Union Pacific's birthday

[atrainguy60]

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/fre ... _I5lo7Pafc

Yesterday was UP's 150th birthday.

[Saturnalia]

Union Pacific is a great example of what we Americans are capable of. No other company in the world can claim they had such an influence on the building of a nation. Apple might be continuing the great American tradition of building the country up, but in reality, Union Pacific paved the way.

Keep Haulin' UP

[sd70accsxt700]

Union Pacific is a great example of what we Americans are capable of. No other company in the world can claim they had such an influence on the building of a nation. Apple might be continuing the great American tradition of building the country up, but in reality, Union Pacific paved the way.

Keep Haulin' UP

Uhhhh what about the B&O the FIRST railroad in the US. I think they had LOTS more influence in the building of a nation then the UP did. All UP did is connect the east and west with the help of the CP.

[CSX_CO]

Union Pacific is a great example of what we Americans are capable of. No other company in the world can claim they had such an influence on the building of a nation. Apple might be continuing the great American tradition of building the country up, but in reality, Union Pacific paved the way.

Keep Haulin' UP

Uhhhh what about the B&O the FIRST railroad in the US. I think they had LOTS more influence in the building of a nation then the UP did. All UP did is connect the east and west with the help of the CP.

All they did was 'survive' long enough to start buying up their competitors. Until they purchased the CNW, they still didn't have their own route to Chicago from Omaha and connections to the east coast carriers. They relied on the CNW and SP to move their traffic to Chicago. The CNW had the opportunity to buy them out in the late 1800's, but didn't, feeling their railroad would be an over extension of their resources. Wasn't until they bought up the MoPac and Western Pacific did their railroad really reach anywhere of substance. They just sort of served as a bridge in the middle between the coasts. CNW was the first, along with the BNSF, to the Power River Basin. UP got access by buying the CNW.

If anything Apple provides the 'frivolous' things that we don't absolutely need in this country. Do we *need* and iPad? iPhone? iPod? Good on you if you have one, but you don't *need* it.

[Racer]

Union Pacific is a great example of what we Americans are capable of. No other company in the world can claim they had such an influence on the building of a nation. Apple might be continuing the great American tradition of building the country up, but in reality, Union Pacific paved the way.

Keep Haulin' UP

I'm sorry to make this comment, but you can't seem to leave a thread be without commenting on it (whether the information is right or "questionable"). If you don't know much about the subject of the thread, just let it be so you don't make a fool out of yourself, sorry.

Anyways, if any railroad was the backbone of this country, it was indeed B&O. Doesn't that mean that CSX is the most significant in heritage?

[CSX_CO]

Uhhhh what about the B&O the FIRST railroad in the US. I think they had LOTS more influence in the building of a nation then the UP did. All UP did is connect the east and west with the help of the CP.

IMHO, the lines that became the NYC probably had the most influence as far as development of the 'interior' of the country. They were the first to get to Chicago, and open up the plains to development. B&O was the first railroad, and proved the technology, but as far as development west, they weren't the first to get west of the Alleghenies. In all reality, the Erie Canal across New York started the development in the Midwest, but it was the railroads that made it 'boom'. No longer did people in the interior have to rely on a seasonal highway on the lakes, you had all year and all weather transportation.

In a tie with this forum, what became the Michigan Southern and Michigan Central helped make Chicago what it is now. They (Michigan Central) were the first to get to Chicago via trackage rights (on Rock Island) from the east, and what became the Michigan Southern wasn't far behind. They allowed merchants to ship from Buffalo and Detroit direct to Chicago. Avoiding the route around Michigan and the lakes. Its an ~900 mile trip via water from Buffalo to Chicago, and only ~530 via rail. At Buffalo they connected with lines already constructed from the east. This allowed Midwestern farmers in Illinois to ship their livestock, grain, etc back east quickly, thereby opening up the plains and making it a money making proposition to farm out on the prairie. They connected with the lines going further west, Galena and Chicago Union, Rock Island, etc. Once those two made it to Chicago from the east, suddenly EVERYONE wanted to get to Chicago. But, at the start railroads were seen as just short feeders to docks and harbors for water transport to their final destination.

Once connections to the east were made, it was these lines (RI, CNW, CB&Q) that pushed further west into Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc. Prior to that the railroads were seen as a way to move products from the fertile farmland of N. Illinois to market at Chicago and its harbor on Lake Michigan. These areas lacked a good water connection to either Lake Michigan or the Mississippi. The first lines built west/north west from Chicago. Land to the SW benefited from the Illinois River and the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Once the efficiencies of rail were realized, that is when the sights were set further west, and canals fell by the wayside.

So, Union Pacific came around pretty late in the game, 1862. The framework had already been set by the carriers to their east. They were incorporated just to build west from Omaha. Sure, they linked east and west, but without the work of the carriers from Omaha east, there wouldn't have been a need for it. We forget that they have purchased a lot of railroad in the last 50 years, portions of the RI, CNW, DRGW (SP was bought out by DRGW already), MoPac, etc. Its not "fair" to those railroads to assume that UP was the driving force.

Practice Safe CSX

[Saturnalia]

Union Pacific is a great example of what we Americans are capable of. No other company in the world can claim they had such an influence on the building of a nation. Apple might be continuing the great American tradition of building the country up, but in reality, Union Pacific paved the way.

Keep Haulin' UP

I'm sorry to make this comment, but you can't seem to leave a thread be without commenting on it (whether the information is right or "questionable"). If you don't know much about the subject of the thread, just let it be so you don't make a fool out of yourself, sorry.

Anyways, if any railroad was the backbone of this country, it was indeed B&O. Doesn't that mean that CSX is the most significant in heritage?

I never said there weren't other companies that had influence....there are dozens.....UP is just one.

Fine....I'll rephrase.....paved the way west. By allowing the quick shipment of goods from east to west and west to east, the US now had access to resources no other country could claim, along with plenty more attributes that make the nation what it is today.

It wasn't the first, it wasn't the most powerful, but it was important.

[CSX_CO]

I never said there weren't other companies that had influence....there are dozens.....UP is just one.

Before you said:

No other company in the world can claim they had such an influence on the building of a nation.

First you say 'no other company'. Now, when you've been proven wrong, you say they are just one of many. Which is it?

Read the book "Animal Farm" and tell me what group of animals you are in that.

There are three types of people I can't stand. "Know-it-alls", liars, and people who can't admit their wrong. Unfortunately, if you have one of those characteristics, you probably have one of the other too.

Practice Safe CSX

[AARR]

Read the book "Animal Farm" and tell me what group of animals you are in that.

This is a very good book. Movie was also good. Doesn't matter what political side you take, its very insigtful abut how leaders, primarily government, devlop propaganda to deceive the public.

[sd70accsxt700]

Fine....I'll rephrase.....paved the way west. It wasn't the first, it wasn't the most powerful, but it was important.

EPIC FAIL again. Did you even read what I wrote in the very first respons. If you did, then you dont know your history. They (UP) paved there way INTO the west but not THE west. The line never would have been what it is if not for the CP.

[Saturnalia]

Sorry everyone. I was wrong, and didn't stop to re-read what I wrote. I thought I wasn't wrong, but I now realize I was.


Sorry