CSX Acquisition of Pan Am Railways

"Now you citizens of Boston don't you think it's a scandal how the people have to pay and pay"

Boston area shippers will not have competitive rail service if PAS deteriorates any further, and both Messrs. Barlow and Newpy immediately note such. The FRA Class 1 trackage noted by both these gentlemen as well as of course a tunnel that can cave in anytime it chooses, simply means there is only one routing - that means you "kitty-kitty" - to this major metropolitan area.

Now, I realize that this "knowledge region" relies on educating and applying brains rather than brawn - and that means not much need for railroad freight transportation. True, the B&A and its Class 4 track isn't going anywhere, but both shippers and regulators (STB) like to have competitive rail transportation. In the hands of a Short Line operator, who can hardly command the capital to rebuild PAS into a competitive route other than one to simply make rates, the Boston area will become a one railroad town.

But then, perhaps nobody cares.

While I have no idea what a g&w operated B&E would in fact do in terms of track maintenance if they in fact end up operating the pas property, but g&w owned necr and SL&A have quality, well maintained roadbeds

And the P&W. All 3 railroads have far better physical plants than PAS for exponentially LESS tonnage. The difference is B&E will not own the track. They'll be doing the maintenance but the capital budget has to be approved by the two Class Is. It will be an odd arrangement so who knows. Let's just say I don't see it being worse. I see a (stable) Class 2 RR with track work done to the yards. They are all 5 MPH and unsafe to work in.

As for the Northern above Concord, I hear VRS is actively trying to gain new business. A salt transload looks to be on the near horizon.

Meanwhile back in D3 land, it's a parking lot. Single track 384 to 333. LOED at Westminster, POED at Gardner, 11R at Tyter, EDPO at Montague, all canned.

Assuming that ST crew shortages are primarily responsible for so many road freights being tied down on PAS D3 west of CPF-333 (aggravated by 49 miles of speed restrictions), I'm guessing it's CSX responsibility to assign scarce ST crews to PAS ops, no? At some point this fall or by year end, G&W/B&E will be responsible but until then who will hire crews to fill PAS crew vacancies (and in the face of a possible national RR strike)? The only Massachusetts-based position I see CSX advertising on its job board is for conductor(s) at Lawrence, which is not PAS territory. From the original NS-PAR operating agreement, NS could run 22K/23K IM trains as trackage rights trains with its own crews but NS isn't publicly recruiting for conductors anywhere east of Binghamton.

Sounds like PAS is in a perfect storm melt down with bad track and few crews currently who are managed by a crew short RR that wishes to be free of its 50% ownership of PAS. I can see why G&W might have growing reluctance to get involved in this morass. Is directed service an option such as when NYS&W operated the bankrupt D&H until CP bought the property?

Yes, you are correct. As the owner of the PAR, CSX is the operator of PAS (via ST) until the B&E takeover. If there ever was a lame duck railroad, PAS would be it right now.

I can't blame GWI for their reluctance. They agreed with run a 25 MPH railroad. Not 10. But there are no other options other than what you see, it's already gone through regulation. We knew labor negotiations were going to take until the new year, so it will happen.

Mr. Newpy, surely Genessee has had "track people" (Roadmasters) on the ground along the (you, et al, say) 114 miles of PAS (I've now learned that PAS is strictly the 114 mile "Route of the Flying Yankee" Ayer-Mechanicsville and any N-S lines showing on their map are trackage rights).

I'm pleased to learn from you and Mr. F7, that Genessee "targets" having FRA Class 2 or higher amongst their "family" of Short Lines, and if they actually do move forth with what they plan to call the Berkshire & Eastern, they will do what they must with the 49 miles you note are Class 1 - if even that!

"Lame Duck Railroad"; couldn't agree more. This appears to be like what I observed of the Housatonic RR around New Milford, Gaylordsville, and South Kent when I was "out" this past May - and for that matter, "my MILW at The End".

Finally, I guess Chessie must realize she must "tread stealthfully" if any Conductors or Engineers she has hired find their way on to the PAS line. Timmy's little "union busting stunt" called Springfield Terminal, could haunt her especially if she tried to pay those crews under that "Agreement???". Of course countering that, considering that in some 30 days, the BLET (does SMART/UTU represent any Conductors on that property?) will be free to resort to "Self Help" nationally, somebody could tell the aggrieved to "just keep working".

if you peruse the csx help wanted section and beam up places like waterville, lawrence, portland, you will find csx looking for conductors who will in fact not be csx conductors but will be springfield terminal folks. However, they must attend the 4 week csx shake and bake academy b4 hand..

Yes, it is going to take time until the ST is folded. Until then, it's just an operating unit within CSX Transportation. One of the big contributors to that is the aforementioned fact that the ST is still the carrier for PAS, so it can't go away. Also, Mellon and his minions were so good at reducing liability (ie legal scamming), I wouldn't be surprised if it takes CSX legal years to untangle it all.

It's a wonder Timmy didn't try to pull his "Springfield Terminal stunt" elsewhere on his System such as on the Maine Central. I'll bet he "thought twice" about other B&M lines over which publicly funded passenger trains operate.

So it appears, Mr. Newpy, that any C&E hires Chessie makes, after sending them to her Rules School, that she assigns to the PAS line will be under the Springfield Terminal Book of Agreement.

But at the moment, all CSX/ST posted job openings are for PAR locations at Lawrence, Portland, and Waterville. There are no CSX/ST job postings (anywhere) for PAS locations such as Ayer or E Deerfield or Mechanicville. I suppose Lawrence based conductors could be used on PAS until B&E has its act together. I wonder how the subset of CSX/ST employees that are “drafted” by B&E will be transitioned at the time B&E is ready to launch? Will they have to leave CSX and go to work at G&W or will they have a hand in the decision?

Those are the items currently being worked on, but they will have the choice within reason. However if there are not enough positions available with B&E their hands may be forced to go to CSXT, and that may not even be on the ex-PAR system if CSX magically fills the ranks out between now and then.

Mr. Norman:

They DID apply the ST to the entire system and that is why there were the strikes of 1986 (first with MOW on the MEC IIRC) and then across all of Transportation in 1987, which is the one Reagan has to actually stop. Prior to this, the separate railroads still operated their respective selves and the workers all had Dovetail rights across Division posts. After the place was "STed", Springfield Terminal became the carrier for the parent RRs under new labor agreements, which obviously favored the RR more than the prior agreements.

You are correct. ST labor rules remain in effect until CSX ratifies a new agreement for her territory (ex-PAR) and GWI ratifies them for PAS. Then, the ST will be all but gone.

Thank you very much, Mr. Newpy.

All I knew was of a bitter strike over on Timmy's Guilford (did he own a property in that CT shoreline town?) and I must confess, not aware of the issues. At that time, I had put my eleven years in the industry "in the rearview mirror" and was more concerned about providing service to my (CPA) clients.

So the question is how was he able to keep pulling that stunt on your property after I guess a Presidential Emergency Board said "bad boy, Timmy"?

Because AFAIK they did nothing illegal. Underhanded, but not illegal. All they did was lease their railroads to their obscure little shortline in Vermont (who was owned by the B&M) that had far more favorable labor rules for the RR.

Quite a brilliant stroke. The Unions struck, the RR hired scabs and put management on the trains, the railroad lost customers and tonnage that never will return. Reagan told everyone to go back to work. The D&H refused to be leased to the ST as the other roads so Guilford cast it into bankruptcy. 35 years later and the rank and file still hate Billerica as if the strikes occurred yesterday. It was a pretty toxic working environment there. There is always animosity between rank and file and management, but this was on another plane. Hopefully now that Billerica and descendants of those who enacted these draconian tactics are gone, that past can be put aside.

That's the Cliff Notes version, we've veered way off track.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:11 pm Thank you very much, Mr. Newpy.

All I knew was of a bitter strike over on Timmy's Guilford (did he own a property in that CT shoreline town?)

I believe that's where he grew up. Perhaps his own personal "Rosebud".