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Do we see mergers in 2019

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 8:11 PM

kenny dorham
I wish we could De-Monopolize the railroads.

Would be nice to see the colors and logos of the Western Pacific, Rio Grande, Santa Fe, Pennsylvania.....Etc Etc.

After we deal with that Small Task, the unions could band together and necessitate the use of a Caboose on every freight train again. Smile

NGH - Not gonna happen!  The capital requirements of Class 1's are what caused the mergers to their present size.  Considering today's train sizes a manned caboose on the rear end would be a suicide wagon - from slack action alone.

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Posted by geomodelrailroader on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 9:34 PM

One merger we will watch is GE is merging with WABTEC Industries these companies have been rivals for years almost as long as railroading. 

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Posted by zugmann on Thursday, February 21, 2019 4:37 PM

kenny dorham
After we deal with that Small Task, the unions could band together and necessitate the use of a Caboose on every freight train again. Smile

Right after we bring back the 5-member crew.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, February 22, 2019 7:47 AM

Should the several states reinstate full-crew laws?Whistling

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by zardoz on Saturday, February 23, 2019 12:40 PM

BaltACD

 

 
kenny dorham
I wish we could De-Monopolize the railroads.

Would be nice to see the colors and logos of the Western Pacific, Rio Grande, Santa Fe, Pennsylvania.....Etc Etc.

After we deal with that Small Task, the unions could band together and necessitate the use of a Caboose on every freight train again. Smile

 

NGH - Not gonna happen!  The capital requirements of Class 1's are what caused the mergers to their present size.  Considering today's train sizes a manned caboose on the rear end would be a suicide wagon - from slack action alone.

 

Don't need a caboose; the Conductor and rear brakeman can just ride in the DPU.

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, February 23, 2019 1:58 PM

zardoz
 
BaltACD
 
kenny dorham
I wish we could De-Monopolize the railroads.

Would be nice to see the colors and logos of the Western Pacific, Rio Grande, Santa Fe, Pennsylvania.....Etc Etc.

After we deal with that Small Task, the unions could band together and necessitate the use of a Caboose on every freight train again. Smile 

NGH - Not gonna happen!  The capital requirements of Class 1's are what caused the mergers to their present size.  Considering today's train sizes a manned caboose on the rear end would be a suicide wagon - from slack action alone. 

Don't need a caboose; the Conductor and rear brakeman can just ride in the DPU.

Still NGH!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by tomstamey on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 10:46 AM

No, no more mergers in the US. Just look at the problems the majors (very few exceptions  BNSF and somewhat UP) have had managing their own railroads.  No one wants problems like that nation wide.

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Posted by elmer53 on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 4:49 PM

Miningman

2019 could well be the year we see the final acts at least start.

My prediction: CP-KCS-CSX starts the ball in motion, countered by BNSF-CN, which then necessitates UP-NS. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for Amtrak in 2019. May they have a good year, free of mayhem and problems, and to all the naysayers I say 'take off eh!.. in a plane, don't come back. 

 

 

Miningman
p
Miningman

2019 could well be the year we see the final acts at least start.

My prediction: CP-KCS-CSX starts the ball in motion, countered by BNSF-CN, which then necessitates UP-NS. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for Amtrak in 2019. May they have a good year, free of mayhem and problems, and to all the naysayers I say 'take off eh!.. in a plane, don't come back. 

 

 

Miningman

2019 could well be the year we see the final acts at least start.

My prediction: CP-KCS-CSX starts the ball in motion, countered by BNSF-CN, which then necessitates UP-NS. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for Amtrak in 2019. May they have a good year, free of mayhem and problems, and to all the naysayers I say 'take off eh!.. in a plane, don't come back. 

 

 I find it interesting that BNSF would align with CN/IC now. Back in 1997 I was working for BNSF in southwestern Illinois and southern Missouri. Back then there was discussions of a potential merger that would of created a shortcut to New Orleans via Galesburg and Centralia IL where a connection to the IC mainline would occur. At the time we were trying to boost pool miles but it never happened. Also was a discussion of running trains via the IC to St Louis and connecting with the Ex Frisco there as well. Will be interested to see if this plays out.  

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Posted by Samuel Johnston on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 5:28 PM

Could some people give up on their childish animations?  We are discussing Seriously and Manly Things and stick figures are for six year olds who don't know any better.  Whil we're at it there won't be any more mergers for a long while; noting to be gained by it until something drastic changes.  The last mergers led to acute indigestion and threats of re-regulation.  Regulation was one of the reasons we had mergers until 1979.  Then the end of protecting the rate bureaus and their negotiations/negotiators from anti-trust worries in the Staggers Act (1979-80)  was one of the main reasons for mergers from then on.

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Posted by L. Zhou on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 6:29 PM

I don't think there will be mergers anytime soon. There are far less railroad companies then there was thirty years ago. 

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." -Lin Yutang

-

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 6:39 PM

Samuel Johnston
Could some people give up on their childish animations?  We are discussing Seriously and Manly Things and stick figures are for six year olds who don't know any better.  Whil we're at it there won't be any more mergers for a long while; noting to be gained by it until something drastic changes.  The last mergers led to acute indigestion and threats of re-regulation.  Regulation was one of the reasons we had mergers until 1979.  Then the end of protecting the rate bureaus and their negotiations/negotiators from anti-trust worries in the Staggers Act (1979-80)  was one of the main reasons for mergers from then on.

Manly men have senses of humor!  Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does!

Life is much too short not to laugh at one self!  After all this place has all the stately decorum of a internet forum!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by kgbw49 on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 7:00 PM

I personally am waiting to see a stick man, er, stick person in a race car jump that canyon that used to be on BaltACD’s posts!

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Posted by Garth1943 on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 7:57 PM

I hope that neither CN nor CP is EVER merged into an American system. I hope that the government of Canada would prevent that ever from happening. Let UP buy CSX and BNSF buy NS (or vice versa) but leave the Canadian railways out of it. We are a separate country whether you guys like it or not.

 

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Posted by cat992c on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 8:54 PM

Would be open to Norfolk Southern-Burlington Northern Santa Fe getting together.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 9:02 PM

I liked the animation of the cat on the raft.

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 9:10 PM

Samuel Johnston
Could some people give up on their childish animations?

Glad my animations are manly.

 

Drastic changes?  Like PTC and PSR?  They are pretty drastic.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 7:13 AM

Samuel Johnston
We are discussing Seriously and Manly Things and stick figures are for six year olds who don't know any better. 

Females and many males might take exception to your misogynistic tone. Grammarians might suggest you would appear more serious if your syntax were cleaned up.

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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 8:10 AM

Samuel Johnston

Could some people give up on their childish animations?  We are discussing Seriously and Manly Things and stick figures are for six year olds who don't know any better.  Whil we're at it there won't be any more mergers for a long while; noting to be gained by it until something drastic changes.  The last mergers led to acute indigestion and threats of re-regulation.  Regulation was one of the reasons we had mergers until 1979.  Then the end of protecting the rate bureaus and their negotiations/negotiators from anti-trust worries in the Staggers Act (1979-80)  was one of the main reasons for mergers from then on.

 

Can you be more specific as to which people should give up their animations?

A little comic relief is pleasant to observe.

Johnny

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 10:02 AM

Garth1943

I hope that neither CN nor CP is EVER merged into an American system. I hope that the government of Canada would prevent that ever from happening. Let UP buy CSX and BNSF buy NS (or vice versa) but leave the Canadian railways out of it. We are a separate country whether you guys like it or not.

It has happened in the other direction.  WC, IC, DMIR, EJ&E and B&LE were all merged into CN.  D&H was merged into CP.  SOO was alreaday a CP subsidiary.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 10:42 AM

kgbw49

I personally am waiting to see a stick man, er, stick person in a race car jump that canyon that used to be on BaltACD’s posts!

 

I wonder--was the stick person that walked across walking on a thin wire which could not be seen?

I fear that anything else that attempted to cross--race car included--would fall into the abyss.

Johnny

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Posted by jeffhergert on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 11:15 AM

Deggesty

 

 
kgbw49

I personally am waiting to see a stick man, er, stick person in a race car jump that canyon that used to be on BaltACD’s posts!

 

 

 

I wonder--was the stick person that walked across walking on a thin wire which could not be seen?

 

I fear that anything else that attempted to cross--race car included--would fall into the abyss.

 

That one guy could walk across the canyon, defying the law of gravity because...

he never studied law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PzY_ro13UE 

Jeff

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 11:49 AM

jeffhergert
 
Deggesty
 
kgbw49

I personally am waiting to see a stick man, er, stick person in a race car jump that canyon that used to be on BaltACD’s posts! 

I wonder--was the stick person that walked across walking on a thin wire which could not be seen?

I fear that anything else that attempted to cross--race car included--would fall into the abyss.

That one guy could walk across the canyon, defying the law of gravity because...

he never studied law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PzY_ro13UE 

Jeff

Best I can do with sticks and race cars - 

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Garth1943 on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 11:50 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

 

 
Garth1943

I hope that neither CN nor CP is EVER merged into an American system. I hope that the government of Canada would prevent that ever from happening. Let UP buy CSX and BNSF buy NS (or vice versa) but leave the Canadian railways out of it. We are a separate country whether you guys like it or not.

 

 

It has happened in the other direction.  WC, IC, DMIR, EJ&E and B&LE were all merged into CN.  D&H was merged into CP.  SOO was alreaday a CP subsidiary.

 

Agreed. But those were all minor regional railways, except IC. CN and CP  together comprise 90% of Canadian railroading. They, especially CP, were built to keep Canada united from coast to coast and separate from the USA.

 

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Posted by zardoz on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 12:03 PM

Samuel Johnston
Could some people give up on their childish animations?  We are discussing Seriously and Manly Things and stick figures are for six year olds who don't know any better. 

Wow! Who peed in your cereal?

"Serious and Manly Things" sounds like a title for a song about teenage angst.

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Posted by zardoz on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 12:09 PM

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Posted by Miningman on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 5:35 PM

zardoz -- How much for that blizzard of '88 painting? 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, March 7, 2019 6:56 AM

I thought it was the snowstorm of 1967.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by BOB WITHORN on Thursday, March 7, 2019 7:32 AM

[quote user="zardoz"]

 

 
Samuel Johnston
Could some people give up on their childish animations?  We are discussing Seriously and Manly Things and stick figures are for six year olds who don't know any better. 

 

Wow! Who peed in your cereal?

 

"Serious and Manly Things" sounds like a title for a song about teenage angst.

 

'Z', that's funny. Perhaps you should be a bit more serious though. It really would be the manly thing to do.

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Posted by zardoz on Thursday, March 7, 2019 9:58 AM

BOB WITHORN
Perhaps you should be a bit more serious though. It really would be the manly thing to do.

You are assuming that I am a male of the species, and that if indeed I am a male, that I would be even slightly concerned that my behavior fit in with the preconceived notions of what constitutes proper 'manly' behavior. 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, March 7, 2019 10:05 AM

zardoz
 
BOB WITHORN
Perhaps you should be a bit more serious though. It really would be the manly thing to do.

 

You are assuming that I am a male of the species, and that if indeed I am a male, that I would be even slightly concerned that my behavior fit in with the preconceived notions of what constitutes proper 'manly' behavior. 

What would you expect from someone who thinks that B-24's were great bombers Whistling

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul

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