First of all, thank you all for this excellent thread & community - I've been lurking in this thread daily since the sale announcement earlier this summer. I've thoroughly enjoyed the discussion & commentary and have learned a lot, especially from those of you connected to the industry, both past and present.
If in-fact CSX, CP, CN, and a non-Class I entity (i.e. G&W/Brookfield) were aboard - and if in-fact one of them is the buyer, and the other 3 were there to discuss interchange (i.e. CSX, and almost certainly CP) - then I'm clutching my "Maple Leaf Special" ticket along with gokeefe… because CN is the only one of the bunch without an existing direct interchange(s) with Pan Am, correct?
There are 2 caveats to this theory that I can think of:
1. Is it important to consider CN’s existing indirect interchanges with Pan Am (listed as Saint John and Danville Junction on the ST Routing Guide) for this discussion?
2. Could there be some serious, out-of-left-field backroom activity going on with, say, a CN acquisition of NECR/P&W/SLR from G&W - enabling G&W to swing in for Pan Am?
Finally, if the buyer was indeed on-board, I can't help but wonder if we can expect to see an announcement within the next week or two. Granted, I imagine there are lots of intricacies to these sorts of transactions that could potentially delay an announcement... and of course, an STB filing will ultimately be the "proof in the pudding".
I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts - and please forgive & correct any flawed logic. Whatever ends up happening, I hope that existing Pan Am employees fare well. I'm as excited as the next buff to potentially see a Class I coming through town, but I've met a lot of great Engineers, Conductors, Dispatchers, MOW Workers, etc. in my 20+ years railfanning Guilford / Pan Am, and I hope they're all treated with great respect by the new owner.