Thank you Rick. You have pretty much summed it up. This is the reason why the USA is turning into an de-industrialized third world power. The world knows we are in decline. We are pussy cats to our enemies and backstabbing to our friends and it is all about money. It is always been about money but was not so open in the old days.
The Union Pacific moves (i.e. licensing of models and attempts to use "fallen flags" to add to a paltry stream of money, demoliction of its hertitage, records and structures) of the last 5-8 years are just a microcosm of the mentality to squeeze the last dime out of people, things and the system before it is chucked like an empty beercan. Missouri Pacific coup d'etat via Davidson and company started it and it continues.
The way things are set up is this. If you are not consuming, going into debt, buying foreign crap out of those containerized operations (Walmart, Home Depot, et al) that UP carries on those container trains, the system would prefer you dead. If it cannot wring the last dime and drop of blood out of you, it would prefer you not to exist. Your just a drag on everyone. There is no sentimentality there for steam, railfans or history. If the UP could scrap it Heritage Steam Fleet tomorrow and get away with it, they would do it in a New York minute.
That is just the size of it.