Western Railroad Discussion > Who is going to the UPHS Convention?

Wondering who else is planning on attending the 2014 Union Pacific Historical Society convention in Ogden, UT.

I'm planning on arriving on Sunday to get some additional sightseeing before the convention.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/14 21:36 by up421.

I will be there arriving on Tuesday to attend the board meeting.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Like Bob I will be there for the board meeting on Tuesday.

Larry
Topeka KS

Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I will be there arriving on Tuesday to attend the
> board meeting.

Ditto. I will have my two sons in tow (but they won't be at the Board meeting).

We have some interesting presentations lined up:

- Mike McGinley will present about SP's extraordinary efforts during the 1980s to save the fill across the Great Salt Lake.
- Wayne Monger will present about WP's unit potash trains from Wendover to the Port of Stockton in the early 1960s.
- We will have a panel of current and past UP employees in the Ogden area to talk about UP operations and traffic in the Ogden area, past and present.
- I will present about the Freeport Distribution Center at Clearfield, UT, and the fast boxcar merchandise trains UP ran to service the traffic using Freeport. Freeport was the last great bastion of carload railroading.

We will have a ride on Front Runner Ogden - Provo and back, and bus trip to Promontory Summit to witness a re-enactment of the Golden Spike ceremony, model and photo exhibits, and a Saturday night banquet. Please join us in Ogden July 31 - August 2.

Best regards,

Rob L.

Be there sometime Wednesday. Any up-to-date word on layout tours?

Unable to attend this year, but hope everyone had a great time.

If you are interested in firearms, please visit the John Browning Museum in the Ogden RR Station. I found it very interesting and well worth the modest admission price.

Mark
Salem, Oregon

Layout tours will be on Thursday evening
Ryan Ballard

And next years convention will be a joint UPHS/CNWHS convention in Omaha, Nebraska.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Rob,

Why so many non-UP presentations? Not enough people came forward with UP presentations?


rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bob3985 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I will be there arriving on Tuesday to attend
> the
> > board meeting.
>
> Ditto. I will have my two sons in tow (but they
> won't be at the Board meeting).
>
> We have some interesting presentations lined up:
>
> - Mike McGinley will present about SP's
> extraordinary efforts during the 1980s to save the
> fill across the Great Salt Lake.
> - Wayne Monger will present about WP's unit potash
> trains from Wendover to the Port of Stockton in
> the early 1960s.
> - We will have a panel of current and past UP
> employees in the Ogden area to talk about UP
> operations and traffic in the Ogden area, past and
> present.
> - I will present about the Freeport Distribution
> Center at Clearfield, UT, and the fast boxcar
> merchandise trains UP ran to service the traffic
> using Freeport. Freeport was the last great
> bastion of carload railroading.
>
> We will have a ride on Front Runner Ogden - Provo
> and back, and bus trip to Promontory Summit to
> witness a re-enactment of the Golden Spike
> ceremony, model and photo exhibits, and a Saturday
> night banquet. Please join us in Ogden July 31 -
> August 2.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Rob L.

Posted from Android

cdub Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rob,
>
> Why so many non-UP presentations? Not enough
> people came forward with UP presentations?
>
>

How do you define a "non-UP" presentation? Are presentations on the KP, the OWR&N, or the OSL "non-UP" presentations? Should we tell current UP employees in Ogden that we are a historical group that covers the UP lines that go east, south and north out of Ogden, but we do not cover the lines that go west, so if you happen to work on those lines then you are out of luck?

In my view, the histories of all roads that comprise the contemporary UP are part of UP history. We should honor, respect and learn their traditions, styles, innovations and achievements just as much as we do for the "old" UP (whatever the "old" UP means).

But if you are only interested in the "old" UP, there will be plenty for you to enjoy. We will have excellent presentations on the "old" UP. Mark Amfahr will be making a presentation on UP's Ogden operations in the 1950s, when steam, diesels and turbines all worked together to move the eastbound tonnage up and over Wahsatch.

Best regards,

Rob L.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/14 12:01 by rob_l.

Anyone from the Steam Department going to be there to update on the progress they've made?

The program sounds great. I wish I was there. Maybe it's time to join!


rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We have some interesting presentations lined up:
>
> - Mike McGinley will present about SP's
> extraordinary efforts during the 1980s to save the
> fill across the Great Salt Lake.
> - Wayne Monger will present about WP's unit potash
> trains from Wendover to the Port of Stockton in
> the early 1960s.
> - We will have a panel of current and past UP
> employees in the Ogden area to talk about UP
> operations and traffic in the Ogden area, past and
> present.
> - I will present about the Freeport Distribution
> Center at Clearfield, UT, and the fast boxcar
> merchandise trains UP ran to service the traffic
> using Freeport. Freeport was the last great
> bastion of carload railroading.

rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cdub Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Rob,
> >
> > Why so many non-UP presentations? Not enough
> > people came forward with UP presentations?
> >
> >
>
> How do you define a "non-UP" presentation? Are
> presentations on the KP, the OWR&N, or the OSL
> "non-UP" presentations? Should we tell current UP
> employees in Ogden that we are a historical group
> that covers the UP lines that go east, south and
> north out of Ogden, but we do not cover the lines
> that go west, so if you happen to work on those
> lines then you are out of luck?
>
> In my view, the histories of all roads that
> comprise the contemporary UP are part of UP
> history. We should honor, respect and learn their
> traditions, styles, innovations and achievements
> just as much as we do for the "old" UP (whatever
> the "old" UP means).
>
> But if you are only interested in the "old" UP,
> there will be plenty for you to enjoy. We will
> have excellent presentations on the "old" UP. Mark
> Amfahr will be making a presentation on UP's Ogden
> operations in the 1950s, when steam, diesels and
> turbines all worked together to move the eastbound
> tonnage up and over Wahsatch.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Rob L.

Very well put! The RR's merged into the UP system after 82 are now part of UP's history.
Steve

Stash, I hope you do join the U.P. Historical Society! UPHS also publishes 'The Streamliner' magazine quarterly. Editor Marc Entze and Co. do an absolutely amazing job!
I REALLY wish I could be in attendance at the Ogden Convention too. The line up of presentations and activities sounds like a winner. I'm happy my Idaho friends will be able to make it at least. Enjoy!

Posted from iPhone

It's always a good convention. Having local committees run things mean each one is a little different. Doesn't get stale.

Sure wish I could attaend. I used to be a board member but a "forced" job change took away the time flexibility and extra money. Hopefully I can be more involved again in a few years after I retire. UPHS is a fine outfit and the conventions are always a good time.

The WP and SP are still fresh in people's minds that UPHS doesn't have any business at this point in time in their history. That's what WP and SP historical societies are for. If UP is still around 100 years from now and all the die hard SP and WP fans are dead, then UPHS at that point in time can carry the torch of preserving the SP, WP, MP, CNW, MKT and DRGW histories. But not now. There is way too much history the old pre merger(s) UP has on its own to not be diluted with these recent acquired roads.

For conventions, I suppose its OK to have these types of presentations that aren't related to the UP before these roads were acquired, especially since they are related to the geographic area of the convention site. But I certainly hope these subjects won't creep into the pages of the Streamliner. That will be a waste of print and will also alienate UPHS members and rub other historical societies the wrong way.

rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cdub Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Rob,
> >
> > Why so many non-UP presentations? Not enough
> > people came forward with UP presentations?
> >
> >
>
> How do you define a "non-UP" presentation? Are
> presentations on the KP, the OWR&N, or the OSL
> "non-UP" presentations? Should we tell current UP
> employees in Ogden that we are a historical group
> that covers the UP lines that go east, south and
> north out of Ogden, but we do not cover the lines
> that go west, so if you happen to work on those
> lines then you are out of luck?
>
> In my view, the histories of all roads that
> comprise the contemporary UP are part of UP
> history. We should honor, respect and learn their
> traditions, styles, innovations and achievements
> just as much as we do for the "old" UP (whatever
> the "old" UP means).
>
> But if you are only interested in the "old" UP,
> there will be plenty for you to enjoy. We will
> have excellent presentations on the "old" UP. Mark
> Amfahr will be making a presentation on UP's Ogden
> operations in the 1950s, when steam, diesels and
> turbines all worked together to move the eastbound
> tonnage up and over Wahsatch.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Rob L.

cdub Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The WP and SP are still fresh in people's minds
> that UPHS doesn't have any business at this point
> in time in their history. That's what WP and SP
> historical societies are for. If UP is still
> around 100 years from now and all the die hard SP
> and WP fans are dead, then UPHS at that point in
> time can carry the torch of preserving the SP, WP,
> MP, CNW, MKT and DRGW histories. But not now.
> There is way too much history the old pre
> merger(s) UP has on its own to not be diluted with
> these recent acquired roads.
>
> For conventions, I suppose its OK to have these
> types of presentations that aren't related to the
> UP before these roads were acquired, especially
> since they are related to the geographic area of
> the convention site. But I certainly hope these
> subjects won't creep into the pages of the
> Streamliner. That will be a waste of print and
> will also alienate UPHS members and rub other
> historical societies the wrong way.
>

A quite provincial attitude, in my opinion.

RR historical societies have to at least break even. That requires scale. During the period 2005 - 2014, UPHS membership declined from 2205 to 1870. A cycle of fewer and fewer members paying higher and higher dues is not my idea of a good future. The situation is much more challenging for the historical societies of the fallen flag roads.

We at UPHS have no intention of trying to compete with the historical societies for the fallen flag roads. On the contrary, we do what we can to promote them and help them. In particular, when we hold a convention in territory where their road operated, we invite them to participate in our conference. I think that in the long run, they will need UPHS as a partner and perhaps some will need it as a parent.

SPHTS and FRRS have never held a convention in Utah. They are unlikely to ever do so on their own. Those interested in SP and WP living in Utah have no hope of attending a convention in their area sponsored by the historical society of their fallen flag road. So we take up the slack and invite them to participate in the UPHS convention by providing informative clinics on local topics. We have plenty of time and parallel sessions in our convention; there is no issue of displacing presentations about the old UP.

You need to look at this issue from the point of view of current members of the UP Employee Clubs. Compared to other RR historical societies, we in UPHS are weak in the number of members who are current or former UP employees. We need to reach out to them and secure more members. As I wrote before, they will view it as very strange if we omit portions of the UP system from our purview. We cannot afford to turn anyone away.

As long as the historical societies for the fallen flag roads continue to put out quality magazines, we will continue to focus The Streamliner on the old UP or on topics that are jointly about old UP and absorbed railroads. Such as the summer issue just now being mailed out.

Best regards,

Rob L.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 07:30 by rob_l.