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Did Don Phillips ever "tee off" on Joe Boardman's management of Amtrak.
Kalmbach wisely does not make their entire content available on the web - even to subscribers. Here is a "choice" quote (typed) from his November TRAINS column:
quote:The managers who could not leave quickly learned to agree with anything he says, no matter how dumb. Even then, they may be pushed out simply because Boardman needs a scapegoat. If Boardman was a brilliant manager who made things work, one could tolerate his ways, but he is a political hack, and the Amtrak board of directors accepts it.
Amtrak was invited to make comment, and a spokesman replied to "Mr. Phillips' unwarranted personal attacks".
I can only hope that "doors are not slammed in the face" of this insightful columnist; not only at 60 Mass, but also 500 Water Street, Lou Menk Drive, 1400 Douglas, or Three Commercial Place, account this blast - even if there is foundation for such.
MargaretSPfan Member # 3632
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But all Amtrak CEOs are mere puppets of the Board of Directors -- with Claytor and Gunn being exceptions. I still do not understand how Claytor managed to do the excellent job he did, without being fired.
Mr. Norman Why do you think it is "wise" for Trains to deny paid subscribers web access to the full text of Phillips' column? That makes absolutely no sense to me. About doors being slammed in Mr. Phillips face (I think you are referring to the 4 Class 1s): What earthly use is a reporter or columnist if he or she is not allowed to tell the truth? Isn't one job of the Fourth Estate to "afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted"?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Margaret, I say this with great respect, but Kalmbach has simply been a more pragmatic business than has all too much of the print media industry.
In the case of TRAINS content, Kalmbach does sell a digital product in the form of CD's dating from VI#1; digital access to all content would simply deter CD sales. Even though I "have 'am all" VI#1 et seq (and are specifically bequeathed in my Will), I have been tempted to buy the digital product simply for convenience - especially if such contains an effective keyword search.
But alas, I live with what I have.
Now regarding access, journalists have always had to walk the fine line. Report and opine "only nice things" (as BTW, Amtrak makes no bones about it their "writers in residence" are expected to do) gains access, those who say "nasties" have a way of seeing the lanyard to their badges being cut. As I said "doors are not slammed in the face", but I'm fearful such could happen - and 'we" who follow railroad industry affairs, will lose an insightful set of eyes and ears with which to do so.
Finally, to the "other three", sorry for the slight by omission: 427 w 12th Street, 120 S. Sixth St, and 935 de la Gauchetierre West.
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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Mr Philips is a respected business journalist. He is well connected in DC. Businesses blow him off at their peril.
People treat you better when they know you know where the bodies are buried.
George Harris Member # 2077
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Claytor did the job because he wanted to, not because he had to. His level of competence was so far beyond question for him to have been fired would have looked bad only for those that did it. He knew more about how to properly run a railroad at his worst than most of the people at Amtrak either before or since knew at their best.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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OK, with the eleven copies of TRAINS Vol. 74, 2014, circulated to date open on my desk, let's summarize the Don Phillips Amtrak columns to date as well as my one word evaluation of such:
#3 (March) The USA is a passenger train joke - Negative #4 On Amtrak, a good crew can make even the tardiest trip a joy - Positive #5 There is no substitute for an experienced cautious engineer - Very Positive (a Passenger Engineer's intuition avoided a potentially serious incident). #8 Amtrak is in a sad Free Fall - Negative #11 Boardman fiddles while Amtrak burns - Negative (ad hominen)
Beyond my one word commentary, "just the facts, Ma'am" or "We report, you decide".
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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In his role in Trains, he's a columnist, not a true journalist.
He makes assessments.
Got it. I tend to respect what he says.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Lest we forget, Mr Philips' reputation in Europe (yes, Trains magazine does sell a fair few copies there) is somewhat in tatters after his highly questionable reporting while based in Paris. Many suspect he never reported/commented on anything first hand but instead relied on inaccurate Googling, such was his out-of-touch commentary - for example, referring to named trains in the present tense when said train had been gone for years.
Being directly within the rail industry in Europe, I also had the inside knowledge that his speculation was at best wildly inaccurate and generally utter nonsense.
Unfortunately for him, because of this I take anything he says about the US rail industry with a large dose of salt.
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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Mr Mayo,
Thank you for that assessment. It helps!
MargaretSPfan Member # 3632
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Hmmm....Another instance of Trains Magazine publishing stuff that is not exactly accurate. The other instance is their reporting that the UP 4014 (Big Boy) is on its way to being restored, when nothing could be farther from the truth.
The rest of their content is fine, but Don Phillips' columns should be fact-checked and should not have been published if their content is found to have been erroneous.
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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Margaret, please cite your comment vis a vis UP 4014...
She is in the Cheyenne backshop. UP is removing the Diesel era false roof to bring the shop overhead crane back to life. Parts are being removed, cataloged, and tagged.
We are 60 years removed from having production lines for steam locomotives. It's not as though any of these parts are available with Fedex shipment from Grainger.
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Don Phillips column in December TRAINS gives Boardman a month off. His column titled "The best of times, the worst of times" is positive with respect to the industry as a whole.
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