In another time, it made a lot of sense. As
an admittedly small stockholder, watching the
company tie itself into knots while shooting
itself in the foot bothers me.

With jobs being cut systemwide, yards
and shops being closed, locomotives and cars
stored, etc., etc., not so much. I fail to
see a positive connection between furloughing
hundreds of people in all crafts and locations,
while simultaneously doubling the size of the
steam crew and dumping many times what the
program formerly cost into it now.

It does not generate a single carload of new freight
business, and the vast majority of the PR benefit
is in local weekly on tri-weekly newspapers. I hear
the arguments the UP would have to pay huge dollars
for that kind of "advertising", but who can say that
they would have bought it otherwise?

Second, the locomotives as used today are mere
caricatures of what they were and culd still be,
and give a totally phony impression. The very
idea that modern steam locomotives were spit-shined
daily, were babied with such ridiculously close
service intervals, were loaded with chrome, polished
brass, signs and flags, operated well below their
capabilities, and were always babied and pushed
around by diesels and only useful for making raucous
whistle noises is anathema.

This reflects neither history nor the the legacy of
the millions of men and women who spent their working
lives on the railroads in the steam era.

I get that the foamers are orgasmic over it. I question
the value of that to anyone besides the slide and video
and book sellers, who have been and will continue to pimp
this thing for all it's worth (to them).

My 2 cents, and worth exactly what you paid for it and
is the same value of most other opinions.



George Jenista Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unimpressed Wrote:
> -----------------
> > Oh goody.
> > More chances to see the support system for a
> whistle being
> > shoved from place to place by an AC unit. Or
> two.
>
> As an albeit far-flung observer, I'm genuinely
> interested in your viewpoint on the UP steam
> program. Do you believe it to be unnecessary, a
> waste of company resources? Very much want to
> better understand your position.