Steve and Listers:
SJL, thanks for pointing out that the Colorado Springs cars were
normally in the middle of the DZ consist. By the time I rode the
DZ in November 1968, that practice had ended. Denny's
question was about DZ sleepering cars being shared with the
TZ, so I did not bother to open the files and check the consist.
I agree that in 1966 passengers were riding the DZ , CZ , and the
Northerns, but other trains were experiencing declining
numbers. That year was the last good revenue year. The airline
strike and troop movements helped the business.
The study that has been discussed provided information that
surprised the management; it was the trains carrying significant
portions of mail and erxpress that covered their direct expense.
We can argue the method used, just as accounting practices are
argued today. Some will believe that the study was skewed, but
the best part is that the trains Menk desired to cut were making
money. My pets, the TCZ's were big money loosers by the
mid-sixties.
One item lost in many arguments about the passenger
business is that most passengers were not from Chicago and
going to Denver. The demise of the eastern roads and the loss
of connections hurt the western carriers where it hurts most, in
the wallet. In 1968 or 1969, KCS was still a proponent of the
passenger train. The loss of connectiing traffic changed its mind
within a year.
If Menk did not take steps to stem the hemorhage of cash when
he did, when should he have acted? Keep in mind, that major
business decisions are not made in a vacuum, others officers
and the Board were certainly in the loop.
If he is to be reviled, perhaps it was his style, and not the actual
decision. In my corporate life, I was held assignments that
placed me in some very unpopular positions. In the course of
doing my job, I made and implemented decisions with the full
support of my superiors that were disliked by those impacted. I
learned to isolate my personal thoughts from my business
thoughts. Many thought that I was as cold as those that killed
passenger trains, but if I did not act, the company would have
found someone that would. I suspect that Louis Menk was in the
same place.
When the court approved the discontinuance of those Lines
West locals and the company ordered them halted enroute,
other than the few riders, crew, media, and handfull of railfans,
who cared?
The last great passenger train year of 1966 was only four years
before the BN merger and five years before the carriers dumped
passenger trains on the Feds. In that time, O'Hare handled more
jets and the Interstate Highway Sysyem expansion continued.
Oh, yeah, one more thing. PC went belly up and the eastern
carriers slid deeper into the mess.
I enjoyed my trips on the trains of the CB&Q with few exceptions.
It was a great railroad and provided a great service. We can
debate when the right time to kill the trains would have been
until we are out of breath. I continue to believe the
passenger train issue needed to be resolved so that the
company could focus on not becoming a Penn Central.
Whew.....
Ed
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