Thanks for the report from the field, Dick. It's great to hear something positive about it! Too often doubt and skepticism can overshadow genuine efforts. It sounds like a great deal of forethought went into the planning and execution of how this storm system is being handled. Consider you and your son lucky to be able to take time off from the daily grind and get out there and get wet. I only live four hours south of there, and can't do anything to get there.

Honestly, coming from inside this industry, I and many others have seen ideas and Flavor of The Week planning border on the insane, and often just wasteful. Too many times 130+ years of experience has been cast off in favor of unproven, confused thought processes. It's easy to get cynical when you're handed a six page handout in an hour-long job briefing on How to Ride a Tank Car. And, when two years pass, and it's still being revised, it comes to light that it's probably less troublesome all around if a man just walks instead of rides.

So, when a potentially hazardous and very involved operation such as snow fighting is subjected to Risk Management, Best Way Practices, the Slip, Trip and Fall Team, SACP, Site Safety or what-have-you in the cute concept department of rethinking years of success...well, it becomes rather easy to start being sarcastic.

So, kudos to the men and women of the UP for their success in keeping the line open and trains running!

And, if need be, I'll eat crow for any previous transgressions!

By the way, I do hope you or your son will be able to share some of this week's photography with the rest of us here. I have no doubt you've passed along to Kevin your great skill and feel for this industry, and I and others are confident the photography will be on par with your previous work.