In a message dated 5/24/00 10:26:08 PM Central Daylight Time,
JACK5008@w... writes:
> Hi Tom,
>
> It would be great for a group to restore a Q steamer and for BNSF to be
> friendly to the idea. I myself would love to see shovelnose Zephyrs and
> Chinese red GP-20's running in excursion service (Yes, the GP-20 is a
> freight loco --- So what! ) as well as steam.
>
> The above is what I would like to see. What do you want to see? A
> Zephyr pulled by an E unit, a CB&Q push pull suburban train? Would BNSF
> be just interested in the Q? What about GN, NP, SP&S, ATSF and Frisco?
>
> Lets try this on for size. The historical societies that represent the
> railroads that made up BNSF form an entity to acquire, preserve, and
> operate historic equipment of the roads that made up BNSF. This not to
> be a duplicate of the URHS of New Jersey that spends most of its time on
> bended knee asking for handouts from the state. Like the IRM, this
> entity has to have many players. The government can be a player, but not
> the only player. Corporations, small businesses, volunteers, individual
> benefactors, and other sources can be utilized and must have a say in
> this business.
>
> I use the word business, because this is how it has to be run to be
> successful. Our biggest partner would have to be BNSF itself. The first
> thing that we do is to change the way we approach BNSF. We do not say to
> them, "We are interested in running historic trains on your road. Will
> you please let us do it?" Instead we say, "We have a wonderful way to
> make BNSF the first choice. You must agree that if your customers see
> and ride on living history of all your accomplishments, they will know
> why BNSF has to be the way to ship. A corporate exec who has just taken
> his or her child or grandchild on a wonderful ride into history will
> think good thoughts of BNSF when freight has to be shipped."
>
> The trip could be 5 miles or 500 miles. Lets check the market and profit
> & loss potential.
> Like I said, lets run it like a business.
>
> Does a railroad want to be loved? BNSF does. UP, CP, CSX, and NS are
> very much against the BNSF-CN merger. Read today's Wall Street Journal
> about the joint internet venture of the 4 big roads. BNSF may just want
> something to make it look less corporate and more human.
> We may have the answer for it.
>
>
> Jack Grasso
>
Jack,
Last year Dave Lotz and I talked to the BNSF in regard to just repainting two
of there loco's for the Q's anniversary, we wanted to have them in Chicago
for the BRHS fall meet after that they could have used them for employee
special's. We were told by the big shots that they were not interested in
there heritage and if they have to do it for one then they would have to do
it for all the predecessor roads. The Frisco was celebrating an anniversary
also last year and the BNSF made sure to let us know that they were only
interested in making money and not interested in railfans. When 1522 broke
down Mr. Krebs was over heard to say that if the BNSF owned that #$%@!#$ loco
he would have had it cut up on the spot. We had a lot of inside help and it
still did no good, I think if you want to see a Q loco run again your best
bet is to talk to one of the museum's that have one already running. The BNSF
is NOT HUMAN and they are nothing more than a corporate machine.
John Lee
St.Louis,MO.
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