Well said Dave, our governments keep letting the same things happen over and over again and wonder why nothing changes. I think it works for them and they are part of the problem eluded to above.
A tough nut to crack. The sick time issue is most certainly a valid point, but on the other hand, you have a shutdown during the holidays that would devastate the economy. Glad this one isn't on me!
I think a RR strike is what the country needs. Government can’t control inflation but the guy next door sure can. Don’t buy, don’t spend. If there is no product out there you can’t buy. That would shake things up. People think the politicans are going to look out for the American people by saying it’s a security issue. It will wreck the economy BS, the economy is already wrecked under there watch. The issues are political. Donors to the parties ( big business money) tells most politicians how to vote.
Alan,I see this question all the time. The answer is: I can.It's also because they are what most hobbyists want. We pushed the market there. We have younger guys in the club that turn up with these cars all the time, so it's not just the more successful of us. It's also worthy of note that many of these freight car runs sell out proving that there is substantial demand for them. Of course, you don't have to spend that much. There are plenty of lower priced offerings out there. Athearn has three tiers for example with their Roundhouse line being very cost effective. There is also nice stuff from Bachmann, and if you like swap meets there are literally tons of unbuilt "new old stock" or estate Athearn blue box kits at pretty much every train show I ever went to. Like any hobby, there are multiple price points for those with different sized wallets.
One quick question: Pensionados? I thought maybe you meant pensioners, but I googled the word, and it means: Philippine students studying abroad whose expenses are paid by the government. Never met one of those!
My sentiments exactly. Railroad employees and time off is not new, they have been clamoring about it for over 50 years that I know of; probably longer. It hasn't changed. While I think that asking for unpaid sick time is a legitimate request, they all knew the rules when they signed on, or at least they should have known them. As I pointed out in an earlier post, 8 of the 12 unions involved voted for the new contract, so it seems like some renegade unionists are trying to overstate their point by threatening to strike.
I don't disagree with any of that. I think PTO should be on the table. It appears there's not good answer here. Looks like the house passed a separate bill calling for a week of paid sick days along with one to force the deal. Now we follow the vote. Remember what Reagan did to the air traffic controllers? I don't have the warm and fuzzies.
Photos aren't enough. You have to have them "in hand" as risky as that is.
If you put one of those Tangent tank cars against an Atlas, or even older Red Caboose kits, or even the Tichy kit, you'd definitely see the difference. Even at three feet, and I'm a firm believer in the "three-foot rule". I invoke it often. There are indeed decent models that are cheaper, but I'm glad to have the choice available.
David, thank you for your kind words. I'm glad to hear from you made my day brighter, thank you!
