Engineer Spike wrote:Why did they change after 30+ years again?
All the other BS aside, they changed after 30 years because their management changed. "Big Dave" left, replaced by the younger Mr. Fink.
As I understand, the 2 Fink's are products of different era's. Sr. being a product of the decades of railroad decay, stepping over dollars to save dimes is a self preservation style of management. Agreeably its short sighted and hardly effective, but its a good way impart your desires for maximum profits with least risk taking. Despite obvious shortcoming this is hardly a rarely used management method, and is quite common in telecom companies today, as well as other companies that face Wall Street demands for maximum profits.
Jr. is, on the other hand, a product of the railroad renaissance of the post-Staggers world. The renaissance rebuilt the belief that infrastructure improvement and regular maintenance bred good service which in turn brought more business. Thats why you see self investment in plant, as well as the seeking of others to invest. Current management realizes that doing more than bare minimum to keep things running will bring additional carloads, and additional revenues.
Regardless of "Big Dave's" status as a part (minority) owner, the younger is running the show and calls the shots.