Archie
Got to stay active some way. Too cold to work outside but the groundhog says
maybe soon. Get your taters ready to plant
Steve in SC
________________________________
From: archie hayden <kliner@mywdo.com>
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 9:18:06 AM
Subject: Re: [CBQ] CB&Q's centennial
Steve, You and I are history!!! That's why we try so hard to keep it
alive. Archie
On Feb 11, 2011, at 8:11 AM, STEVEN HOLDING wrote:
> And do not forget the hoppla of 1964 and the centennial of the
> Chicago to Aurora
> Be 147 this year
> Trying to keep history alive
> Steve in SC
>
> ________________________________
> From: Gerald Edgar <vje68@hotmail.com>
> To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 9:00:40 AM
> Subject: [CBQ] CB&Q's centennial
>
> 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]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
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