[RITSlist] Fw: Fw: Rock blue paint

[Ken Roble_Jr]

        Daniel,
 
    I know how you feel, its hard when some one pulls the rug out from under you. I always thought the unions were suppose to save your jobs not destroy them, but I guess I thought wrong.
 
    Where on the RI did you work out of?
 
    I have the book Rock Island in Color Vol.2 1965-1980 by Bill Marvel and had some places where it talked about the proposed UP/RI merger. It went on to say if they merged then UP would have butchered the RI rail system, took what they wanted and sold the southern properties to Southern Pacific.
 
   In my opinion, if President Gerald Ford would have gotten re-elected instead of the "peanut farmer", I believe the RI could have gotten bailed out, since he had passed the Conrail consolidation in 1976.
 
   Is it true that the RI employees want to buy the RI so they could salvage it back into a profitable railroad but they had too much opposition?
 
  I could imagine the RI being around today and wonder would they become a six axel railroad? 
 
  If was incharge of the RI I would do the following:
 
  Get the main lines back up to 55 mph
 
  Lengthen passing sidings, especially on Sub Divisions 7, 71 and 8.
 
  Then I would work on my branch lines and get them up to at leased 35 to 45 mph depending on the miles of track there is.
 
   Get the yard tracks up to good condition.
 
  Instead of buying new locos and freight cars I would get the currentr units running enough to get the trains over the road, get some good cash flow then buy new units and freight cars. 
 
 
  Have you any idea what became of the 8-door 86' auto parts boxcars? I am having trouble finding dispositions for them.
 
  
  I hope I wasn't a bother,
 
  Respectfully,
  Ken
  Alabama
 
 


From: No17Eng654 at aol.comDate: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:16:54 -0500To: lmarkw at yahoo.com; ritslist at simpson.eduSubject: Re: [RITSlist] Fw: Fw: Rock blue paint

This issue really strikes a sensitive nerve to many of us former Rock Island employees.  I personally despise the "bankruptcy blue" scheme.  I haven't heard too many people speak out publicly about this, but the mood is right for a venting.
 
Most of us employees felt that placing the company in the color of the Greek flag for the whims of John Mitros betrayed our hard work and heritage of the Rock Island.  It reflected a disjointed and misdirected group of outsiders who came in with an attitude that anyone employed prior to their entrance were ignorant buffoons.  While some of them were intelligent, many of them, including most of senior management, probably excluding Paul Banner, felt that they had nothing to lose by imposing their ways on the people and the line.  They did some good things, but many stupid things, and chased away the experienced and real railroaders in the Company.
 
They placed so many managers in roles far beyond their experience and understanding, and showed absolute distrust and disrespect for the veteran managers and employees who wanted nothing more than success to a company they truly loved.
 
Most of us who really cared about the Company were made to feel unwelcome and most of us left, knowing that they were going to eventually sink the ship with the help of some unbelievably stupid union leaders.  The money wasted to protect their political asses was astounding.
 
The blue paint will always be synonymous with the Ingram bunch and the willingness of the unions to sell the employees down the river.
 
Strong letter to follow. 
 
Daniel R. Sabin,


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