A local meeting was held discuss transportation needs in our area.The study found that improving the Maw(maumee and western) at 40-60 million dollars(est) would help.A represenitive from the Maw showed up at the meeting as it was wrapping up.Done right this line could be a good shortline but things remain deadlocked.More information is at defiance crescent news.com
stay safe
joe
40-60 million? That used to sound like a lot of $$$$. Come to think of it, it still does! Wow!
What business potential is there, Joe? Isn’t the Maumee and Western owned by the same outfit that owns both the Wabash Central and the Connersville and New Castle, currently making a good share of their income by storing autoracks at New Castle, IN? They’re struggling along.
OTOH, you would think that the company representative would have shown up for the meeting in a timely fashion, seems to me like it would have been to the company’s benefit and best interests.
Joe:
(1) Your county fathers’ grant writing and finance skills are, at best, wanting.
(2) The railroad is dirt poor and still smarting from its Indiana Hi-Rail history. It’s all held together by bubblegum and band-aids while it’s financial owner/ manager looks for a windfall to get away from the break-even proposition that it has been for years.
(3) A little better understanding of why the middle of the railroad remains out of service (as ordered by PUCO & FRA in 2003(?)) might be in order.
(3) MAW makes its money by leasing railroad property, not by carloads handled on this old Wabash and Cincinnati Northern (vicinity of Cecil) property. Might want to look at Trans-Mark Associates/ RMW Ventures that owns it and two of the other IHRC castoffs. IHRC was the darling of the shortline industry at one point in time and then the truth, chapter 11 and two ugly court cases happened. Unfortunately most of that happened before it could be posted on the wb.
MC
as always thanks for your imput.The maw is currently storing cars west of FC diamond to a certain point.They are tank cars and bulkhead flat cars.The diamond is maintained by CSX.However the Maw is very lax on maintaining the diamond with railamerica(I&O) near liberty center ohio.Like I have stated before if done RIGHT this can work.There are companies that rely on things brought on this line.(campbells, lafarge)We will keep you posted.
stay safe
joe