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But I'm afraid that history has shown this to be the case, even if so much of the Northern tier lacks competitive rail service. This is one of those myths that (evidently) tend to be repeated over and over with the hope that doing so will make it true. It isn’t. “So much” is relative. But most of t...

Mr. Norman: Indeed, the port of Lazaro Cardenas is a "pearl" - for Mexico. The point simply is that CP is being disingenuous to suggest that the KCSM-KCS-CP route from that port to Chicago could be competitive with UP and BNSF on their West-Coast-to-Chicago routes. Not only that, CP seems ...

KCS and CP have inaugurated scheduled service LC to Chicago/Bensenville with handling time of about one week, or roundly the same as West Coast-Chi. I guess it depends on your definition of "roundly." If three days "roundly" equates to "about one week" then you're corr...

When NP lines were leased o MRL Hunter Harrison was the VP Operations. He made many cuts across the system. I believe he was behind getting out of the NP. Back in 1987 BN was just getting back on its feet following the early 1980s recession. I believe that they were still in cut mode. Just as an ex...

Initially (1987), the MRL dispatchers were unionless, but they did join the ATDA. Given that BNSF is short of train dispatchers, I would place the chance that the Missoula dispatchers would NOT move to Fort Worth at near zero.
--Mark Meyer

The track is no longer in service and switch has been removed. Instead, the wye has been rebuilt at Glacier Park (East Glacier).

I have Ploss's book. Very insightful about the politics and personal relationships that make most organizations tick. But it is obvious reading it that he was not an operations guy. Much has been written about shady accounting and management shortcomings and conspiracies on the Milwaukee Road and ho...

First, just to clarify the Montana Rail Link statement: No “interchange” at Miles City. Montana Rail Link operates from Jones Jct., MT (about 30 miles east of Laurel) to Spokane. From Sandpoint to Spokane, trains operate over BNSF. Most of the trains operated are BNSF trains, and MRL crews handle th...

Re: speculation about South Pass and the Milwaukee Road: Not likely. The C&NW made it as far as Lander, WY (east base of South Pass) and didn't go any further, but further speculation was building to California or through Idaho to a port in Oregon. Didn't happen for them, so not likely for a Mil...

Gilbert: Starting in 1910, GN received trackage rights on the NP from Seattle to Vancouver, on SP&S from Vancouver to Portland, and on the Northern Pacific Portland Terminal at Portland, which handled switching and making up GN trains as well as interchange to other railroads like SP. (1910 is t...

The BN also was required to afford trackage on the NP Longview-Portland enabling MILW to make rates with both SP and UP at Portland. But again "too little too late". That and that not all traffic is worthwhile. The traffic needs to cover all the costs, not only the current cost of moving ...

If this passenger train over the NP is to have a "prayer" of making it, I think it either cuts off at Missoula or moves on to Spokane. If the latter, what luck would it have being funded by Idaho, or even Washington being that it's well away from the system they presently fund? Hi Gilbert...

Where does MRL join in (interchange) with the Great Northern (BNSF Main Line) in western Montana/Idaho/Washington? The BNSF run-through trains to/from the MRL change crews at Hauser Yard, Idaho, but MRL has trackage rights all the way to Spokane. MRL doesn't regularly run any of its own trains west...

Yes regional was my point (Billings to Spokane) and without purchasing equipment. Rolling stock can be leased from Amtrak. No shortage of Superliners to work with. Platforms right now are bidding out in Maine at around $2M. I do not agree with the proposition that equipment ownership is the same co...

Yes regional was my point (Billings to Spokane) and without purchasing equipment. Rolling stock can be leased from Amtrak. No shortage of Superliners to work with. Platforms right now are bidding out in Maine at around $2M. No shortage of Superliners? True. Usable Superliners? Not true. And leasing...