Is the Susie Q being bought up by NS and CSX? Maybe i read that somewhere but please telll me it isnt true.
Pardon my ignorance…but what is the “Susie Q”?
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad. I think I spelled that right…
Susquehanna was among 10 short lines which joined NS late last month in a program to capture short haul traffic away from trucks along the Southern Tier route in New York. If NS is about to swallow NYS&W whole, I haven’t heard about it, but it wouldn’t be too surprising. When Conrail ended, a lot of us who had followed the Susquehanna expected owner Walter Rich would be trying to sell the southern division (Warwick, NY, to Little Ferry, NJ) to either NS or CSX. But instead, NS and CSX left NYS&W out in the cold, cutting off the stack and TOFC business they had been feeding NYS&W for years.
A number of “railfan friendly” aspects of the Suzie Q died along with Mr Rich. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the remaining owners take the money and run.
While I doubt you’ll see them go here in the next few months, the writing could be on the wall for them in the next year or two. The SU-99/100 trains are being reduced from 3 runs per week to 2. If the economy doesn’t pick up, that could eventually be reduced to 1 or no trains per week. Their own motive power is failing, and I’m “guessing” they don’t have the money to buy more if they aren’t fixing what they already own. Their renting units from NS and CSX, who actually do own NYSW already - split 50/50. Business is slim south of Bingo, but I hear an ethanol plant is going to be located along the line in the next year or so. It’s not that unconcievable to pass their north/south traffic off to parents CSX and NS and focus solely on local switching affairs. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing them run stack trains again, but it’s not meant to be…
Susie’s demise has been predicted for decades…yet she always seems to keep chugging along.
Although I admit recent events are a bit more “dire” than usual…still I image she will be with us for awhile yet…shortlines, and larger “regionals” like NYSW exist because the Class-1’s dont want to be bothered with such “small time” operations…from that perspective, I dont see CSX or NS “taking over” the Susquehanna anytime soon…if they really wanted to, they would have already done it…although, anything can happen!
But I hope she doesnt become a “fallen flag”…she is one of my all-time favorites, from way back in my formative teenage railfan days when yellowjacket SD45’s rolled the stack trains along the Southern Tier Main…
I still havent quite recovered from the death of the D&H…I dont know if I could handle Susie’s funeral too… [;)][
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For a history of NYSW motive power, and where things stand today, check out my Susquehanna “All Time Roster” page:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/Scottychaos/susquehanna/
thanks,
Scot
Yeah I thought I read it when I was peruing some books at Caboose hobbies but I cant remember where.I looked up some sites today but could find nothing.Hopefully they remain around and I agree once the former owner died It was like watching greedy kids carve up the estate.
Sorry for just using Susie Q lol but I am not about to spell that S word
Susie-Q is a great railroad. l hope it survives. lt has been around a long time.