Timothy Mellon settles lawsuit

From today's issue of The Day (New London, CT):

http://www.theday.com/article/20140723/ ... /NWSlatest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very odd. Apparently Mr. Mellon was driving his own backhoe from his Lyme, CT estate to Rhode Island for repairs in 2009, hit a guy on a motorcycle in Plainfield, and has now settled the resulting lawsuit for $1.3 million. "Do it yourself" to save money, I guess. Having always hired out backhoe work whenever I've needed it, I'll obviously never become rich myself.

Just think how much he might have saved over the years if he had operated his own locomotives....

Was Mellon physically driving the backhoe, or was he towing it on a flatbed trailer? This article wasn't clear on this, but sure gave the impression of the former. If this is so, Mellon is one dumb SOB. Lyme to Plainfield is about 25 or 30 miles apart. Construction companies that own backhoes never drive backhoes that distance, they tow them.

A tractor mounted Backhoe/loader's top speed is only about 10-12 mph in topgear and full throttle,
a boring 3.5 hour drive at best. You would get pulled over+ a ticket for blocking traffic to boot.
Paying $75-90 to trailer the machine would have been much cheaper.

People who have tons of money will find any way they can to cut costs and avoid any spending more than they can.

And 95% of the time,the result and the "fix" to clean it up is way more $$$....

It is so tempting to go all Gallagher...

And this has what to do with PanAm World Railways?

I think its pretty cool that a guy that rich doesn't mind getting his hands dirty with construction tools. Can't compliment him though for his backhoe safety skills and I'd bet he feels pretty badly about it. Would have been far better to sink that $1.3MM into RR ties on his forlorn branchlines and not to have that poor biker get hurt.

CannaScrews wrote:And this has what to do with PanAm World Railways?

It calls into question his judgment skills.
Would he by any chance be running his railroad with the same "penny wise pound foolish" attitude that he runs his never never land farm?

Around 12 years ago, Mr. Mellon cut trees adjacent to an airport
he owns in CT, but he did not own the land where the trees stood.
Long legal case. Scroll down for the many rulings in the case.
http://articles.courant.com/keyword/timothy-mellon" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

highwayman wrote:

CannaScrews wrote:And this has what to do with PanAm World Railways?

It calls into question his judgment skills.
Would he by any chance be running his railroad with the same "penny wise pound foolish" attitude that he runs his never never land farm?

Having encountered a couple members of this family (though not this particular gentlemen) it does not surprise me in the least that one of them would decide to drive 30+ miles on a tractor. Eccentricity seems to be a family trait.

If you think he's running the railroad, you're sorely mistaken. He just owns it.. for now