Railroaders' Nostalgia > The Krebs book

Evening all from the UK,

I'm considering purchasing the Rob Krebs book and would welcome opinions from those TO members who may have read a copy. Still waiting & hoping for TAW to write his book, Now that's one I would buy sight unseen !

Save your money. Not many stories about the SP's problems. More or less a career overview with the SP. More ATSF/BNSF talk about the merger. Disappointing for $45 for 136 pages. 200 more pages added would have been better. Examples of the problems he ran into with the SP during his historic rise to President in 13 years would have helpful



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/18 12:11 by WAF.

Many thanks

I will agree with part of the earlier comment, especially details on what happened during his stint as a senior SP officer.

However, I have since learned that this was done all from his memory; no notes, e-mail trails or diary. And it is very candid.
I noticed he always seemed to credit others for successes and blame himself for failures. When he was wrong, he admits it which
is refreshing.

If you want something along the lines of TAW's posts and the "Mad Dog Chronicles," you're not going to get it. If you want a look
at why the SP failed and the ATSF didn't but made a successful merger, you'll find out in this book. It is true that at 134 pages
45 bucks is expensive. Depends on what you want. It did answer one of my big questions about Krebs' career track.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

There was an excerpt in last month's Trains Magazine. I actually found it fascinating.

symph1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There was an excerpt in last month's Trains
> Magazine. I actually found it fascinating.


Quite frankly, it was the only part of the book worth excerpting.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/18 11:35 by CarolVoss.

There is already a bunch used on Amazon. No need to pay $45 if you can’t find it in a library.

Sphogger

Agree

Thanks to everyone for their input. Looks like the Amazon option may be getting looked into.

I thought the whole book was interesting, and a quick read to boot.

Particularly interesting to me was why a Harvard guy would choose to go into railroading during the 1960s, when the industry was circling the drain and there were far better career opportunities for a guy of Krebs' caliber. It was also interesting to read about the beginning of his career, when he bounced from location to location on SP, always working crazy hours in oddball places.

MP403 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought the whole book was interesting, and a
> quick read to boot.
>
> Particularly interesting to me was why a Harvard
> guy would choose to go into railroading during the
> 1960s, when the industry was circling the drain
> and there were far better career opportunities for
> a guy of Krebs' caliber. It was also interesting
> to read about the beginning of his career, when he
> bounced from location to location on SP, always
> working crazy hours in oddball places.

I you had been a member of the inside SP management team it would have been crystal clear to you.

JLY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MP403 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I thought the whole book was interesting, and a
> > quick read to boot.
> >
> > Particularly interesting to me was why a
> Harvard
> > guy would choose to go into railroading during
> the
> > 1960s, when the industry was circling the drain
> > and there were far better career opportunities
> for
> > a guy of Krebs' caliber. It was also
> interesting
> > to read about the beginning of his career, when
> he
> > bounced from location to location on SP, always
> > working crazy hours in oddball places.
>
> I you had been a member of the inside SP
> management team it would have been crystal clear
> to you.


So true ! If an individual was on the fast track they would be transferred around the system. The old joke on the SP if you screwed up as an officer you were banned to Texas never to be heard of again !

MP403 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought the whole book was interesting, and a
> quick read to boot.
>
> Particularly interesting to me was why a Harvard
> guy would choose to go into railroading during the
> 1960s, when the industry was circling the drain
> and there were far better career opportunities for
> a guy of Krebs' caliber. It was also interesting
> to read about the beginning of his career, when he
> bounced from location to location on SP, always
> working crazy hours in oddball places.

Krebs makes it pretty clear that while his father wanted him to go into banking, the only place for a Harvard MBA to start was NYC and he realized there would be tough competition to claw his way to the top. He really loved San Francisco and SP had recruited for computer people at Harvard so thats why he went to SP, close to home and less competition.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

CarolVoss Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MP403 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I thought the whole book was interesting, and a
> > quick read to boot.
> >
> > Particularly interesting to me was why a
> Harvard
> > guy would choose to go into railroading during
> the
> > 1960s, when the industry was circling the drain
> > and there were far better career opportunities
> for
> > a guy of Krebs' caliber. It was also
> interesting
> > to read about the beginning of his career, when
> he
> > bounced from location to location on SP, always
> > working crazy hours in oddball places.
>
> Krebs makes it pretty clear that while his father
> wanted him to go into banking, the only place for
> a Harvard MBA to start was NYC and he realized
> there would be tough competition to claw his way
> to the top. He really loved San Francisco and SP
> had recruited for computer people at Harvard so
> thats why he went to SP, close to home and less
> competition.
> C

Plus the fact that his parents next door neighbor was BFB

Posted from Android

Next to BFB ? BFB lived off of Wolf Grade, just north from St. Francis Drake Blvd. in Kentfield. It was down the road from by grandfathers sister, Ester Bullard. Don't remember hearing about Krebs around there but there was a Krebs that went to Redwood High, but don't know if its the same.


Nudge

When Krebs hit the big time (VPO or President), he moved to Hillsbourgh

WAF Wrote:
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> When Krebs hit the big time (VPO or President), he
> moved to Hillsbourgh

Read the book. His parents moved there and he grew up there.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

He was born in Sacramento and in college lived with his parents who by then moved to Hillsborough. With the SP when he
was assign to RLK, he built a home in Hillsborough