I heard our Indiana Governor express something to the effect it was a waste of money to support Amtrak…and today I heard the state of Michigan was courting the Beechgrove work to move to Michigan…
Any comments…from the group…?
You might want to write a letter to the gov…and remind him that some of the folks there want Amtrak.
How many jobs would dissapear with the Beechgrove shop moving?
Ed
Where in Michigan would a major shop facility comparable to Beech Grove be located? I doubt that Amtrak or the State of Michigan would build a completely new facility from scratch just to spite the State of Indiana.
…I don’t have many answers to the above questions but just yesterday it was major news features on our Indy TV stations regarding the possibilities. Ed, I believe there are 600 plus jobs at stake at the major overhaul and rebuild facilities…A former New York Central facilities. I believe they have the ability to do almost any kind of repair and rebuild to equipment at that location and it would be a shame to dismantle it and lose it for ever…It is a major location with all the necessary equipment to do the above mentioned work…And…I understand the Governor of Michigan has been actively pursuing it…If our Gov. has the attitude he seems to have re: Amtrak…I don’t blame the Michigan Gov for doing so…
I don’t know where they would place this work in Michigan…
Right now, Amtrak could not afford to move. I can think of two private facilities in Illinois (Silvis or Mt. Vernon) that could handle the move, but can’t visuallize anything in Michigan that could handle that much stuff.
As old as Beech Grove is (1902?, ex Big Four) , the land underneath is not marketable for much anything else, except heavy industry. Boy would that be a big gaping hole on the south side of Indianapolis. I’m also sure the rail section at Indiana DOT is in “kill” mode about now with their boss (with friends like that, who needs enemies?[:O])
[banghead][banghead][banghead]
…We know the “boss” is not friendly to RR’s…and especially Amtrak. I saw him make a remark on Indy TV regarding what he thought about supporting Amtrak when Pres. Bush’s budget request was publicized several months ago and it was completely negative…
…The Gov has been working on slaming through several tax ideas to build a nearly one BILLION dollar sport statium in downtown Indy to replace the one we already have on site…to keep the Colts here in Indy. At the same time cuts in School, and other “people” programs have taken a hit…A big subject on going here in Indiana.
I tell you what, Wisconsin would build something like this just to spite Illinois or Minnesota!!! [}:)]
Sounds like Ford and GM could have some excess capacity available in the Detroit area…
But I’m probably just stirring up more trouble!!! Have a nice day,
-Mark
www.fuzzyworld3.com
…I don’t doubt any number of states would like to get the business but facilities such as this are not very plentyful…It takes special equipped structures to do this kind of work…including heavyduty traveling cranes, and endless pieces of equipment all too numerous for me to know about…and of course RR accessible equipped.
I didn’t catch the news yesterday, but I am dismayed by what I read. When I get called to work out at Hawthorne Yard, which is just another two miles north of Beech Grove; I drive right by the shops and I can see some wrecked locomotives and passenger cars from Emerson Ave.
I am a new resident to Indy, but I can’t believe they’re aleady building a new stadium for the Colts. I ride on trains right by the stadium almost every day and it doesn’t look that old. And yes, let’s pass extra tax increases on food, and fun for the public to support the new stadium instead of trying to help the overstressed education system. There are quite a few schools in the city that are very close to being closed, where will these kids go? Apparently watching a football game in a cushy seat is more important than the education of our future generations. Oh well, I guess it’s just politics as usual. [V]
As I understand it, the issue is over the fact that Amtrak is exempted by federal law from paying property taxes. Beech Grove wants some state money to offset the tax revenue loss or they would just as soon have Amtrak go away so the property could go back on the tax rolls.
I see some tiny little problems.
Unless the State of Michigan is offering a trainload of cash and free use of a modern, fully equipped car building facility that would be economically more efficient than Beech Grove, I can not imagine Gunn and the Amtrak board giving any thought to moving. However, one must never underestimate just how much state politician are willing to give to get 600 jobs. The Governor’s first born comes to mind.
Now if the deal would require Amtrak to spend 50 bucks to make the move, can you imagine the Congressional hearings?
Congressman Micah (R, Fla.): Why are you wasting $50 dollars on this move, when you could be using the money for the Auto Train (aka, MY TRAIN)?
Mr Laney: Cleaner rest rooms?
I wonder if the Mayor of Beech Grove has any handle on the cost of environmental clean up?
Jay
Why did Amtrak choose Beech Grove in the first place? How many Amtrak trains go through Indy each day? The cost and the time spent transporting equipment back and forth from Chicago (or other locations) seems like such a waste. There are facilities in the Chicago area that can handle the same work as Beech Grove. Cost? I’m not sure. Of course the one big advantage of Beech Grove has always been that damaged equipment can just sit & rot without too many people noticing while Amtrak scraps together their (taxpayer) pennies to fix the equipment.
CC
Yes, it is True I saw it on Trainorders.com that maybe Amtrak is moving to Michigan with Surplus of GM people out of work. The State of Michigan wants Amtrak to come to the State.[8D]
$3.5 mill???
I think Paul Reistrup was Amtrak President in 1975. That man knew a deal when he saw one.
Today, it would take that kind of money to build a medium quality rest room.
…Where’s the concern of the Beach Grove folks for the 600 jobs…???
And Beech Grove is not closed at this writing.
Modelcar
You got me on that question!
Maybe all the Beech Grove employees are aliens from an alternate universe and don’t use any of their earnings for any taxes or expenditures here.
Jay
Sorry, you just don’t pick-up and moved skilled labor, equipment and facilities at the drop of a hat. The Detroit labor pool can slap automobiles and trucks together at the drop of a hat, but that does not equate to railroad equipment. The Beech Grove labor pool, such that it is, would have to at least partially move with the shops. $$$$$$$$
…With the attitude of our Gov concerning railroads…especially Amtrak I doubt if details like that concern him too much…The big concern now is that Colts stadium…Must have that commitment…They have been kicking around the financing of that for months now and he is not going to stop until it is being built.
It is interesting to read about this subject. I am from Michigan and have heard nothing on this subject. I also find it very interesting that it would move to Michigan. There has been talk in the past few years to elimanate two out of the three Amtrak lines in the state of Michigan. This may be a move by Gov. Granholm just to create jobs in the state.
Based on this, I think moving Beechgrove to Michigan is a very bad idea. I think there are better locations for the work that Beechgrove does. Michigan really isn’t a central location to provide this type of work and service.