Truth to the rumor that NS is interested in acquiring GRS?

All I can say is that Harvard bought the land with the intention of building on it and they will build on it. They have $21 billion in cash laying around -- they paid five of their fund managers $120 million in bonuses last year (five guys, $120 million) -- so they have no trouble spending money. I wonder if $120 million would be enough to build a new railroad yard. I don't know, just asking.
And what I meant about the city being behind it is simply this -- if Harvard wants it, Harvard will get it. I didn't mean to imply that the city of Boston would lobby for the project. You will find the same thing holds true with the state too, regardless of the part that is in charge. But, like I also said, or should have said, it is not going to happen over night so there is still plenty of time to take pictures.
Your points about Guilford, well, I don't know too much about Guilford. Who would you rather have take over if CSX left town? Guilford? P&W? Some other entity? Maybe NSC?

Hey I'm not questioning what you say; I'm only telling it like it is. Harvard can do anything they want but they won't get what they want until the RR gets what they want. Unfortunately for Harvard they will not be able to move a RR unless the RR wants to move. The good side for Harvard is that CSX agreed to move out *IF* Harvard relocates the rail yard and also pays for the bill on the construction of the new yard. For the figures you pointed out, it doesn't look like Harvard will have a problem doing that. However things seem to be changing, if CSX pulls out of Boston for good it will then turn over to the RR that takes over the service. It will be up to that RR weather or not they want to relocate.

What I was saying about Guilford earlier… I don’t want to even get into that. Lets just say I cant stand Guilford and it’s a cheap company.

I have some thoughts on all of this. I would like to first say, I think that it stinks that you buffs want Guilford sold out to some scab outfit like Rail America or G&W. It is especially bad because you just want to see engines painted in old MEC colours. What about the present Guilford employees?
I think that the line even into ME has potontial. I think that the railroads would still like to go to Hallifax. Look at how BN wanted CN so that they could bridge containers there. This will become more important as other eastern ports become more saturated. I work with a brakeman who was a merchant marine officer. He said that Hallifax saves a lot of sailing time over NY, Philly, etc. Who really know what thoughts go through the heads of Mellon and Fink. Maybe they are waiting for some one to offer the magic number. I think that NS is still solving problems related to taking on Conrail.
As to CSX and Boston, I think that they should engineer a deal like B&M did with the T. Sell off the property, but keep exclusive freight rights. This would save lots of property tax. The assessments must be sky high. Look at the cash that Guilford got for selling off the old yards in Somerville and Cambridge.

Engineer Spike wrote:I have some thoughts on all of this. I would like to first say, I think that it stinks that you buffs want Guilford sold out to some scab outfit like Rail America or G&W. It is especially bad because you just want to see engines painted in old MEC colours. What about the present Guilford employees?

I tend to agree with this one. Guilford has had its problems but they are
serving an area of which portions are extremely marginal at best.
Probably their best traffic sources are the former Maine Central but they
still need former Boston and Maine to reach connections. They serve some marginal areas in Connecticut and probably New Hampshire as well.
I doubt that any regional or short line would improve service or spend the
necessary funds to substantially upgrade the trackage.
I for one would like to see Guilford stay independent and prosper. Of
course it being privately held, we will never really know just how well they
are doing.
If only they can keep peace with their work forces and the areas that they
serve, I do not see any major problems.
One thing that will help them big time is if they can keep peace with Maine
in the operation of the Amtrak service between Boston and Portland and
I think that will happen.
If they can keep peace, not only will their operation do OK but I think their
bottom line will also be OK.
I wish them and their employees lots of luck.
Noel Weaver

Engineer Spike wrote:I think that it stinks that you buffs want Guilford sold out to some scab outfit like Rail America or G&W. It is especially bad because you just want to see engines painted in old MEC colours.

For one thing, neither RailAmerica nor G&W would bring back the MEC colors, so I'm not sure where you got that from.

Personally I never cared for the MEC "harvest gold" scheme or whatever the hell they called it. It always looked dirty. The pine green with yellow accents was OK, though.

I don't know much about RailAmerica and can't say that I've heard anything particularly good about it. As far as G&W is concerned, I've heard quite a few good things about it. And I'm not talking about things that railfans say -- I'm talking about railroaders who work for G&W. They seem to like the company. I don't know of many (or any) Guilford employees who like their company.

This is a toughie for me. I am too young to remember the B&M or MEC. I grew up around the T. For me, Guilford is a source of interesting rail education. You can find them all over the northern part of the state (MA). You can even go to Maine on vacation and see them. They have a nifty tunnel named Hoosac. Their worn out tracks have a kind of history about them. Things aren't all slick and stale. Their engines spout out diesel fumes and have a big G on them. I kinda' like that.

While seeing a new CSX engine at Ayer or big NS power on a coal train at East Deerfield is a nice change of pace, at least we HAVE a railroad in MA. NECR is nice, but I have never been able to catch them out of the yard. P&W I have only seen once. Guilford is the only railroad my boyfriend and I can spot regularly in action. Granted, it is often SLOW action, but action just the same.

While it would be great to see the thing run better, it is what we have so we better just put up with it. Its funny how many railfans knock Guilford, but next time one does, I am going to ask why they drove from NH, CT, ME to come watch them...

Well, I still think Gov. Weld had a good idea all those years ago to help Guilford develop its facilities around Boston and I am sorry that it didn't happen. As for Guilford's color scheme, well, I kind of like it. The orange stripe, the big G, I think it's okay. I like it better than NEC. I know a lot of people think it's boring but no more so, in my own opinion, than the blue dip that existed at the end of the B&M era.

I, too, do not hate Guilford's locomotive paint scheme. It certainly isn't the prettiest thing out there, but it's what I grew up seeing in my back yard, so it will always have a special place in my heart because of that.

I don't like how Guilford treats many of its employees, and I don't like the attitude of the upper management. But yes, I'm glad that we at least have a railroad at all, rather than an abandoned railroad/ATV trail.

The way most Guilford employees see it, the of what color they paint the locomotives.

What is it about RailAmerica and such that give them the right to circumvent the union when other companies cannot?

Not Trying to throw in a Money Wrench but is their a chance CN would want it? Also I don't like Guilford's Paint Selection and their Mangement.

AmtrakFan

cn has a direct connection with guilford?

i must admit i'm not a guilford nut and i always liked the pre guilford maine central

guilford gets its goods from point A to point B and thats all that matters...what color paint or how new the locomotive is means nothing

i'm not from maine, (i live in new brunswick) but didn't everyone have doubts about guilford from the start?...i give them credit for lasting this long, at least management hasn't bankrupted it yet

just my 2 cents worth even though they're canadian

RailAmerica does not have to honor previous Union Agreements because they are not a railroad company per se, i.e.; there is no railroad called "RailAmerica". When they buy a railroad, they form a completely new company, then go out and hire new employees. This is what happened to Central Vermont, Bangor and Aroostook, and Grand Trunk and CP (in Maine). I am aware of the fact there is a railroad called Genesee & Wyoming, and they are a shortline operator. Maybe it is because the railroads they buy do not connect with each other. Whatever the case, certain laws have changed in the recent past that have allowed this to happen. I know that Guilford tried to do this with the ST, and they were rebuffed by the Courts, so it must have been sometime between the late 80's/early 90's and now.

I, too, enjoy Guilford's paint scheme. Orange and black only looks dirty and crappy when the paint is years old, but then it makes the locomotives look more classic. Don't bash their paint scheme. How much would the one that you want cost?

I agree with Murray. They get their goods where they need to go, and that's that. They do a better job than any of you bashers could.

Just give me the maroon and gold...anytime!