Nothing to report as the Chessie’s trackwork is 100% reliable and the operators are professionals who know how to get their job done while making employee safety first priority.
BC
Freelance news 10-3-04
Plans for a northeast Ohio line have been announced today by the investment firm of Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe. The as yet to be named Railroad will serve northeast ohio with freight and possible passenger service. Analist have come out to remind all that this is only the planning stage and since little rail is actually laid it could be some time for this to happen. Willie Makit and Betty Dont of the Tranportation Dept are both speculating that this venture will pardon the pun “never get rolling”. A spokeman for the Line who would only give his screen name “Polizi” said and we quote " We have secure funding for this line and the full backing of the WIFE FUND we will be under way in less then 1 year". We will update information as it becomes availible.
Notice! The Deere Valley & Western had an unusual visitor. Union Pacific Big Box #4013 was seen pulling a 4 car passenger consist up the 4% grade at Hays after stopping briefly at the station and water tower. The Big Boy is a rare visitor to these parts, though Challenger #3985 is seen regularly, though usually with a freight consist. Many of the local towns people of both Deere Valley and Hays turned out for this event!
Eastern RR says today that Its Corridor Limiteds and it other Express trains from Melboune and Darby are running at a full load of passengers. More Corridor limiteds will be added.
Great Lakes and Atlantic sacks director of board!
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Little announced that the board of directors has sacked Charles Swinburn from the board. This move comes after attempting to help a hostile take over of the company with CN rail.
Charles Swinburn was formal chairman and CEO of Rail America until the formation of the Great Lakes and Atlantic Railroad.
The company will be taking Swinburn to court and sewing for rights to buy all of his shares back.
From The Silver Creek Mercury:
MAYOR GONZALEZ ACCUSED FOR “SQUANDERING” CITY FUNDS IN WORN AWAY STRUCTURE.
Silver Creek, USA. During a press conference held by John H. Adam, president of Silver Creek’s Chamber of Comerce, publicly accused city mayor Jose Gonzalez of “squandering” city funds in building what seems to be an old, worn away engine shop. “I can’t beleive mayor Gonzalez has spent money from this city’s tight budget to build an old, filthy and what looks like a worn away structure” “I beleive he (the Mayor) has been squandering city funds to build various structures to the railroad, and there is not even a school in our city, just industries and railroad tracks”. Said Mr. Adam referring to the new engine shop erected at the northern end of Silver Creek’s main industrial yard. “It is time for the Mayor to stop thinking so much on “his” trains and more on poeple.”
In an offcial notice, Mayor Jose Gonzalez stated: “Silver Creek’s rail system is the only means of economical sustainability of this town, neglecting the needs of the railroad, is negleting Silver Creek’s people. As for Mr. Adam’s accusations, the new engine shop is not a “worn away structure” it is brand new, built with the highest specifications”.
The controversy arosed since Mayor Gonzalez signed with PFV, a local building contractor, to build the new structures in the northern industrial yard. "PFV has been constructing industrial structures since the 1920’s, and all with the highest standards and using state of the art technology (like the new liquid cement used to bond large pieces of extruded plastic). The design was clear, we had to use special chalks and paints to give it that ‘weathered look’ stated Ms. Jordan Sinclair, chairperson of PFV on a letter sent to the SCM offices yesterday afternoon.
The new engine shop was comissioned by the mayor about a week ago, due to “the lack of a place to mantain and repair engines”. The blue styrene structure stands at the end o
It has been decided that the Sooner State Rocket will be extended to Denver, Colorado. The train will switch power in Clarksvill, just outside of oklahoma city it will then continuse to dallas.
The Board of Directors of the Musquodoboit, Eastern Shore & Sydney was pleased to announce the aquisition of “new” rolling stock. The President and Director of Operations was ecstatic over the new arrivals and was quoted as saying the delivery of these four 70 Ton Ballast Cars Manufactured by the Atlas Company along with the recent arrival of six boxcars mark a new milestone in the companies “Beg, Borrow, Haul & Steel” policy and would allow the M.E.S.S. more flexibility and recognition as these new cars will be re-marked with the MESS’s logo. When asked as to why the new arrivals were already emblazened with Missouri Pacific markings the President just shrugged and made no comment.
The CFO could not be reached for comment but it is rumoured that she is not aware of the new aquistions as of yet. Speculation has it, that it could be a chilly fourth quarter.
Great Lakes & Atlantic merge with Mine Rail Pty Ltd
G&A have signed the final documents to the takeover of Queensland Australia’s second largest RR. This comes about with a discussion between the two CEOs of each company on the Trains Magazine Forums this week. The new subsiadry is to be called Pacific North Queensland Transportation. The new RR is part of Pacific North, the main subsiadry of G&A Transportation and the CEO of this new company quoted that this might help bring new products to Australia and help the nation with export produce. Mitchell Legg, the CEO of Pacific North said “It all started when we recieved the bad news from the CEO of GDRM&MCo. ‘GDRM&MCo Rail to be sold’ this was terrible but thanks to the support of G&A Transportation Mine Rail has become a great RR and we are pleased to have been bought by such a wonderful RR.” An innaugral train was run from Cairns to Townsville pulled by two of the newest locomotives, Comeng, Rocklea CL629s, and the trip ran flawlessly. During the trip the CEO of G&A announced this new RR be kept up to date and as friendly as it was when he rode the train.
As CEO of PNQ I will provide free use of our logo until Monday
Great Lakes and Atlantic appoints Mick Legg to Board
Chairman and CEO of Great Lakes and Atlantic has announced that it will be appointing the CEO of the Pacific North Queensland to the G&A board of directors and continuing his services as CEO of the new subsidiary.
Hooray for me!!!
This is by far the best one, LOL. I love this st
New Locomotives for PNQ
The PNQ has started a competition between the major
locomotive builders for a 66 million contract to construct
the PNQs fleet of general purpose locomotives. These
locomotives must be able to reach 130kmp/h, reach a
peak hp of 6000hp, generate enough power for high
speed slugs, have dual cabs so that the locomotives
do not require wyes or turntables and must have a light
axle loading. The competition finishes in 1 day as it has
been running for 1 week 6 days.
Competition Closed
The competition between the three major builders has finished and the new locomotives are new Clyde-EMD-GDRMB JT42ACeMC’s. The order will be for 100 new locomotives and they will take the rolls of the aging fleet of second hand locomotives and rebuilds.
The museum’s new Erie F7A has made its first run on commuter service - passengers commented on how good the loco looks now it has been cleaned up. It will be alternating with our Milwaukee Road FP7 during the coming months, and it is expected that both will be used when demand increases for our train services from late November onwards. We also have plans to obtain another set of ex-Metra bilevel cars if we can raise the funding, these will allow us to field three push-pull formations on busier days, as well as reducing the workload on our existing two trains.
Part of PNQ (56%) has been sold to Norfolk Southern. This came about because PNQ had not recieved its Foreign Operator Fund and fell momentarilly into close bankruptcy. NS has paid their FOF to PNQ so PNQ have changed their paint scheme from the original to NS’s Horsehead Scheme applied to the new SD70Ms. Also NS have paid for certain sections of PNQ’s high intensity lines to be regauged to standard gauge. New SD70Ms have been sent over to PNQ in the Horsehead scheme. Old rolling stock and Heavy Ore Haulers have been reactivated to handle new traffic.
Great Lakes and Atlantic Railroad investigate financial catastrophe
Great Lakes and Atlantic Railroad has reported that the Chief Financial Officer and most of the department have been sacked. This was done after the G & A funding toward the PNQ never arrived after it was sent by Chairman and Owner Andrew Hugh Little. An investigation revealed that the money was embezzled and was used to attempt a hostile take-over by the former Chief Financial Officer.
“Criminal and civil action is being persued” said Little. “This mess has cost us partnership with the PNQ and will effect our bottomline. Investors will not be happy with this either” concluded Little.
As a result, stock of the G&A went down by 0.39 a share. “This has never happened to us before and will make darn sure it doesn’t again” was the final thing Little said before he left for the F.B.I headquarters in Washington DC for a meeting.
Bessemer and Erie Settles Grievence and New Locomotives have been delivered
Installation of the Tortoise switch controls near completion as union greviences have been settled. Workers are happy with a promise of track expansion in the coming months. Re-assignment to electronic control panel operators have kept employment levels at an agreeable level.
Movements on track three of the engine repair yard were halted for days after under ground drilling got out of control. As drilling commenced, an auger bit into the underlay a bit to harsh and blew the switch several feet out of the ballast. All future control switches will be installed before track layment.
The delivery of two freshly painted SD40T-2 engines to the main line have been completed and revenue movements are up.
The Denver & Minnesota Western Railway Bulletin, Vol. 1
The Board was pleased to announce purchase of a brand new E8A locomotive, painted in proper colors for the Milwaukee Road, DMW Ry. parent railroad. With the acquisition, commuter service can now be extended past Monticello to Otsego.
E8 35A was found in a cave late in 2004 and was restored, and according to crews rides better and is “way cooler” than the regular FP45, in service since the late 1970’s and “has seen better days” according to one engineer, who refused to give his name.
More news to follow, as it is made.