other railroads as the issue here is that for an organization having such good intentions is not enough to accomplish those goals alone but that effective management and the conduct of operations by the employees can succesfully do it and the BNSF railroad as one example appears to have accomplished that endeavor more effectively than the UP. Of course I could have sided other railroads in comparison but the BNSF is the 2nd largest railroad in the country and operates near on UP trackage and is such a suitable comparison to measure the UP's performance by or vise-versa.
Just ride the Amtrak California Zephyr or the Coast Starlight (Also know as the Starlate) on UP trackage and you'll have a better than half a chance to obsersve the problem with inefficiency in their operations to prevent the train from being excessively "siding ridden" and you'll know what I mean.
In fact I would really like to have more confidence in the UP, but due to the experiances that I have had, I don't and I am hopeful that the BNSF can set a more positive example of how a railroad should operate. Contradictory, maybe the "UP" railroad isn't really moving UP and the "BN" in "BNSF" doesn't really mean "Bad News" after all and that Santa Fe still still means "All the Way".
It is true that I am not completely happy with the UP's handling of its Steam Operations but this assertion should not imply that I don't think it is wrong for the other railroads to not allow steam excursions or not to have Steam programs as well.
Railroads I believe have a moral obligation to respect the needs of the public because their activities affect the activites of the public whether if it be moving passengers, the mail the food we eat etc.
And even when it comes to permoting historical activities that commemorate our Nations history like Steam Excursions even though not a right to us foamers they definately.
As for the problems with employees and their low morale and lack of public relations skills that is a problem of inaction involving the management of the railroad and a failure to solve the problem such as reducing their work hours and rasing the pay so that morale can improve.
I am a supporter of taking disciplinary action against employees that continously and hibitually demonstrate innapropriate behavior towards the public whatever it may be but believe that the prevention of such bad behavior can be addressed by perserving adequite morale among the employees in the organization as a first resort.
I am making the comparisons here to demonstrate that there are aparent problems with the UP management style and yes that railroad has good intentions to relate to the public but those efforts fall short in the pursuit to accomplish those aims i.e. the Steam Program etc. as it is the nations largest railroad the UP should be setting a better example for the other railroads as the issue here is that for an organization having such good intentions is not enough to accomplish those goals alone but that effective management and the conduct of operations by the employees can succesfully do it and the BNSF railroad as one example appears to have accomplished that endeavor more effectively than the UP. Of course I could have sided other railroads in comparison but the BNSF is the 2nd largest railroad in the country and operates near on UP trackage and is such a suitable comparison to measure the UP's performance by or vise-versa.
Just ride the Amtrak California Zephyr or the Coast Starlight (Also know as the Starlate) on UP trackage and you'll have a better than half a chance to obsersve the problem with inefficiency in their operations to prevent the train from being excessively "siding ridden" and you'll know what I mean.
In fact I would really like to have more confidence in the UP, but due to the experiances that I have had, I don't and I am hopeful that the BNSF can set a more positive example of how a railroad should operate. Contradictory, maybe the "UP" railroad isn't really moving UP and the "BN" in "BNSF" doesn't really mean "Bad News" after all and that Santa Fe still still means "All the Way".
