Guilford isn't going anywhere

Brief blurb in today's Portland Press Herald about Guilford. I doubt that they'd spend $3 million+ on their ancient locomotives over the next four years if they were planning on selling the railroads.

Portland: Railroad will work toward reducing noise in West End

PORTLAND — Guilford Rail System officials will try to lessen train noise that's keeping West End residents up at night, said City Councilor James Cloutier, chairman of the council's community development committee.

Guilford officials told the committee Wednesday they will consider adjusting freight train schedules to reduce track noise along West Commercial Street. However, Cloutier said, they don't have much leeway because Amtrak's Downeaster passenger trains limit freight service to late-night and early morning hours.

Guilford also plans to install quieter auxiliary engines on its 100 locomotives over the next four years, Cloutier said, which would greatly reduce engine noise when freight trains idle near the West End.

Gee,I didn't know that Guilford had reopened Yard 8 in W. Commercial St,other than for a few cars to store! Must have just done it in last couple of days,maybe "instant consignees" in the "Old Port".

The only switching that would even come close to these NIMBY's,is at Merrill Marine Terminal,NOW Spragues.

These are the same "clowns" that bitched about low flying jets,gays infesting "their area",the smell from Barber Foods(they may move to N.H. or further South,throwing a good 50% of Portlands' "diverse" population out of work.) Maybe these "beautiful people" will open a domicile for the m,in some of the former mansions(that the NIMBY's have "condoized") from over a century ago,that were built by the builders of Portlands' long gone industries/commerce.

Looks like we will have to have some street racing up their some warm summer night,ala the "Fast and Furious",to show em' some real "noise".

Bud

I got an e-mail forwarded to me toay here is part of it:

There is a F.R.N at work. The guy was an engineer on one of the big R/R's, he claims that NS/BNSF have taken control of Guilford with the FRA approval. He claims to have been at the Deerfield engine house when they seized four engine's Guilford was hiding there. He said there were BNSF, NS & P&W cops there. I'm not sure how reliable the FRN is but it's nice to think Guilford may be getting some of its own...

That's the wackiest thing I've heard all week!

Um, dare I say your story is a wee bit questionable. The FRA is a fairly transparent agency regarding public disclosure of its workings. As far as BNSF and NS police in Mass? Wouldn't happen, they would not have police authority here let alone waste the time and expense to send officers here. It was a nice tale though.

So NS has initiated a coup against Guilford? Will Guilford employees now form an insurgency?

Actually, did the FRA ever seize anything - here I'm thinking of Amtrak seizing Guilford's line in Vermont during the late 1980s - the Brattleboro to White River line, where the Montrealer used to run. I believe Amtrak then gave CV the line...

Sir Ray wrote:So NS has initiated a coup against Guilford? Will Guilford employees now form an insurgency?

Actually, did the FRA ever seize anything - here I'm thinking of Amtrak seizing Guilford's line in Vermont during the late 1980s - the Brattleboro to White River line, where the Montrealer used to run. I believe Amtrak then gave CV the line...

Believe that was the Interstate Commerce Commission which forced the sale of the line to CV when B&M wouldn't improve the track enough for Amtrak to get over the line in a timely fashion.

Its a giant Guilford/NS/BNSF/FRA conspiracy guys

Actually if NS or BNSF are taking over or have any monetary intrest at all in Guilford their police would have authority where ever Guilford is located.

Oh yea, getting back to the title of this thread. Just because a company invests in itself does not mean it is not going to sell. If you are selling your house do you not make some home improvements for the sale to be more lucrative?

peterw wrote:Oh yea, getting back to the title of this thread. Just because a company invests in itself does not mean it is not going to sell. If you are selling your house do you not make some home improvements for the sale to be more lucrative?

Point taken... but these are railroads, not houses. Guilford might try to attract a higher price by, say, putting down some fresh ballast, a few new ties here and there, etc. A Class I railroad company like NS or any of the others is not going to be interested in a bunch of ancient GP35s and GP40s and whatnot, regardless of whether they've got APU installed or not. If a Class I took over, one of the first things they'd do would be to sideline all of the old oddball power. They might hang onto the GP40-2Ws, but everything else would go bye-bye.

I could be wrong, but I think this move by Guilford is intended to save them money over the long haul, rather than lure in a buyer.

Speculation is a major part of human nature, and Guilford holds their cards pretty close and tight to their chest. However it is mind boggeling that they survive running a railroad. The way they operate is similar to wiping a horses ass with confetti. Of course we all know that rather than buy toilet paper for the horsie they take the money they saved on confetti and dump it in to PAN AM.

Oh yea, and now it will also go to North Point in Cambridge.

If the territory and business that is served by Guilford interests another
larger railroad, they might show interest. If a larger railroad shows
interest in all or part of Guilford, I do not think it will matter much what
the shape of the track is in or what kind of locomotives are involved.
Yes, Guilford has some good business but the long term future of a fair
share of their business is uncertain at best and in some cases quite risky.
A good share of Guilford's traffic is originating or terminating and in my
opinion, Guilford will remain the same for the forseeable future.
Noel Weaver

peterw wrote:Actually if NS or BNSF are taking over or have any monetary intrest at all in Guilford their police would have authority where ever Guilford is located.

Not to belabor the point but financial interest and or a proposed merger would not alone equate authority for police officers from another railroad within Massachusetts. They must be appointed individually as police officers by the state police, a process not without length and review. NS or BNSF could own all of Guilford and they would still need to petition Massachusetts to grant the members of their law enforcement agencies with authority. As an aside railroad police officers derive their authority from the following statute:


CHAPTER 22C. THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE

Chapter 22C: Section 51. Special state police officer appointments upon petition by railroad corporation

Section 51. The colonel, upon the petition of a railroad corporation, or of a railway company, or of The Boston Terminal Corporation, or of Railway Express Agency, Inc., or of a common carrier of passengers by water for hire having a usual place of receiving or discharging passengers within the commonwealth, may from time to time appoint as special state police officers as many of the persons designated in said petition and being citizens of the United States as it may deem proper, for the purposes and with the powers hereinafter set forth. Any person, appointed as a special state police officer upon the petition of a railroad corporation, may act as a police officer upon the premises and vehicles of any corporation transporting passengers or property by motor vehicle under the joint control and management of said corporation and said railroad corporation, which, for the purposes of this and sections fifty-two and fifty-three, shall be considered as being the premises, cars and vehicles of said railroad corporation.

Partially incorrect. They derive their powers from Title 49 Interstate authority as well as 22 C. I will agree that mere intrest of probable buying would not give them authority. I should have worded it better. What I meant is if on paper they were in fact some part owners or they completed some merger or buyout they would have authority. State authority is different in every state and rairoad police in this state derive powers from 22C. However if a railroad from Utah bought and owned Guilford and had an exsisiting police department trained at a police academy in Utah.They can come to any state that their railroad operates, owns and has intrests in. Including Mass. Title 49 grants Interstate authority : Any officer that is sworn in one state has the authority in every state the railroad owns property, maintains property, or has intrests, and to protect said property,intrests, and employees of the railroad. They don't actual have to petition Mass for powers at all. If they wanted to they could just use their powers under Title 49. If their officers ended up living and constantly working in Mass they would more than likely obtain a warrant under 22C.