Hi all

Do today's railroad's,,even care about they past??? Or is it only the

bottom dollor???,,,yes freight,,does pay the billl's....

How long along ago,,wasn't when CSX ran the lasr New River Train,

behind Steam???

Is steam,,and the railroad,,past importiant,,to today's,,railroad's??

Or is runnning Steam,,,on there line's,,,just and inorannnce????,,thank

you,,,,Pat

To a point you answered your own question, it's about the money. Railroads are like any other business, they provide a service or product to make a profit for the owners and/or stockholders. If a railroad is inclined to allow operation of privately owned vintage equipment of any kind, it pretty much would have to have some positve effect on the railroads ledgers or public relations.
We are lucky to have an operation such as the Union Pacific's steam program which is an in house operation, but it's primarily a PR gig that the UP feels is justified from the financial standpoint and that they can absorb any operational delays that might occur that would keep thier freight trains from moving. We only have to witness how a particular railroad's administration can affect the operating practices of the line with the quick demise of the NS steam program.
If you really stop and think about the effect of all the special concerns fo running a steam powered passeneger train on a company's physical plant that isn't equipped to provide the logistics involved with the same, you would probably not want anything to do with it either. And there's a general lack of enthusiasm for many things historical in the US by large companies for a number of reasons.
We as railroad enthusiasts and preservationist look at railroading with a slightly more "romantic" perspective than the railroads thierselves do. But it's very different on the indside,I know from having been a railroad employee, that it's a safety first, no bulls**t, get the freight over the rails kinda atmosphere. Anyone want to expound on this a bit?

It's important to keep in mind that the decision makers at the Class1 railroads are paid big money primarily to produce maximum profits for the benefit of the current shareholders and everything that can further that goal is given great importance and anything that doesn't relate to that is to be avoided.
Then when you include into the equation how litigiuos we have become as a society and how over populated we are with ambulance chasing lawyers( witness the TV ads), how capacity strained the Class1's are and the fact that nearly all the high level rr exec's. are either bean-counters or lawyers it's more than a minor miracle that there's ANY mainline steam at all.
Much credit needs to go to Steve Sandberg and his crew, the folks at the 4449and700 stables for keeping the flame alive and of course the UPRR for their fine corporate program.
Perhaps as public/private financing of rr infrastructure projects grows and thus the railroads make greater use of taxpayers dollars their attitude towards the importance and value of "public relations" will change and they'll realize what UPRR obviously knows, that mainline steam can help them make a lot of new freinds???
Hope springs eternal!!!
Ross Rowland

folks,

The railroads are not alone, todays ocean shipping company's are just as interested in making money for their stockholders or owners as the rail corporations.

In fact more so, they have switched their ships to flag of convienence countrys ever time they can.

This means they are manning the ships with less trained crews, they are escaping environmental and safety rules whenever possible. Passenger cruise ships are paying third world saleries.

There is less pride an business than ever before!

Ted Miles

In corporate America, pride is second to profit these days. Take a look at any Class One freight train consist and look at how dirty the units are. Look at how the ROW's are not as neat as they used to be. Not many railroads place their name on bridges and other structures like they used to. It's a different world out there these days,and since it does not affect their bottom line in a positive way,make no sense to do it.
This is where we as operators and owners of historic equipment have to step in and not only make our equipment look and run well,but also exhibit pride and professional operation of that equipment. Some short lines get it...I was reading in Trains a month or so ago about a short line got business just because their units were clean!