"Pan Am Clipper" Newsletter

Very interesting. According to the article rebuilt locomotives are to be painted 30 days after they are rebuilt. They also mention 381 and 310 as both being rebuilt but the 381 was done a while ago without repaint. Perhaps the 310 will be repainted sometime... The last three or so pages where it describes common basic parts and components of computers is a little odd but I suppose since this is intended for employees it may have some function? All in all glad to see the Clipper is back.

The Clipper is more intended for customers and shippers, not really for employees.

I thought the inclusion of a glossary of computer terms was quite odd. Maybe they had less material than they originally anticipated and needed some filler...

MEC407 wrote:I thought the inclusion of a glossary of computer terms was quite odd. Maybe they had less material than they originally anticipated and needed some filler...

HAHAHA that's what I thought. I also laughed at the "wikipedia" citation.

Titleist71 wrote:

MEC407 wrote:I thought the inclusion of a glossary of computer terms was quite odd. Maybe they had less material than they originally anticipated and needed some filler...

HAHAHA that's what I thought. I also laughed at the "wikipedia" citation.

The wikipedia citation wasn't originally in the "Upgrading our Bridges" section. Apparently the editor felt it was important to further explain the meaning of the term kip. Not the best citation source but the definition from wikipedia is correct. When I first read it I kind of cringed upon seeing it.

What I find interesting about the magazine is that it shows what Pan Am's self-perception is more than anything else. You get the sense of what they think is important to communicate to the intended audience and what they value as a company. For awhile after the name change you could see they thought of themselves as an airline first, but when the airline was decertified, it quickly went to all rail subject matter. And if you try to find the word "Guilford" anywhere in the Clipper, you won't. Despite the fact that most of their engines wear Guilford livery, they clearly identify themselves as Pan Am Railways.

First quarter 2010 issue is available: http://www.panamrailways.com/xpress/2010q1.pdf

MEC407 wrote:First quarter 2010 issue is available: http://www.panamrailways.com/xpress/2010q1.pdf

I like it. Always an interesting read.

The railroad police equipment acquisition is obscene, and I can not believe that they even put in for such a grant with a straight face. What does PanAm have, 2 people left on the department? That all-terrain vehicle could actually have been put to use by a police or fire department and instead it will sit at Billerica and do nothing. Seriously, I can not believe that they took even a cent of grant money in these time of cuts and layoffs. When have the railroad police ever searched for missing people? The only fires they assist with are the ones that their own engines start with unmaintained exhaust equipment.

I think that it is funny that a tobacco co. gave it away and resources were used to write the grant ! Any bets as to when she'll be dipped ?

A new issue of the Clipper has been posted: http://www.panamrailways.com/xpress/2010q2.pdf

As always the Clipper is interesting.

Besides saying they were going to retire the "old junk" again, I enjoyed how they refer to the new locomotives as both SD-40-2's and SD40-2's. All in the same article. That said, it does answer the question many had earlier this fall, according to PAR all 20 "new locomotives" are SD40-2's, regardless apparently, of its heritage or carbody. I also thought it was interesting that all 8 GP-9's were referred to as GP-9's, while half are technically GP-9r's rebuilt by the B&M pre-1981.

Did the search in the pdf for "Guilford". No results found.
How about those spiffy new computer programs for shipment tracking and train movements?

KSmitty wrote:As always the Clipper is interesting.

Besides saying they were going to retire the "old junk" again, I enjoyed how they refer to the new locomotives as both SD-40-2's and SD40-2's. All in the same article. That said, it does answer the question many had earlier this fall, according to PAR all 20 "new locomotives" are SD40-2's, regardless apparently, of its heritage or carbody. I also thought it was interesting that all 8 GP-9's were referred to as GP-9's, while half are technically GP-9r's rebuilt by the B&M pre-1981.

The Clipper isn't intended for railfans that nitpick things like that...

Is this whole Pan Am Clipper thing a joke ? Why do I expect to see John Cleese and his men parading out of a roundhouse wearing rubber jet toy aircraft around their waists with a group of stewardesses in bikinis trailing, all singing the Pan Am World Airways theme song ?