Passenger Trains > American Association of Private Car Owners

For those of you who are fans of the private car community. You may find it interesting to find out that recently a proposal was sent to the AAPRCO board of directors to make a donation from their large cash reserve to assist the Amtrak employee's in the Gulf Coast Region. Keep in mind that these are the people AAPRCO rely on when their cars are operating on Amtrak. In a posting on the AAPRCO members discussion board the president of AAPRCO announced that the Board of Directors feel they do not want to dwindle their cash reserve on such an expenditure. I'm a car owner and a member of AAPRCO and I can tell you that I'm totally disgusted in AAPRCO's selfishness in helping fellow Americans and fellow railroaders. For those of you who may know any of the AAPRCO Board of Directors feel free to contact them and express your feelings with your decision. Please keep in mind that most car owners are not the selfish & heartless individuals like those who represent us in the AAPRCO organization

The Gulf Coast Amtrak employees have had their jobs abolished indefinetly. Sure they can exercise their seniority but how do you do that when you may have lost everything? I have heard nothing about how many employees are vitims or even how aid could be given to them. At least on the West Coast, Amtrak has been fairly silent on the topic.
How many private cars are stationed in the area and how did they survive?

morail Wrote:
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> For those of you who are fans of the private car
> community. You may find it interesting to find out
> that recently a proposal was sent to the AAPRCO
> board of directors to make a donation from their
> large cash reserve to assist the Amtrak employee's
> in the Gulf Coast Region. Keep in mind that these
> are the people AAPRCO rely on when their cars are
> operating on Amtrak. In a posting on the AAPRCO
> members discussion board the president of AAPRCO
> announced that the Board of Directors feel they do
> not want to dwindle their cash reserve on such an
> expenditure. I'm a car owner and a member of
> AAPRCO and I can tell you that I'm totally
> disgusted in AAPRCO's selfishness in helping
> fellow Americans and fellow railroaders. For those
> of you who may know any of the AAPRCO Board of
> Directors feel free to contact them and express
> your feelings with your decision. Please keep in
> mind that most car owners are not the selfish
> & heartless individuals like those who
> represent us in the AAPRCO organization


I only speak for myself when I say I think the majority of PV owners are some of the most unselfish individuals out there and would move heaven and earth to help others. Do not allow figureheads to diminish what I believe most know to be the truth about PV owners true nature.

All is not lost. You can donate directly to Mr. Gunn, a plan set up by one very unselfish car owner, who started off with his own personal $10,00.00 check.

Please send your donation to:

Mr. David Gunn, President
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002

Be sure to send a letter with it as you may get a reply right from Gunn. This fund will go directly to employees who suffered through or from the storm.

I understand that he is also working on a plan for Amtrak employees to contribute to this fund through a payroll deduction program.

AAPRCO is not ignoring this situation. Our Amtrak Liaison committee has asked how we can make contributions both as an Assocoation and as individuals. We have been advised that there will be a vehicle in place early next week for donations to be made specifically for the benefit id Amtrak employees who have been affected. We have also set up a separate fund whereby members can make contibutions which will be forwarded to the appropriate entitiy once it is set up. Right now we don't have the where, why, what, where and when's all in place to make a contribution.

Making a donation directly ro Mr. Gunn doesn't seem to be the correct thing at this moment.

Stan Garner,
Member, AAPRCO Board of Directors

Stan, should I copy the posting this a.m. from the president of AAPRCO saying that they will not use AAPRCO funds for any donation. Instead they will let the members donate as they wish! AAPRCO is supposed to represent the car owners not the car owners representing AAPRCO.

morail Wrote:
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> Stan, should I copy the posting this a.m. from the
> president of AAPRCO saying that they will not use
> AAPRCO funds for any donation. Instead they will
> let the members donate as they wish! AAPRCO is
> supposed to represent the car owners not the car
> owners representing AAPRCO.

Please post the letter as it seems AAPRCO has made its mind up and someone forgot to tell Stan. I'd also like to see Stan's response to the letter. AAPRCO could make a donation to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army but it seems they desire to hold back.

This is from the NOAA Hurricane Images and is of the former KCS diesel house in Metarie, LA, now used by Amtrak PV inspector Pete Messina for work on railcars. Several can be seen surrounding the shop, among them are the NYC Bonnie Brook Observation, an NYC Diner/Lounge, the former IC Baton Rouge and UP Placid Bay (now owned by KCS). Inside the shop is the former SPL "San Marino" heavyweight business car.

Conditions are unknown as to how high the water actually was at the shop.

Pete and his wife Bonnie were not in town at the time. Pete will be returning ASAP to ascertain conditions and to assist where needed in the rebuild of neighbors and friends, as their own property was left relatively intact.

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Hey Stan, still waiting for your response.

Something is fishy about this whole thread, including my own suggestion to send money directly to Gunn. (Don't, yet anyway)

It seems as though several of us have fallen hook, line and sinker for a story that we thought was on the level, but now I think that we all have been dupped.

If you all just ignore this entire thread as though none of it had ever been posted, then you can start your thinking all over again later (That is, if someone is able to sort out the poping corn from the mouse txxds).

Don't push Stan right now. I'm sure that he is as confused as the rest of us.

I can assure you that this story is not a fake, if anyone wants to find out the details feel free to contact me off TO at rjs@morail.com

This is not the forum to address internal AAPRCO issues and no further comment will be made.