RAILforum: David Gunn report

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Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :

The following was posted on an AOL board in reference to Mr. Gunn, and is said to have been written by an Amtrak conductor from Boston.
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He was back in Boston again today. He arrived on Express 2250 - carrying a small overnight bag and a backpack. On the platform, he took the time to introduce himself to me, my yard crew and an Amtrak Police Officer. We engaged in a spirited conversation about the railroad and the tough road ahead for all of us. I asked him why he left retirement to come work for us. He said he liked a challenge and it was time someone with real railroad experience
took the job. When asked about the possible LD service cutbacks, he told us that Amtrak is a national system and he is treating it like one. He said he wished his predecessor came forward with the news of the cash flow shortfall a couple years ago instead of waiting until now.

He said he was impressed with the Acela equipment and really enjoyed the day ride to Boston. He said he'd rather be out on the road than stuck in an office with bureaucrats.

On a lighter note, he told us that he had three Crown Victoria cars in DC at his disposal along with an Amtrak Police officer to drive him. Not needing them, he had all three cars sent back to the GSA pool and terminated their leases. The Amtrak Officer was brought back to regular patrol duty. He said he didn't need those cars, he had his own MetroPass to ride to work.

We all walked away very impressed with Mr. Gunn and wished him all the best.

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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

The Del Monte Club Car

Posted by reggierail (Member # 26) on :

I'm feeling better about Mr. Gunn with everything I hear about him. I don't know if he will be the one who will save Amtrak, but I believe he will do what's necessary to at least get it back on track. I'm trying to get a trip put together to leave as soon as Friday & will be interested as to the reception he's having so far with the employees.
Reggie

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Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :

The May 6 National Corridors newsletter has a lot of interesting information about Gunn. http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df05062002.shtml

He seems to be what Amtrak needs right now, but his blunt language may not go over well with the politicians. In response to a question about the President's position he said "Bush wouldn't know what a passenger train was if it hit him right smack in the nose." This was spoken to another Amtrak employee, not a reporter, but it found its way into the newsletter.

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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

The Del Monte Club Car

Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :

This was spoken to another Amtrak employee, not a reporter

What a dirty rat!!! Wow, I wonder how much he got as a payoff. Mr. Gunn doesn't need sleazeballs like that working for him; banish that one to the Postal Service...

Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :

These things have a way of coming and going. After all, didn't President Bush get caught with the "open mike syndrome" in my backyard (Naperville) with a less than flattering comment regarding a highly respected New York Times reporter?

While no one can rationally state that the challenges faced by President-Designate Gunn are as grave as those faced by President Bush, there are analogies that can be drawn.

Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :

As I said in an earlier posting about David Gunn his major weakness is dealing with politicians, and it would appear that he still views them as fools not to be suffered gladly. His comments about George W. Bush are probably accurate, but I hope it won't have an adverse impact on his presidency (Gunn's not Bush's). On the National Corridors Newsletter, I noticed that Gunn was quoted as saying that he didn't like the idea of pulling off the sleepers from the Twilight Shoreliner. This sounds most encouraging. A president who likes sleepers can only be a good thing for Amtrak.

Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :

Broken record time again--

15 Superliner sleepers (as identified by Mr. Lurker on his page at this site) back into service ASAP (two/three tricks if need be).

That's an additional line for each of the East West Long-Distance trains!

50 more Viewliners: 25 configured 10 Dlx, 25 configured 1 Spl, 4 Dlx, Bar-Lounge.

5 more Heritage Diners rebuilt

That would make the Three Rivers "amenity equal" to the Lake Shore and enable all Viewliner trains to offer "a little something" that could be called "First Class". "Shoreliner" would have its sleeper restored along with a Bar-Lounge.

Posted by rresor (Member # 128) on :

Having worked for Mr. Gunn during the 1980s in New York, I'm not at all surprised by his first steps. He did the same at the NYCTA, living in a condo in Park Slope (Brooklyn) and *taking the subway* (gasp) to work, while disposing of the leased vehicle assigned to the TA president (which his predecessor used).

I think railroad buffs are going to be very pleasantly surprised by Mr. Gunn. As to politics, Job #1 right now is to stabilize Amtrak, and given that 2002 is an election year, if we're lucky Mr. Gunn will be left alone to do that.

In 2003 the politicians will start to meddle with the organization of Amtrak, but by then maybe Mr. Gunn will have cleaned out the dead line at Beech Grove.

Posted by K.O.Pectate (Member # 1604) on :

The tasks that loom before Mr. Gunn are of such magnitude, in most cases, that results will be seen in the long term rather than the short. No doubt there will short term results, even they will not be "overnight." Patience, support and room to manuever are what we need to provide this man. Time will tell the story. Hopefully there is till time enough for the story to be told.