Too often in the past few days, Wasatch Railroad Contractors has been mentioned in the threads containing any information about the intention of Union Pacific Railroad to restore a Big Boy. This thread will be the only official comment made by Wahsatch Railroad Contractors on the matter.

When designed, the locomotives were assigned the engineering name of Wahsatch. Wahsatch is a location at the top of the grade between Ogden, UT. and Evanston, WY. At some stage in the original construction process, the words Big Boy were scribbled on the smoke box door. The name stuck. My company, Wahsatch (Wasatch) Railroad Contractors was named after, and in part as a result of this history. My company was originally founded in Wasatch County, Utah. As a Utah native, and a past resident of Wasatch County, the name seemed natural and fitting. Our company goals, visions and dreams have symbolic ties to the Wahsatch type locomotive (Big Boy), however, all of that is for another day and time.

In an effort to clear up any miss-understandings, the following statements are true: Indeed, Mr. Steve Lee retired almost two years ago and is now working as a sub-contractor/employee to Wasatch Railroad Contractors. Mr. Lee and I have spent a lot of time together at our East Coast shop this past week. This subject (Big Boy) has occupied a great amount of our time, even before the official news broke. I will not and I do not represent Steve. This thread is not a reflection of his views or comments made to me over the course of the past week. WRC values Steve for the contributions he makes to the Wasatch team. I would do nothing to jeopardize that relationship. Indeed, it is also true that many of the past UP Steam employees and even a few current employees frequent our Cheyenne, WY. facility. It is always an honor to welcome any past/current member of the steam crew to our facility. I myself have had relations with the program on a professional manner since about 2000. Our official ties to the UP steam program ended in about 2008/2009 when the program was forced to make a number of spending cuts as a reflection of a souring economy. However, despite the cut backs, the personal relationship between the program members and Wasatch has remained strong. Indeed, Wasatch was part of a number of very successful projects with the UP Steam Program. Though many wish to speculate as to the success of each project, it is no doubt that Wasatch had a long running and mutually beneficial relationship with the Union Pacific. This fact alone is indisputable, regardless of how any non-involved railfan may see things from a track side view.

To this day, my boys and I love the UP Steam program. Living in Cheyenne, the program, for resident railfans, is simply a way of life. Unfortunately for many of us, over the course of the past two years, under new management, doors have closed, the facilities are less open to the fans and the information that is held with-in is kept under tight lock and key. As I am aware that UP upper management is watching this and other threads, I will simply urge the Union Pacific to return to some of the past policies of openness and kindness to railfans. This past November, while watching the 844 return to the yard, the UP Police Officer kept people from entering the Yard. People were directed to the parking lot near Lincoln Way. Visitors got out of their cars, walked across all four UP main Line tracks to see the locomotive. Far safer it would have been to allow the visitors to view the steam train from the safety of the yard. Policies like these and others are damaging the relationship the program has with the public. Not only that, but this new policy was very dangerous to the visitors who had no idea how busy the four main line tracks in Cheyenne can be.

Public relations is just that.....building positive, safe relationships with the public. Though it is no secret, the operating history of the UP Steam program for 2012 has some work to do in terms of safety, efficiency and overall public view. To me, the idea of restoring a Big Boy to improve public relations is the wrong step. Repairing a public relations tool means repairing an image that may have been harmed or damaged, not creating a new one to cover up a bad one. The UP steam crew and current managers are better than the accidents that they had this year. They were trained better and know better than to have allowed any of what happened this year to happen in the first place. Which, as I digress brings me to me to my last point.

History is 20/20 in terms of clear vision. Looking back, the Steve Lee years, as far as I can see them operated a program free of major accidents, void of many major or minor personal injuries and was a public relations gold mine. A number of years the program, even running 60 days per year, actually made money. Crews were happy. They stayed with the program for many years. It was the jewel of the railroad and a fun, easy job. Looking back, a number of major projects were finished, most of which with-in budget, on time and delivered as expected. A number of projects cost way too much, some worked well, others did not. However, when examining each, certain people and certain companies succeeded far better than others.

Now, the answer all of you have been waiting for; NO, Wasatch is not involved in this project in any aspect or in any way. In fact, the most successful contractors with running records at UP do not seem to have any ties to this project. It makes one wonder, myself included, who the professional engineering firm is that has done the work, what the background is and what the credentials are that qualified the company or person for the job. However, that is not my call and I am making no judgments, only a fair and personal comment that I question the credentials.

If asked to participate, would Wasatch join the team? Sure, however, we would encourage UP to do what NS has done. Establish a 501 (C) (3) to which the RR can make donations and then have the work done on non-RR facilities and then operated by contractors. NS has done a great job this year. Accident record.....great, breakdowns- minimal, operating times- great. A number of locomotives used in a number of areas, great. Bravo NS. UP could take a lesson on this one. Restoring a Big Boy, in a unionized shop, which is running a steam locomotive more than 200 days per year; wow, to me sounds like a ton of overtime, a great potential for accidents, hard to retain employees who are married and risky to equipment. How ironic that all of this has been an issue this year on the great 844 parade of the nation. Unfortunate and not symbolic of the great past record of the steam program.

Truth be known, I hope UP succeeds at this venture. Truth be known, my boys and I would love to see it and we will be track side every step of the way. Truth be known, I think UP and the folks in Omaha need to spend some real time in heavy evaluation of who and how the contractors and employees that will carry out this project will be managed. Truth be known, from a business stand point, I do not find this to be the best move at this time under the current circumstances. However, none of this is my call either.

Agree with me or not, that is up to you. However, I will not participate in along debate, a drawn out conversation or any further speculation. I have made the comments that I feel are true, warranted and honest from the shoes and positions in which I stand. I value the UP and the current steam program for what it is. I hope they succeed in all that they do and I hope that this project is as great as they are making it sound right now.

Be it known that no other Wasatch employee is hiding behind false names or cover-up titles. This is the official position of Wahsatch (Wasatch) Railroad Contractors. Enough said.

Kindly yours,

That does it, I'm voting for Kelly! ;-)

Stephen

Given the attitudes and opinions expressed against WRRC by current UP management the thought that this company would be involved had not crossed my mind.

The official statement sounds like another selfless and typical act of self promotion. And by the way, "Wasatch" is miss-spelled in the subject line in terms of how the company name is spelled.


John

Wahsatch, which is located at the top of the grade headed east from Ogden, Utah, is spelled, WAHSATCH. It was my original intention to name the company Wahsatch, after the Big Boy locomotives and the location, all of which were spelled Wahsatch.

The word is commonly spelled and known as Wasatch if you are located in the Wasatch front, the general area of the Salt Lake Valley. Truth be known, the correct spelling of the Indian word is WAHSATCH. The most common spelling of the word is Wasatch.

There has been no misspelling of a word.

Kindly yours,

I rather like it with the "h", makes it a bit more of a unique word.

Cheers, Jason

What amazes me is that anyone thought the name Big Boy sounded better than the Wahsatch type locomotive.

It's not quite that simple. I really doubt it would be possible to take a steam program like the 1980s-era NS steam program and wrap a non-profit around it. There are two reasons. First, a non-profit can't just be performing a function that for-profit companies normally do in a for-profit context; it has to have a legitimate charitable purpose. Running a steam engine is not a charitable purpose by itself, but it's easy to get there under "education". But it can't just be a little charitable on the side; it has to look more charitable than not. You know, the "duck test".

Second, a 501(c)(3) must have "public support", meaning a substantial part of its funding comes from a variety of people and companies (or, alternately, the government). It can't just have one person or company propping it up on a continuing basis. (large gifts are OK for a surprise one-time gift from an outsider; or for an endowment; or for initial startup if the nonprofit has a plan to earn public support in the long run.)

So for a Class I to shell out their steam programs into a 501(c)(3) would require a lot of other entities being involved, and "toning down" the degree to which it functions as a publicity mouthpiece. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I would have the IRS charitable division on speed dial LOL. Fortunately, the IRS is only looking at corporate support which maps to money; not goodwill intangibles like "allowing the plain-bearing-infested thing to run on their system", which everyone in the industry knows is very important.

This wild tangent brought to you by the letters I, R, and S.

Thank you John for your point of view, what the Trains News wire days UP with this unnamed 3rd party is investigating the Big Boy restoration possibilities, bring one back. There are probably security issues the 3rd party may not want to be revealed right now or garner attention they would have to deal with or take care of if we all knew who it was, once that is known everybody's you knows will want to connect with them and they would have to take the time to work thru the attention they probably do not want to garner thru so they can focus on their job at hand. So I accept them to be incognito, they will probably reveal themselves when the time is right and they are ready.

During the Milwaukee 261 debacle we were hearing about some mysterious buyer would buy the engine from the museum, well, that never took shape and the 261 "Friends" ended up making the purchase, opening up donations and the engine is showing great progress and nearly ready for operation.

The issue about how a Big Boy gets restored and making it a non-profit situation, theres a point in doing it that way, your donation makes it tax deductable and it technically makes it money back in your pocket.

Making it a business venture, an investor puts money down on the project and expects a return from the money spent perhaps a profit.
This is again something part of the debacle 261 was in, it was better the engine got removed from that situation and get control on how the engine is financed and restored and managed. You have to make a business choice whats the best model to work from.

UP supports their steam program as it garners public attention, its like advertising.
It promotes their railroad. Take NKP 765, this was done totally virtually volunteer non-profit donation.

Like the rest of us we will keep watch, its a developing story.

1,433 words to basically say "We aren't involved and know about the same amount of information as you do." Not cool, not cool at all.

Was that really necessary David?

Very nicely worded statement John as per usual thankyou.
The third party may not be railroad related whatsoever.........

Mike Pannell

A 501C3 organization absolutely can take on the functions more commonly associated with a "for profit corporation" as long as it does not detract from fulfilling it's mission statement. The only real difference between a not and for profit is that a not for profit does not pay share holders nor does it make money for an owner. A not for profit house museum whos purpose is to exhibit and interpret 1890's wealth as it translates into homes and related furnishings could engage in contract historic preservation work, manage under contract other historic sites and even buy, rehab and then sell historic homes for great profit.
Charitable has nothing to do with not for profit in terms of what they do per say.... A charitable organization can take in donations but don't have to do anything themselves to further anything other than their own interests.
A 501c3 charitable educational institution whos purpose is to operate, exhibit, and interpret our nations transportationtaion past could absolutely just "run a steam engine" and be fulfilling it's purpose.




You are correct on this one! especially within the last 3 years or so, the IRS has made the rules on large donations very complicated and utterly limiting. If you win the lotto and you sure do like the "museum o' old railroad stuff" and desire to donate 200,000 dollars to them (and plan on claiming the deduction) and they have only taken in 10,000 a year for the last x number of years..... You CAN'T donate the money AND get the tax write off. I forget the qualifiers but it may end up being a larger issue than it already has ( that's correct, "has"..occurred already occured)been.

Having said that, NS is not donating anything in regards to the operation of the locomotives. They are paying the not for profits as contractors to provide a service. John had that bit wrong.


Remember, Not for profit is supposed to be a tax status NOT A BUSINESS PLAN!!! A not for profit such as the "museum o' old railroad stuff" could revenue 5 mill a year and expend 500,000 per year......every year further developing their own endowment which will allow them to perpetually fulfill their mission statement. How they do it, as long as it is an otherwise legal enterprise, is fine. They could operate a chain of diners, movie theatre, landscape company....whatever. As long as all revenue goes back into the company.


Cheers, Jason

Bosch is a non-profit company, at the end of its fiscal year all excess profits are donated away

What we don't want to see is another 261 debacle. Someone is interested in restoring a Big Boy, that alone will garner huge attention if it comes to fruition.
I will even come out and watch it in action if true.

Its a -Big Deal- ...do it, I'm all for it , just understand the issues behind it and make it successful.