Viewliner II Part 3: Bag/Dorm Car Production, Delivery, Speculation

[Palmetto]

Doesn't apply to "proprietary information".

 

[cpotisch]

I feel like even if his “cover was blown” and he had to stop posting on AU, I feel like he could still say that he has to leave. It just seemed a bit “abrupt”, it that makes sense...

After you have worked in the industry a year or two and been warned by your boss, then come back and say if you would take the risk of posting a goodbye message or not, specially if the threat involved impacting your retirement. I am not saying that this is what happened, but it is well within the realm of possibilities. Insubordination is somewhat looked down upon, more so if you are already in a bit of trouble.

What happened to freedom of speech?

If you're leaking "secret" info about your employer, they can fire you. The information is that company's property and they completely have the right to fire someone who leaks it. So while I miss Thirdrail and really appreciate the information he provided and his take on Amtrak's operations, they do have plenty cause to fire him if he continues posting. Sad, but true.

 

[me_little_me]

I feel like even if his “cover was blown” and he had to stop posting on AU, I feel like he could still say that he has to leave. It just seemed a bit “abrupt”, it that makes sense...

After you have worked in the industry a year or two and been warned by your boss, then come back and say if you would take the risk of posting a goodbye message or not, specially if the threat involved impacting your retirement. I am not saying that this is what happened, but it is well within the realm of possibilities. Insubordination is somewhat looked down upon, more so if you are already in a bit of trouble.

What happened to freedom of speech?

Prevents the government from limiting you, not an employer.

 

[cpotisch]

I feel like even if his “cover was blown” and he had to stop posting on AU, I feel like he could still say that he has to leave. It just seemed a bit “abrupt”, it that makes sense...

After you have worked in the industry a year or two and been warned by your boss, then come back and say if you would take the risk of posting a goodbye message or not, specially if the threat involved impacting your retirement. I am not saying that this is what happened, but it is well within the realm of possibilities. Insubordination is somewhat looked down upon, more so if you are already in a bit of trouble.

What happened to freedom of speech?

Prevents the government from limiting you, not an employer.

For the most part. There are definitely exceptions to that, but those have really come out of court cases and rulings, and not out of the First Amendment itself. This is not one of those cases.

 

[jis]

Specifically, read the conditions of employment (I know very few people who actually go through the voluminous document  - usually). You have very little freedom of speech, actually close to none, when it comes to disclosing company information outside the company, except in limited whistle-blowing circumstances, and that too is not exactly free of consequences.

 

[Seaboard92]

I'm pretty sure I cracked third rail's cover a few months ago but I've never revealed who I think it is. And if I'm right he is still with the company. So there is nothing to worry about on that front.

I figured it out by piecing together bits and pieces of different conversations. But again I didn't expose him.

 

[jis]

That is consistent with him going abruptly off the web. Maintaining ones job is usually first priority, and if that is the case everything else becomes secondary. Been there, done that in the past, though not involving anything on the web. If you want to know more we can talk about it over a beer at a Gathering some day.

 

[west point]

Maybe he can get some one here who can relay his information and not by the internet !

 

[jis]

Maybe he can get some one here who can relay his information and not by the internet !

Why the hell should he care so much so as to risk his job for satisfying the idle curiosity of a bunch of railfans anyway if he cannot participate in the discussion himself. I know I wouldn't.

 

[cpotisch]

Why the hell should he care so much so as to risk his job for satisfying the idle curiosity of a bunch of railfans anyway if he cannot participate in the discussion himself. I know I wouldn't.

This! I mean, if you're at the point where continuing to post here could cost you your job, you should probably bail on posting/leaking to this site, altogether. Too much risk and not enough reward (if any).

However, we're now nearing a full page of Thirdrail7 discussion in the V-II thread, which seems a bit excessive, so maybe a moderator could move these posts?

 

[pennyk]

However, we're now nearing a full page of Thirdrail7 discussion in the V-II thread, which seems a bit excessive, so maybe a moderator could move these posts?

.... or maybe all of you could stop discussing why Thirdrail7 is no longer posting as such.

 

[cpotisch]

.... or maybe all of you could stop discussing why Thirdrail7 is no longer posting as such.

Yeah, that actually seems fair.

 

[jis]

I guess if a VII would show even a teeny weeny smidgen of its face out the door of CAF, we'd all rush off to it and stop discussing Thirdrail :hi:

BTW, back in Miami Boardman did make an off the cuff statement about consequences of the lowest bid requirement in the passing, not specific to CAF per se, but a general one. None of us pressed for any further discussion and it was dropped. This was during the evening reception. That left me wondering whether they spent all this time arguing about what is it that CAF was actually supposed to deliver or not, over and above the previously reported problems with finding welders and what not.

 

[neroden]

Perfectly possible.  Even if you don't have a lowest bid requirement, I can say from experience that you can end up with contractors who want to argue with you that they don't have to deliver functional work.

 

[PVD]

The most expensive ship ever built, the new aircraft carrier Gerald Ford is a perfect example of that very statement...

 

[cpotisch]

The most expensive ship ever built, the new aircraft carrier Gerald Ford is a perfect example of that very statement...

Yep, $37.3 billion program cost and $13 billion unit cost.

Of course IMHO, the F35 Lightning II holds the true crown for absurdly expensive and stupid military projects, at a total program cost of more than $1.5 trillion, and each of these single-engine single-seat units costing at least $100 million. Point is, military projects can get pretty dumb. hboy:

 

[PVD]

I singled out the Ford, because despite all the press showings and politicking, it is not ready for use. There are no working elevators to bring munitions up to arm the planes, and both the catapults and arresting gear still have major issues. It is also the product of a single source procurement since at present, in the US, there is only one builder capable of building that ship.

The fighter competition at least had multiple entrants....

 

[Ziv]

John Glenn said:


“I guess the question I'm asked the most often is: "When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?" Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts -- all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.”  

Also credited to Alan Shepard

 

[me_little_me]

Yep, $37.3 billion program cost and $13 billion unit cost.

Of course IMHO, the F35 Lightning II holds the true crown for absurdly expensive and stupid military projects, at a total program cost of more than $1.5 trillion, and each of these single-engine single-seat units costing at least $100 million. Point is, military projects can get pretty dumb. hboy:

In defense of the military, their weapons system need to be state of the art and between the time of writing the specs and the delivery, there are technology changes, threat changes, etc. On the other hand, the biggest change for Amtrak is that they can't decide what they want or what they want to do with what they get. witness that some diners are no longer diners, but "diner lounges".

 

[jis]

Not Diner Lounges. The official designation is Sleeper Lounges. [emoji57]

 

[cpotisch]

In defense of the military, their weapons system need to be state of the art and between the time of writing the specs and the delivery, there are technology changes, threat changes, etc. On the other hand, the biggest change for Amtrak is that they can't decide what they want or what they want to do with what they get. witness that some diners are no longer diners, but "diner lounges".

There's a difference between being state of the art and trying to do too many things while being unnecessarily complex and expensive. And it doesn't seem like the F-35 is a particularly good aircraft either, with low reliability, relatively low range, and limited weapon capacity. $1.5 trillion for that is just dumb.

 

[jis]

There's a difference between being state of the art and trying to do too many things while being unnecessarily complex and expensive. And it doesn't seem like the F-35 is a particularly good aircraft either, with low reliability, relatively low range, and limited weapon capacity. $1.5 trillion for that is just dumb.

Seems like there is a lot of technology for technology's sake rather than the capabilities actually linked with any specific plan of engagement with any real enemy in a really likely battle of the future. I don't think any of these whiz-bang things will help win us anything in Afghanistan engagement for example.

To some extent I think it is our plan to bankrupt ourselves and turn our own people into paupers over time. As they say, the seeds of collapse are built into the fabric of success.

But all this has precious little to do with Viewliner IIs other than that we appear to be having equivalent levels of difficulty getting working versions of VL-IIs and F-35s and several other military wonders of late.

 

[KnightRail]

1st off, the discussion about a certain member’s posting activity or lack there of is extremely inappropriate, unprofessional, and uncalled for. What’s even more disconcerting is that those comments have been allowed to stay here and haven’t been deleted. No member should have a spotlight shined on them like that for simply not posting. The real answer is ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. MYOB! 

For the silent majority who’s benefit is reuined by the obnoxious few, Tomorrow: Dover & Frankfort

 

[MARC Rider]

In defense of the military, their weapons system need to be state of the art and between the time of writing the specs and the delivery, there are technology changes, threat changes, etc. On the other hand, the biggest change for Amtrak is that they can't decide what they want or what they want to do with what they get. witness that some diners are no longer diners, but "diner lounges".

Why do they have to be state of the art? All they have to be is as good as, or maybe a bit better than the stuff deployed by potential adversaries.  And it would be helpful if they were reliable and ***** proof.  And a cheaper unit price so we could have more of them, if needed.

I believe we managed to win WW2 with a bunch of junky weapons systems in the inventory.  In fact, the Germans deployed jet fighters before we did.  Fat lot of good it did them.

 

[west point]

Why do they have to be state of the art? All they have to be is as good as, or maybe a bit better than the stuff deployed by potential adversaries.  And it would be helpful if they were reliable and ***** proof.  And a cheaper unit price so we could have more of them, if needed.

I believe we managed to win WW2 with a bunch of junky weapons systems in the inventory.  In fact, the Germans deployed jet fighters before we did.  Fat lot of good it did them.

Good point.  The German air force was overwhelmed by a high ratio of P-51s that over whelmed the Germans that had too many different state of the art airplanes.  Too few ME-262s