Top CEO of Amtrak-Your Opinion

[XC Tower]

Hello,
I would like to hear about who you rate as the best person in charge of Amtrak over the years and why? (Notice that I didn't ask about the worst....Too many negatives in this world...)
Thank you.



XC

[CarterB]

William Graham Claytor Jr.
Claytor maintained a good relationship with the U.S. Congress during his 11 years in the position. Within 7 years of being under Claytor's leadership, Amtrak was generating enough money to cover 72 percent of its $1.7 billion operating budget by 1989, up from 48 percent in 1981.

[Gilbert B Norman]

WGC; no question. For all the reasons Mr. Morris has just set forth. Only Claytor negative; he was the first to "tinker" with full-service Dining on the LD's.

Off topic: Anderson is not "the worst".

[Tadman]

Best was Clayton for so many reasons.

Worst? Downs or Warrington maybe. They perpetuated the profitability myth and M&E thing, which put the railroad in a tailspin that is just now calming. Or the guy that told Congress he didn’t know what to do with extra $10m.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Mr. Dunville, I believe you are addressing the first CEO, also ex-airline, Roger Lewis.

During 1972, when the "fairy dust" regarding profitability had settled, and Amtrak had to "go to The Hill" where they had a lot to learn.

Looking for maybe $300M, Lewis was asked "Sir, if we gave you a billion dollars, what kind of railroad could you give the American people?" Lewis responded: "Congressman, that is more funds than we could sensibly commit".

Moral: don't set foot in the ring until you know the rules

[electricron]

I can not grant any person the title of a "Top CEO" of Amtrak. I' will wait to give that title until one of them decides to serve the Dallas to Houston market with a train.

Market based capitalist are wishing, planning, and are about to begin construction of a HSR line to serve this market, stating in press releases repeatedly that this city pair is the "best" city pair in the world. Yet not one recent past CEO of Amtrak wishes to provide any service at all- not even an express bus service. All past Amtrak CEOs are political appointees - no matter their past business experiences, and all should be enjoying their retirement benefits from their previous employers sunning on a beach or rocking a chair in some retirement home.

[frequentflyer]

Claytor hands down, he understood railroads, being a former Southern RR man himself. He understood pax trains too, and was politically savvy. Some knock him for holding onto the F40s too long before ordering replacments, and not following through on the original number of Viewliners to ordered. Hint, enough to equip every eastern LD with a full VL consist.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Gunn at least focused on a "back to basics" attitude on state of good repair, fleet overhauls and keeping the system in order. He ordered the LTL and heavy express dropped by end of 2005 to speed up running times and avoid lengthy switching.

[AgentSkelly]

Gunn at least focused on a "back to basics" attitude on state of good repair, fleet overhauls and keeping the system in order. He ordered the LTL and heavy express dropped by end of 2005 to speed up running times and avoid lengthy switching.

I agree on David Gunn; I liked how he dealt with the political aspect of Amtrak, something he learned from another political monster, the TTC!

[R36 Combine Coach]

I agree on David Gunn; I liked how he dealt with the political aspect of Amtrak, something he learned from another political monster, the TTC!

Don't forget NYCT (his greatest achievement). In his six years (1984-1990) he had all 6,200 cars graffiti free, something no one thought possible in 1980, plus setting the goal of every car overhauled or new (less than 10 years old) by end of 1992 and helping reduce crime and ending the "deferred maintenance" era begun under Moses in the early 1950s. That was his first "state of good repair" program. The overhauled or rebuilt IRT "Redbird" cars are also known as Gunn Red, being painted such in the late 1980s.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Mr. Combine, the noted IRT cars were delivered Red
Know so, as I were "around those parts" (77th & Lex) during early '60's.

The best innovation those cars had were padded foam seats with a vinyl covering - a step up from the Rattan from earlier times. Needless to say, the seating got "customized" rather quickly, and so far as I can tell, that was the "Tilt; game over" for padded seating in mass transit vehicles.

[CNJGeep]

The Fox Red of the David Gunn era is not the same red the cars were delivered in.

As delivered:
https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3898" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Repainted:
https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3921" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To wit, the Fox Red (Or Gunn Red) was a paint that was more resistant to graffiti than the original paint on the cars.

[jhdeasy]

As one whose first Amtrak trip was May 1971 (Empire Service), and who has dealt with NRPC as a PV owner since 1987, I cast my votes for Graham Claytor, David Gunn and Paul Reistrup.

[ExCon90]

All of whom had prior high-level railroad experience at which they performed splendidly. Maybe there's a lesson there somewhere ...

[F40CFan]

No brainer, Graham Claytor!