Since Nobody Else Will...

DISCLAIMER:THESE ARE ONLY THE AUTHORS OPINIONS ON THE "FEC WARS." IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT I'M SAYING, JUST DON'T RESPOND.
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I've been noticing alot of bashing on the FEC since the Fortress/RailAmerica buyout. I have only one thing to say...

STOP IT.

I know its heartbreaking to hear that FEC has become part of a conglomerate, but It's not a fallen flag. I mean, people fear that FEC will revert to it's 1950's-1960's junkheap self, but it wont. RailAmerica has already stated that they will treat FEC as their crown jewel, and keep all the capital investments in their physical plant going. If you heard some of the stuff people are saying, you would think the minute that FEC became part of RA, their track just began to crumble overnight. FEC is NOT going down the Guilford path. The railroads in Guilford were already bankrupt or teetering on bankruptcy, FEC is in some of the best financial shape it's ever been in. Carloads are growing and traffic is increasing as trucking becomes less economical. The Guilford roads were in awful shape, and fuel was cheap for truckers at the time to haul goods(not to mention, heavy industry had moved out of New England). There's no doubt that many of Guilfords Ill's were caused by Mellon and Finks poor management of a changing New England rail market, but FEC will not go down that path!

FEC will be relatively autonomous according to Fortress, and will operate exactly as it did before the acquisition. The only difference is that the livery will be changed. And on that subject, stop ranting about how awful the new FEC colors look. I mean, I'm sure as much as we would have all liked to see the Red and Yellow FEC livery reintroduced, we have to remember that system commonality is key in the modern railroad world. It's been around since the dawn of railroading. Can you imagine if railfans in the 1950's and 1960's complained about the fact that the CNJ was using basic B&O Blue? I mean, they were controlled by B&O, so why not introduce a common livery?
But once again, the circumstance of the CNJ and FEC are far to different to draw any more comparisons.

Sorry about my little rant, I just felt that I had to. And hey, if you don't like the RA controlled FEC, why not just look at video and model the classic FEC?

Just to add to the above, I am not aware of anybody in my area saying or even thinking negative regarding the Florida East
Coast. It is one very sharp operation with a superbly maintained right of way and equipment and trains that run on a more
reliable schedule than Amtrak does in these parts.
What they say in New York, Massachusetts or elsewhere matters little, they are not he to see this fine operation.
Incidentally the Florida East Coast Railway Society wound up a really nice convention a couple of weeks ago with great tours
of the facilities and an interesting presentation by the president of the railroad.
I enjoy watching the action on this line at least a couple of times a week and when I go, I pretty much know just what I will
see and when I will see it.
Those who see fit to bash this railroad in any way are ignorant of the facts, believe me on this.
Noel Weaver

Well no thanx to your tidy little FEC and their previous strikes and labor abominations against the union's we now have FRED , short crews, and too many other crimes that took too many jobs away from good hard workin' rails that made it a better and safer RR. I guess you clueless foamers and or commies will be just as blind and stupid when you have no man robo trains blowin' through downtown Delray and then be the first to point fingers when somethin' goes down the wrong way..but that's O.K maybe as long as you can point click and get that great shot that might get you a little more razz-ma-tazz attention from your foamer butt lickin' buddies. Stop Look and Crash-N-Burn. Robo-Hobo-Z-Traininator. HIGHBALL!!

ROKK Island , there is such a thing as progress, and its been in every industry.
Galley slaves were replaced by sails.
Horses were replaced by tractors.
Thousands of soldiers were replaced by a few missiles.

Even railroads have seen progress, from steam to diesel caused huge decline in manpower, track machines replaced thousands of workers.
To start a rant is hardly gone change that.

ROKK ISLAND wrote:Well no thanx to your tidy little FEC and their previous strikes and labor abominations against the union's we now have FRED , short crews, and too many other crimes that took too many jobs away from good hard workin' rails that made it a better and safer RR. I guess you clueless foamers and or commies will be just as blind and stupid when you have no man robo trains blowin' through downtown Delray and then be the first to point fingers when somethin' goes down the wrong way..but that's O.K maybe as long as you can point click and get that great shot that might get you a little more razz-ma-tazz attention from your foamer butt lickin' buddies. Stop Look and Crash-N-Burn. Robo-Hobo-Z-Traininator. HIGHBALL!!

This is specifically addressed to the above individual. The strike era on the FEC is LONG GONE. The employees there are
well paid for their services and a good share of them are again in a union. The UTU among others is apparently satisfied
with their working conditions which are as good as any railroad in the industry.
Short crews, there is no need for a flagman on the hind end, a brakeman on the head end, a caboose and a conductor on
the hind end. Now there is a conductor on the engine with the engineer and the trains run just as well as they ever did.
If you ask the conductors today, nearly all of them like the job better riding in the engine than on a caboose. The caboose
was a problem for the railroads for years, expensive to maintain, dangerous to ride in and most of them were uncomfortable
in hot or cold weather conditions. Today the conductor rides in an engine cab that at least on the FEC is always air
conditioned with decent seating and reasonably clean.
I put a lot of years in the industry and I certainally do not miss the caboose one bit, in fact I was glad to see them go.
The day may well come in the future when at least some of the through freight trains will run with an engineer only.
Noel Weaver

ROKK ISLAND wrote:Well no thanx to your tidy little FEC and their previous strikes and labor abominations against the union's we now have FRED , short crews, and too many other crimes that took too many jobs away from good hard workin' rails that made it a better and safer RR. I guess you clueless foamers and or commies will be just as blind and stupid when you have no man robo trains blowin' through downtown Delray and then be the first to point fingers when somethin' goes down the wrong way..but that's O.K maybe as long as you can point click and get that great shot that might get you a little more razz-ma-tazz attention from your foamer butt lickin' buddies. Stop Look and Crash-N-Burn. Robo-Hobo-Z-Traininator. HIGHBALL!!

I have sent you a PM, rokk. Welcome to the forums, but please realize we will not accept "flaming" on the FEC forum. ( I don't believe you'll find it acceptable on other forums, either.) Clean it up, or clear out. You friendly moderating team

Ah, the Rokk Island... [email protected]

-otto-

Alas, poor ROKK, we hardly knew ye'...........