Nostalgia & History > My UP calendar friends

When I took responsibility for the Union Pacific calendar in 1992 I dropped the employee contest to source photos and turned to railfans.  It was a scary gamble.  I worried that I wouldn’t get enough material to make a good selection.   My gamble paid off and I was swamped with little yellow boxes and occasionally a giant print.  I don’t think I ever personally met more than a couple of the calendar contributors, but I felt I knew some of them as friends.

One of them was Scott Hartley, a widely known rail photographer.  He has this month’s shot on the UP calendar.  His photo reminds me of the time he sent some gorgeous shots of the UP in Afton Canyon in Southern California.  None of them made the cut.  He called.  I had to admit my boss, transplanted easterner Bob Turner, didn’t like “desert” pictures.  Me, growing up in Southern Nevada, loved them.

Mr. Turner also banned Big Ten Curve pictures from the Moffat just west of Denver.  I had shown him too many.

But I have give Mr. Turner some credit.  I received a fair number of steam fan trips pictures over the years and knew I would face a razzing about being a railfan if I put them in the mix, but he did let me slip a couple in through over the years.

Did I have favorite photographers?  Hell yes.  Their pictures were better than the crowd.  Simple as that.  I should know.  I collected a lot of reject slips with my envelope  of black and white 8X10s  sent back over  the years from Trains Magazine when I was a teenager.

JB
 

Too bad Union Pacific quit giving them to retired employees.

John, What is the best way to get a calender. As  stock holder I would like to get my hands on one. 
I just ordered three from the UP web company store.. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/18 17:28 by czuleget.

Thank you for using the photos of mine in the calendar that you did, John! === === = === JLH

John, thanks for sharing your story.  You were ultimately responsible for the many fine UP calendars over the years.  Thanks for that.

Kent in CArmel Valley

czuleget Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> John, What is the best way to get a calender. As 
> stock holder I would like to get my hands on
> one. 
> I just ordered three from the UP web company
> store.. 

https://www.uprr.com/software/survey/calendar_request.cfm

Each shareholder is entitled to one calendar.  If your not getting one, go to this website and request you be added to the list.  I did this back in 2016 and have gotten one for 2017, 2018 and now 2019 without having to request it again.

Ask and you shall receive.  Go to the retried employee section of the website.

HardYellow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Too bad Union Pacific quit giving them to retired
> employees.

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
My Flickr Shots

bobwilcox Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ask and you shall receive.  Go to the retried
> employee section of the website.
>
> HardYellow Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Too bad Union Pacific quit giving them to
> retired
> > employees.

I get my calendar every year from my wife's 99 year old aunt, who is the widow of a UP employee.  I don't think she's ever had to ask UP for it.

I managed to get a photo in the 2006 calendar.  I submitted it at the last minute on the recommendation of a friend and was surprised it made it.  Thanks John!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/18 12:39 by MILW16.