WHY HASN'T DICK DAVIDSON BEEN UNCEREMONIOUSLY FIRED BY NOW?

DonPevsner wrote:(1)First, UP Chairman Dick Davidson mangled the C&NW takeover.
(2)Next, he made the SP takeover the laughing-stock of the railroad
industry, and very nearly ruined his entire railroad in the process.

(3)UP cannot run its trains on time; routinely has trains outlaw;
lost a high-speed UPS contract due to "meltdown"; mishandles AMTRAK's
"SUNSET LIMITED" grotesquely on a routine basis; et al.

(4)Finally, from the railfan perspective, his minions recently rejected
my own request to charter #844 or #3985 to run a steam passenger
special over the Rio Grande side from Denver to Glenwood Springs
and return, in October, 2005. I easily solved the Moffat Tunnnel
"steam problem" by suggesting to Steve Lee that a diesel haul the
entire consist (with a simmering steam locomotive) both ways through
the Moffat Tunnel. Yet, UP "management" refused to run ONE TRAIN
nearly a year from now over a secondary route, on the grounds of
"poor liquidity on the railroad." The great builders and past leaders
of the UP are doubtless turning over in their graves at the shambles
that the Davidson regime has made of the railroad. How can this
destructive and incompetent executive still be running the show? UP appears to be spending more time tampering with grade-crossing accident evidence (per a recent NEW YORK TIMES expose) than fixing its sagging product. Any responsible Board of Directors would have tossed
him out on his ear at least a year ago.

1. & 2. And the UP is the only company who ever entered into a Merger or Partnership or Strategic Alliance that didn't have it's problems initially?

3. System velocity has been pretty dismal for the UP, no one will argue you there. However, they are hardly the only RR having problems in this area.

4. So you would fire a CEO because he wouldn't let you do a railfan trip? There's a rational thought.

Thats why railfans/foamers should just stick to looking at (or photographing) trains instead of trying to tell seasoned transportation professonals on how to run them.

** Fact: Intermodal business, while growing is not nearly as profitable for the RR's as other carload traffic. It just isn't. So while growth is good, it's not the most profitable growth. Check the annual reports published by the class I's if you don't believe me. It doesn't take a CPA or MBA to figure them out.

Yep, it has been that way for quite a long time. Just go back to Trains Magazine in the late 80's. Sure when other commodities are slow, it sure is nice to have something under your belt.

But today that is not the case.

Most all commodity groups are seeing advances year over year. Equipement in some are tight. Try finding a few spare covered hoppers for DDGS loading (especially if you care about the condition of that hopper once the customer gets done with it). Gons for scrap in the past year have been in tight supply. Same with cement cars.


As many carriers are looking to expand capacity on their lines, one thing looked at is the income from traffic on that line. If you are talking tank cars, then there is going to be a return on the investment. If you are talking TOFC/COFC, you may want to think of sending out the office staff to sell pencils on the corner, the rates on Intermodal will not cover the costs.

F3A wrote:Thats why railfans/foamers who just stick to looking at (or phtographing) trains instead of trying to tell seasoned transportation professonals on how to run them.

I like that quote.

Im thinking DonPevsner just started this topic to stir the pot. I could care less if they dont break out the steam engine.

As far AmtrakFan not liking Dick because he doesnt care for Amtrak well, i cant blame Dick, i dont like getting held because Amtrak is coming. We have work to do and money to make.

With the whole merger thing, i made a TON of cash after we bought the SP. Im sure alot of CNW and SP trainservice guys were quite upset after the merger and really tryed to put the screws to things, which wasnt really the best thing to do.

Im pretty sure Mr Davidson isnt an idiot. And i really doubt he cares what you think of him. Its his railroad, he'll decide whats best.

UPRR engineer wrote:

F3A wrote:Thats why railfans/foamers who just stick to looking at (or phtographing) trains instead of trying to tell seasoned transportation professonals on how to run them.

I like that quote.

Im thinking DonPevsner just started this topic to stir the pot. I could care less if they dont break out the steam engine.

As far AmtrakFan not liking Dick because he doent care for Amtrak well, i cant blame Dick, i dont like being held because Amtrak is coming. We have work to do and money to make.

Ok UPRR Engineer,
Amtrak was the only thing moving during 9/11 and Amtrak is a better then flying I hate flying.

As correctly noted earlier, it's not "his" railroad. (I am reminded of the "son, they're all my helicopters" anecdote told on President Johnson.) Union Pacific belongs to the shareholders, who hire Richard K. Davidson to take care of it for them and make them money with it.

Corporations are not dictatorships. Neither are they democracies, since the governing principle is one-share-one-vote, rather than one-person-one-vote. Therefore, it usually takes one or more large investors, such as pension or mutual funds, to put corporate "regime change" in motion.

I offer no opinion one way or the other on the merit of the proposal, but if one's goal is to oust Mr. Davidson, first people to write are the fund managers who own the largest chunks of UP stock. This would be a fine project for a student of the railways--who are those managers?

If Dick wasnt in charge i think you would see a big change, and it wouldnt be good. As for me, id be steamed.

AmtrakFan wrote:Ken,
This was in 96/97. I don't like him from an aspecet of both reasons.

I am reminded that it is not the reader who bears the responsibility of understanding a statement, but the writer who must make his point understandable.

From Salt Lake Tribune 5/6/05


UP shareholders approve package for execs

UPRR engineer wrote:
Im pretty sure Mr Davidson isnt an idiot. And i really doubt he cares what you think of him. Its his railroad, he'll decide whats best.

Wellll... maybe not quite his railroad.

It belongs to his stockholders and his bankers. When the stockholders don't get ROE, and the banks don't get their payments, then Mr Davison will be gone.

John Perkowski
stockholder

Looks like there pretty happy with him.

AmtrakFan wrote:Amtrak was the only thing moving during 9/11 and Amtrak is a better then flying I hate flying.

My car was working fine during 9/11

My stock is dropping again, wonder if Dick sold some of his shares to take the family on vacation.

Wal~Mart's taking everybody down, from what I read.

I hate that store anyway. I'll bet Dick doesn't shop there...

Do you think Dick gets the same attention in Omaha like Donald Trump does in NY? Everyone knows who he is? Not the same attention as Mr. Trump.


Where does he shop? lol