BRHSLIST
[Top] [All Lists]

[CBQ] CB&Q's centennial

To: <cbq@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [CBQ] CB&Q's centennial
From: Gerald Edgar <vje68@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:00:40 -0600
Delivered-to: archives@venus.nauer.org
Delivered-to: archives@nauer.org
Delivered-to: mailing list CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Dkim-signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yahoogroups.com; s=lima; t=1297432842; bh=LbjAfNG+SAet+w7XYpyUlJP1KL4wct2Ycy3bT+rVVKM=; h=Received:Received:X-Yahoo-Newman-Id:X-Sender:X-Apparently-To:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:Message-ID:To:Importance:X-OriginalArrivalTime:X-Originating-IP:X-eGroups-Msg-Info:From:X-Yahoo-Profile:Sender:MIME-Version:Mailing-List:Delivered-To:List-Id:Precedence:List-Unsubscribe:Date:Subject:Reply-To:X-Yahoo-Newman-Property:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding; b=JeuMhSC97vnuCC514cAAGCkffPo+cc5/GnWOP+h7Nhw46FVYcjeQ3cm9HfhCLJQ6YfstPC5TxonVCnx+9zjh3miiLTQQEn2YIBAkVq8lgMJ57OzzKDlouHzycVjs/pS0
Domainkey-signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=lima; d=yahoogroups.com; b=OzxAqRlE0Sa18Ym5ciicMxxLcQlvINZfuVVyxvTMu9eiSzuMyb+TF3yy37kphdQM8NyStmvHut8u5OdmUUphpRiObiU/TTnMhewAQjDT19Vj11rMeYl6aVw0w+2KeHTz;
Importance: Normal
List-id: <CBQ.yahoogroups.com>
List-unsubscribe: <mailto:CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com>
Mailing-list: list CBQ@yahoogroups.com; contact CBQ-owner@yahoogroups.com
Reply-to: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sender: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
   Two recent exchanges off list gave me the idea to share something a few of 
you may be unaware of; i.e. what & why is the Burlington's "birthday"?
 
   For 90 plus years, corporate felt it was 1850 as that was when the first 
track was laid from Turner Jct (now West Chicago) toward Aurora. IL and trains 
operated.  Indeed publications were issued and other 'collectibles' provided 
denoting the 50th, 75th & 90th anniversary years (1900, 1925 & 1940)  The 
latter year is most commonly found in terms of collectibles as Richard Overton, 
already compiling his massive history's of the Burlington was commissioned to 
provide a summary history of the Burlington:  "The First 90 Years" as a handout 
to Emps and the public in 1940.  The country was pulling out of the Depression 
due to the build up of defense production, Zephyrs were a great success, etc.  
When you think about it, not a lot of companies make a big deal out of a 90th 
Birthday but the Burlington did. However in 1946 or "47 when it was learned a 
national Railroad Fair would be celebrated in Chicago in 1949, the Burlington 
reconsidered its 'founding' date by backdating a year to 1849 when the Aurora 
Branch was incorporated*.  Thus the 90th anniversary promotions and the 
subsequent centennial promotions (special timetables, etc) are only 9, NOT 10, 
yrs apart!  As the late Paul Harvey would say; 'now you know the rest of the 
story'.   (this change of 'anniversaries' is also noted in Annual Reports as 
milestones are usually noted; especially as former competitors fell by the 
wayside, were absorbed by other roads or went into bankruptcy: Milw, Rock, etc) 
 Only a guess but I would think Mgt felt it better to be able to say 'the 
Burlington is a 100 yrs old' in press releases etc when so much focus was on 
RR'ing during the RR Fair in "49 than to wait til 1950.  It also gave them more 
of a history lead on some competitors.  There is a reason, obviously, why 
corporations often tout how many decades they have been in business as evidence 
of their stability and good management!
 
   *The Q could have considered alternate dates based on when other components 
came into existence either by charter, incorporation or track laying such as 
Hannibal & St. Joe, Northern Cross, etc.  When you are comprised of 206 
railroads (some however 'paper' railroads wholly conceived & owned by CB&Q from 
day 1), there are a lot of birthdays!
This year will be birthday 161 or 162 depending on 'charter' (1849) vs' track 
laying/operating (1850) of the Aurora Branch.   And Burlington is still the 
first name or at least first initial in American RR'ing!  (if UP considers 
themselves bigger aka better apparently Warren Buffett who lives in Omaha did 
not think so!)   
 
   Gerald  

                                          

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    CBQ-digest@yahoogroups.com 
    CBQ-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>