Dream shortline merger

[chapmaja]

I was sitting here thinking (ok procrastinating) and the thought of what shortlines and regionals would look good mergered into one system.

I think the AA/GLC/HESR would be a good railroad that could be viable. I think the railroad could make money interchaging traffic with NS in Toledo bound for the thumb area on the HESR providing some comeptition to CSX who seems to get most of the HESR traffic from the thumb.

The combination into one railroad could lessen costs for the companies as well.

I would also like to see the following added to that sytem.

The IORY and CF&E. This could give the railroad access to Chicago and the western railroads.

The M&W, if they can pick up more traffic from the soup plant and others.

The ADBF. The little line could add some traffic to this railroad system.


I'm sure most of this would never happen, but it is a "dream" shortline merger.


I would like to see the AA/GLC back together at some point. A merger of these two railroads likely would result in very little operational changes between the two systems. The railroad would likely only see administrative and possible maintainance changes.

[canpac08]

Interesting proposition how to reshape the railroad map. I have always wanted Soo Line to Buy the CF&E and the Lake Division from Fort Wayne to Oakwood. That way they would have a route in and out of Chicago not owned by the NS. I feel That the state of Michigan could use another true Class one's presence since the NS wants out so badly.

[Shorthaul]

feel That the state of Michigan could use another true Class one's presence since the NS wants out so badly.

I don't think NS wants out of Michigan. They have a lot of automobile-related (and other) traffic on the former Wabash line and on the Detroit Line. Unless I am wrong, I believe that you are thinking about the Michigan Line only. I can understand why NS doesn't want to maintain a line used for local freight traffic only to such high standards because of Amtrak. The line should really be bought by Amtrak or another shortline, and if nothing else, Amtrak needs to pay for their own maintainence on this line. The Detroit-Chicago route has the potential to be a "real" passenger corridor, and Amtrak needs to invest heavily in it, maybe instead of some of their long-distance services, especially since Amtrak spends over 75% of its money on 14% of its passengers.

[canpac08]

they may want to keep the Lake Division again but at one point when they put together the trackage rights deal with the Soo line the whole Lake Division was up for sale/ Maybe they want to hold on to it seeings as someone is paying to help up grade and maintain the whole line.

[Shorthaul]

I wasn't aware of this, because I wasn't really into railroads at the time that this was going on. But now that you mention it, I guess that it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to re-route some of the traffic down to Toledo and onto the Chicago line, if that line can handle it, which I doubt. But who knows?

[sd70accsxt700]

the whole Lake Division was up for sale

Wow first I heard of that. You sure you were not talking about the Hunginton District. The whole Lake Division includes Bellevue, Ft. Wayne, and most everything ex NKP/WAB, that is left in Michingan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. Even then I find it hard to believe that the Hunginton District would be up for sale, but they could use the Detroit line for everything.

[Y@]

I'd like to see the MAW, IORY, CFE, AA, and GLC all merge. That would be a sweet regional.

Leave the Wheeling out, they're awesome by themselves.

[canpac08]

it would have fit nicely into the RailAmerica camp. and I doubt they would have sold the whole Lake Divsion. I over spoke, but I could see it getting sold all the way down to Fort Wayne. would have given CF&E direct access to Detroit and Chicago. would make one hell of a regional. especially with the I&O.

[j32885]

This looks good on paper.

I personally would like to see GLC or HESR get a hold of LSRC. Reuniting GLC with the old AA in south would be good. HESR & GLC have a good relationship right now, and I would like to see both say independent for the time being. Maybe all these local railroads will become the new Great Lakes & Ann Arbor Railroad (GLAA).

[AARR]

I have a paper railroad made up of AA / GLC / and IORY from Lima north. It's called Ann Arbor & Michigan Northern. I'll post it in model section sometime.

[Norm]

I was sitting here thinking (ok procrastinating) and the thought of what shortlines and regionals would look good mergered into one system.

That sounds like a reasonable Idea to me. It would surely eliminate some overlapping positions and help get costs under the control of one entity rather than having those roads run under the name of several companies. The name of the corporation would have to be determined, but it could include GLC, AA, HESR, LSRC, and MMR. That said, it would truly become a regional railroad.

The only question, in this economy, is who would have enough money to accomplish such a merger. I would prefer that it be Michigan owned so the profits would remain in-state.