Union Pacific Railroad

Edd Bailey, 83, who worked his way from carman's helper to president of the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1922, Bailey took a job as a helper in the railroad's car-repair shop in Cheyenne, Wyo. From that 38-cents-an-hour job he progressed to freight yard blacksmith, mail car loader and brakeman, conductor, special police agent and train master. By 1945, Bailey had become superintendent of the railroad's Nebraska and Wyoming divisions.

"Hell on Wheels" is the latest original series from AMC, the cable network also currently committed to shows about zombies, ad men, a meth-making former high school teacher and the yet-unsolved murder of a Washington teenager. What they all share is a certain gritted-teeth tension and an air of incipient violence, except for when violence is actually occurring. There will be blood, literally or figuratively. The new series, which premieres Sunday, is set not long after the end of the Civil War in a tent city called Hell on Wheels at the advancing, westward edge of the Union Pacific railroad.

Federal regulators will take the unprecedented step of setting up shop at Union Pacific Railroad headquarters to monitor safety at the nation's largest railroad because of violations found after a string of crashes over the summer that killed seven people. "The size of this railroad calls for different and unique fixes to what we consider serious deficiencies," Federal Railroad Administration spokesman David Bolger said Wednesday.

When Lee Wesley Gibson began his new job as a coach attendant with Union Pacific Railroad in 1936, the country was in the grips of the Great Depression. Millions of Americans were out of work. Like so many others around the country, Gibson moved from Texas to California in search of new opportunities. Within a year he landed a job with the railroad in his new hometown, Los Angeles. It was the beginning of a 38-year journey, during which he traveled the country and ultimately landed a much-coveted job as a Pullman porter, one of the uniformed railway men who served first-class passengers traveling in luxurious sleeping cars.

"Hell on Wheels" is the latest original series from AMC, the cable network also currently committed to shows about zombies, ad men, a meth-making former high school teacher and the yet-unsolved murder of a Washington teenager. What they all share is a certain gritted-teeth tension and an air of incipient violence, except for when violence is actually occurring. There will be blood, literally or figuratively. The new series, which premieres Sunday, is set not long after the end of the Civil War in a tent city called Hell on Wheels at the advancing, westward edge of the Union Pacific railroad.

Union Pacific Corp. said the man who had led the company's railroad for nearly two years would succeed Dick Davidson as corporate president and chief executive in January. James R. Young, 53, will remain president of Union Pacific Railroad when he assumes control of the corporation. Davidson will remain board chairman.

Local officials predicted a significant economic boom to the region Friday as the long-awaited Alameda Corridor rail project took another step closer to reality. Los Angeles and Long Beach port officials concluded negotiations this week with Union Pacific Railroad, the last of three freight haulers participating in the $1.8-billion transit link from the harbor area to Downtown. "Today's agreement moves the corridor from a dream to a reality," Mayor Richard Riordan said.

The City Council put a yearlong ban on any development of the Union Pacific Railroad property east of State College Boulevard, and city officials have pledged to work "as fast as legally possible" to determine the best use of the property. A series of public workshops will be planned, and city staff members will spend time analyzing the methods used by other cities caught having to assign a zoning use for property once used as a railroad right-of-way.

Morrison Knudsen Delivers Liquefied Natural Gas Locomotive: The company said it delivered to the Union Pacific Railroad the first such locomotive, which is powered by a 1,200-horsepower engine made by Caterpillar Inc. It is the first of two locomotives to be leased to Union Pacific for tests in rail-yard switching operations in Los Angeles. Morrison Knudsen Corp. and Caterpillar announced plans in March, 1992, to manufacture the MK1200G locomotives.

TRAIN TRAVEL LOSES A LOT of its romance when the train pulls into the station half a day late. That, sadly, is more the rule than the exception on certain Amtrak lines, particularly the historic Coast Starlight run from Los Angeles to Seattle, now dubbed the "Coast Star-late" because it is routinely between five to 15 hours -- that's right, hours -- behind schedule.

Union Pacific Corp. said the man who had led the company's railroad for nearly two years would succeed Dick Davidson as corporate president and chief executive in January. James R. Young, 53, will remain president of Union Pacific Railroad when he assumes control of the corporation. Davidson will remain board chairman.

Prompted by last weekend's train derailment near Whittier, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday asked local public safety agencies to investigate rail hazards, including whether there is a need to create buffer zones between homes and railroad tracks. The motion by Supervisor Gloria Molina also asked Union Pacific railroad to provide a report on track inspection.

In a strongly worded letter, the operators of Metrolink train service between Riverside and Los Angeles blame Union Pacific railroad for the commuter rail's repeated and lengthy delays. Metrolink Chief Executive David Solow accused Union Pacific of demonstrating an inability or "unwillingness" to adhere to a 10-year-old contract that would improve on-time performance for the passenger trains.

The Union Pacific Railroad right of way is slowly being cleared of heavy weed growth, said Mark Lloyd, the city's community development director. The railroad company has cleared tracks on either side of Magnolia Avenue between Chapman and Katella avenues, as well as those crossing Western Avenue, Lloyd said. Numerous residents have complained that the weeds pose a fire hazard to nearby communities. Phone calls to Union Pacific have resulted in some action.

Facing high diesel fuel costs, Union Pacific Railroad said it will charge about 3% more for hauling materials starting next month. The unit of Union Pacific Corp. said its labor costs also are increasing. Contract rates will increase in accordance with specific escalation provisions, the railroad said. Diesel fuel prices have more than doubled over the past year, from 65 cents a gallon to an average of more than $1 a gallon, the railroad said.

Michael H. Walsh has been named chairman and chief executive of Union Pacific Railroad, effective Nov. 1. He succeeds Drew Lewis, who, as expected, will become president and chief operating officer of the railroad's parent, Union Pacific Corp. It had been announced previously that Lewis would move to the parent company next April, but the change will take effect at the same time Walsh joins the company.

Invasive weeds never make a pretty sight. But when they grow over 7 feet tall, they constitute a fire hazard, say Stanton city officials and residents. And they're nearly everywhere along the rights of way of Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Stanton, where they also provide a refuge for transients. And once the winter rains begin, they'll come loose and clog the storm drain system, said Stanton Community Development Director Mark Lloyd.

Technicians on Monday detonated a train tanker car full of hazardous acid to ward off a more damaging explosion and evacuated about 200 more people living near the site of a weekend derailment. The Union Pacific Railroad tanker was one of 30 that derailed Saturday and one of several loaded with hazardous chemicals. It had yet to spring a leak, but heat from small fires still burning around the derailed rail cars could have raised the pressure inside the acrylic acid-filled tank, officials said.