I was with Conrail in the 1990s and remember well Ross' proposal to operate 614 over NJ Transit and our Southern Tier Line to Port Jervis.

By that time, the Continuous Quality Improvement Process had established deep roots, which - among other things - fundamentally changed the manner in which these decisions were made at CR.

We accepted Ross' assurances with eyes wide open, knowing operating impact to CR would be minimal, and further, the proposal was first "vetted" and approved by experienced management at NJT, all coordinated by Bill Herkner.

We were, IMO, past the point where a corporate "immune response" to Ross was necessary, or even appropriate.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.