A message to spsffan:
It is approaching 40 years since the failed SPSF merger effort and humiliation and firing of the then ATSF CEO. It is unknown where you post from, but at the time of the SPSF effort, SPSF was installing a transition track in the southwest quadrant of the Colton Tower (CA) area. After the failed effort, the switches and CP boxes were soon removed. I’ve always found it fascinating that with the UP-SP merger, such a southwest quadrant transition track was never put in. It seems maybe UP knew better, as such would be an accident ready to happen, which was likely with a steep northward track transitioning to a steep westward track. The purpose of the thread was to get your thoughts on this and if you saw that too.
Same at Hutchinson, KS., where both lines crisscrossed each other. A transfer track was installed during that 1985-1986 time period. After the merger was declined, the track was removed. Just under a decade later, the same track was put back in. A condition of the BNSF merger was SP obtainig rights on the Santa Fe between Hutchinson-Chicago limited to intermodal traffic. That traffic was gone two yrs later as a result of SP-UP combo. The track remains and is used when needed.
Each one of those connections had a specific Sub-docket in the STB merger dockets to go with that certain connection track. There are still disagreements over some of those connections, like the ATSF/Cotton Rock that's still out there in the weeds at Vaughn, NM. (You can't remove the things w/o STB approval as well)
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