BNJohn@a... wrote:
>
> 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.
>
John:
If it makes any difference there is some internal resistance to painting BNSF
locomotives as a waste of resources and an unnecessary removal of a unit from
service.
Russ
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