I've never had much sympathy for people who buy a home next to an apparently unused rail line only to be shocked when it comes back to life or is used for storage. I always thought it was the right of the railroad to do whatever it wants with the track it owns.
However, last week we took a trip to South Fork, Colorado. The former D&RGW (now San Luis and Rio Grande) line from about Monte Vista to South Fork is almost totally filled with stored cars - tankers, covered hoppers and coal hoppers. As much as I like trains, I have to admit I wouldn't want to see them all the time especially if they blocked my view of the beautiful mountain scenery.
So, I'm not really a NIMBY yet but I do have more sympathy for their complaints.
BTW this is not the only area in CO with lots of stored cars.
Fire up the economy and the cars will be taken out of storage and put in revenue service. If the economy stays flat enough, long enough then the cars will end up being scrapped.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD Fire up the economy and the cars will be taken out of storage and put in revenue service. If the economy stays flat enough, long enough then the cars will end up being scrapped.
Currently, NYSE is betting on the Economy taking off next year. Housing Starts falling but across the board housing stocks increasing in valuation.
The market is rising - but I don't see real increases in economic activity.
It is easy to move money around, it is a lot harder to build product, move it, sell it and deliver it.
There's more to the story there, especially Wagon Wheel Gap/South Fork to Creede. (Good Ol' Boy local government and local developers took stupid to a new level and the railroad owner isn't a saint or a genius either)
As for Ed Ellis' stored cars on SLRG - Those are paying the bills to keep the line alive.
He's also storing cars on idle industrial trackage on Goose Island and the developers are complaining that he's trying to extort them to remove the trackage.
Pretty much anyone with currently unused trackage has cars stored on it. As noted, it pays the bills - nice to have your payroll covered for several months.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
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