A candy magnate from Montana buying into Tongue River RR should have been described as “sweetening the deal,” not shaking it up.
I don’t think I’m following here…
Anyone???
I think he may have seen a headline saying, “Candy magnate shakes up…” rather than the cuter “Candy magnate sweetens deal in takeover of…”
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh…
[(-D] (Snickers)
Check today’s Newswire.
Link to the NewsWire article:
Interesting game of ‘land baron chess’ going on here - kind of like the clock was turned back 100 years, to the "days of old’ . . . [:-^]
(Carl, that was just awful - [swg] - but at least I got it without needing the explanation as with the other one.)
- Paul North.
I had to go back and look at Carl’s comment again. I like them, too, but I have to go easy on peanuts since my digestive system does not handle them as well as it used to.
If Carl really put his mind to it, he could perplex many of us. At least he does not say some such thing in almost all of his posts. One of my classmates loved plays on words, such as, “It would strain you if you were pushed through a screen door.” I stopped him one weekend when we were on a retreat–the fireplace in our cabin was smoking, and I commented that the chimney needed art lessons; I had to explain it to him.
Gee, and I was trying really hard to come up with another one for back-up. Something having to do with Warren Buffett, Matt Rose, and Forrest Mars becoming the three musketeers…
Johnny, I’m afraid you’ll have to explain that one to me, too! Whack me over the head with the poker, if necessary.
The fireplace is not drawing ery well, jence the smoke.
Kind of nice to see at least part of the Tongue River RR get built as it has been talked about since the mid-70’s. Should be a nice shot in the arm for the economy of Miles City.
- Erik
Carl,
The chimney needs to learn how to draw. [:-^]
It’s in a similar vein with the artist who was so bad, the only thing he could draw was flies. Bada-boomph!
Thanks, Erik. I guess that counts as a jab with the poker for me. Not too used to fireplaces, I’m afraid. That Johnny’s a sly one, he is!
Edit, this afternoon: Yeah, I shouldn’t have tried to think about it so early in the morning–it just flue over my head. At that point I’m just not chimney-swift.
I’m gonna run in here and say,
KUDOS to Y’al![:'(]
And now, I’ll Skittle out a here!
[swg][swg][swg]
Carl,
I don’t think anyone here wants to hit you with a branding iron.
Gosh, that would be painful.
Actually I do have a question about this purchase - the news wire article said that by the candy guy purchasing into the project it kills a BNSF connection at both ends - why is that?
I read it as him owning some property that the railroad would go through towards one end or the other. His financial stake in it would give him some say in not running it through his property. Therefore, the line can only go in one direction- the one that doesn’t go through his property.
The tarnished golden rule: Those that have the gold make their own rules.[:-,]
From TRAINSNewswire of this date:
FTA:"…The 30-year-old Tongue River proposal would serve two purposes: It would serve yet-to-be-developed mines near Ashland, Mont., and it would serve as a shortcut for BNSF coal trains moving between Wyoming mines and utilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Under the scenario Mars has outlined, the route couldn’t serve as a shortcut, as it would connect only at one end. However, it nullifies a project opponent with deep pockets, helping to ensure the northern portion’s success.
Mars says the portion of the project that will now be canceled stretches roughly 50 miles from Decker to near Birney, Mont. The rest of the route, roughly 80 miles to the BNSF Forsyth Subdivision at Miles City, Mont., would be constructed as planned. Mars’ Diamond Cross Ranch sits on the portion to be canceled…"
Well, I’d bet this is more or less the opening volley in thhis battle. To paraphrase wghat Murphy Siding said, “The guy with the most gold…” Wonder how much Warren Buffet has more of than Mars? I won’t be candybars, either.[X-)]
It’ll be interesting to see what happens here. However, Mars’ one-third purchase came as part of an agreement with BNSF and Arch Coal. That leads me to think BNSF is OK with it, even knowing it kills off the possibility of the line becoming a through route.
Think about it. Even though I’m certain Warren Buffett has deeper pockets than Forrest Mars and would probably win in the end, how long does this thing drag on for? Lawyers and lobbyists have all kinds of tricks to delay stuff like this; all you need is the money to keep them at their computer screens and fax machines. Mars definitely has enough money to do that. Arch wants to get at the coal in the Otter Creek tracts. BNSF wants to serve the new mines. The sooner the mines open, the sooner revenue begins coming in. So even if we concede BNSF would win in the end, at what price does that come? Three years of paying lawyers’ fees and collecting no revenue? Five? Seven? Your guess is as good as mine.
Just to clarify, the shortcut in question is between PRB mines and Upper Midwest destinations. If you pull out your rail map of Wyoming/Montana/North Dakota, BNSF’s coal line empties out onto the old Q network at Donkey Creek, Wyo. A coal load bound for, say, the Twin Cities will turn west at Donkey Creek, proceed through Sheridan and north up to Jones Junction near Huntley, Mont., almost to Billings. Then it’ll turn east on former NP rails and travel to the Twin Cities via Mandan and Fargo, N.D. If you don’t have a map handy, BNSF’s Montana Division map shows you most of what you need to see:
http://www.bnsf.com/customers/where-can-i-ship/additional-maps/
For the shortcut, follow the branch from West Dutch, Wyo., to Spring Creek Mine, Mont. Note just south of Spring Creek there’s a place called Decker, also the site of a major coal mine. Now picture a line stretching roughly northeast from there until it hits the Forsyth-Glendive, Mont., main line at Mi
If we are going head(line) hunting by taking **tongue(**river) in cheek we will not snicker at n(o)uggats of coal along the (milky) right of way nor the m(oney) and m(ile)s of railroad built by Mr. Mars pedigree. Can anyone Hack(ettstown) the words to figure out what I’m trying to say or will all just melt in my mouth as I speak them and not in my hands as I type them. I also have to feed the dog…all thanks to Mr. Mars!
Some of the products produced by Mr. Mars companies…I prefer M&M’s and Milky Way’s myself…not so much for the Pedigree…