Railroaders' Nostalgia > Mad Dog Chronicle #308 Perception, Perspective, and Reality

How you answered mdc# 306 depends on your perspective and your perception of reality.  To some degree it depends on your memories.  Always remember to beware of memories from long ago.  And, also remember that some of us with lots of seniority might just have "old-himers". That is we forget things.

Always try to remember that railroads in the US are for profit business, not public utilities.  At least not since the passage of the Staggers Act.  They are not intended to be an operating museum.  With the exception of the BNSF,  they are publicly held corporations and must answer to share holders (owners). I am talking about the class one freight railroads, not commuter railroads and not AMTRAK.

I am always at first surprised by the responses to what I write in these Chronicles.  Then I reflect on the perspective of the respond-er and can understand.  However if you are critical of locomotive appearance, dirty, faded paint, not your favorite heritage scheme, or maybe an open hood door, remember, what is important to me is only will it pull.  Since I too am a photographer, I know where you are coming from but coming from the SP as all know I do,  if it works, that is all I care about!

I used to get asked what was like to work in management at the SP Company.  As time wore on and as I had more experience and more responsible assignments, my own perspective began to change.  What I saw as a young, green, Assistant Trainmaster working on the Pacific Lines, changed when I was transferred to the T&L Lines.  Then it changed again when I was Transferred to the Cotton Belt.  What I thought about Senior Management evolved as I worked first as an Assistant Division Superintendent on the San Antonio Division and then on the Western Division.   What I thought as a Division Superintendent, changed again when I became a General Officer with responsibilities for all of the Divisions of the SP.

However, perhaps even more relevant,  I used to tell people that while I worked over thirty years at the SP,  I had really worked for four different companies.  Think about it this way.....  There was the SP of DJ Russell and BFB.  Then there was the SP under the trustee during the two failed attempts to merge with the ATSF.  Then there was the Anschutz acquisition.   And finally, the period while we prepared for acquisition and take over by the UP.   THEN there was the five years that I worked for the UP.

mdc #309 will focus on the Pacific Lines compared and contrasted with the T&L Lines of the SP.
[I think that I have fixed all the spelling errors now   blankity blank spell check]
mdo



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/16 15:55 by mdo.

It shall be interesting to see how you compare and contrast the the eras and geogrphical entities, Mike. I'm looking forward to it.

EO