A better way to run a railroad

Although "Fast Eddie" Burkhardt's career has been dogged with safety-related controversies, he has not been without his fan base.

The Atlas Society for example.

They must have been truly excited by Burkhardt's resurrection of the Bangor and Aroostook. B&A went into bankruptcy with 420 employees.

Burkhardt resumed operations with half that number, and those who remained took a 25% pay cut. In 2010 they took another 15% cut.

That's the sort of achievement sure to garner a pat on the back and a laudatory article by the Ayn Rand acolytes.

Frankly, a better way to run a railroad would be to staff it properly and treat your employees with respect instead of as a regrettable blot on the "cost" side of the ledger.