Western Railroad Discussion > IAIS takeover rumor

Is there any validity to the rumors that CN is gonna purchase the IAIS soon? The rumor states that CN doesn't want to invest any money in replacing the ex. IC Mississippi River bridge in Dubuque, IA.

I hope to God it's a false one.....

Not that I've heard, but nobody tells me anything. Here's to hoping it's not true. Now if CN wanted to sell two severed halves of the former CC to IAIS and abandon the bridge, I'd be all for that.

And to think this got restarted because a set of rebuilt CCP coal hoppers with CN logos ran on the IAIS' normal coal train from southern Illinois (CN served) to Cedar Rapids. That's one heck of an investment just to get around a bridge replacement. Just doesn't make sense to me.

Erik

Wouldn't a simple trackage rights agreement be easier and less expensive for all involved?

The guy that started it wouldn't light a 10 watt bulb

Castle_Romeo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there any validity to the rumors that CN is
> gonna purchase the IAIS soon? The rumor states
> that CN doesn't want to invest any money in
> replacing the ex. IC Mississippi River bridge in
> Dubuque, IA.
>

BNSF Trackage Rights would complicate any abandonment of the bridge, then CN would also have to remove the bridge, because it is over navigable waters, they have to remove all of it over those waters.

I was hoping that the rumor is a false one. I was just warming up to the IAIS after the loss of my boyhood favorite, the EJ&E so this would be a double-indemnity.

IIRC, Wasn't the bridge gonna be replaced with a bascule-design with the help of CN-BNSF-Federal funding?

IAIS being privately held precludes any possibility of a hostile takeover, happily!

The Iowa Division is profitable. Why wouldn't CN invest money in it? At any rate, this all started with a joke on the IAIS YahooGroup. Things went way downhill from there...

-Justin

SOO6617 Wrote:
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> BNSF Trackage Rights would complicate any
> abandonment of the bridge, then CN would also have
> to remove the bridge, because it is over navigable
> waters, they have to remove all of it over those
> waters.

Just list the bridgr as a candidate for a rail-to-trails program like that Missouri River bridge UP has in Missouri...then the bridge can remain!!

bnsfjth Wrote:
> At any rate, this all started with a joke on the IAIS YahooGroup. Things went way downhill
> from there...

Exactly. This was just a case of a rail having fun on the IAIS group at the railfans' expense. Some of 'em just like to yank our chains to see how quickly we'll run with stuff like this.

IIRC, this all came about because someone saw a train of CN coal hoppers with IAIS power in Cedar Rapids (IIRC). That's a regular occurence, but the cars just happened to be freshly reconditioned CN (ex-CC) cars this time instead of the ratty mix of cars they'd used in the past.

Joe

Nothing bad about CN,but they have bought enough U.S railroads. I also hope it's a false rumor.

CN lost my respect when they sucked up the IC and WC.

Well this was a rumor that was going around alot last fall. 1st of there isn't any connection between the 2 railroads except via 2 other railroads in Cedar Rapids. One of the railroads doesn't allow 6 axles units. Now I have seen the CN do some dumb things so wouldn't say never, but I didnt think this is a very smart idea. I have heard about rebuilding the bridge to make it not a drawbridge. Lots of rumors, not alot of fact behind anything.

Craig Williams
Waterloo, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/10 23:29 by missinglink34.

The Bridge needs work, All the CN bridges do. The ICG and now the CN want the CoE and the barge lines to pay as they want a total realignment for shipping, Not where it is now. What the barge lines wanted 30 years ago is to move the swingspan to the west to line up with the highway 20 bridge. The IC and now CN want to get rid of the tunnel too but it will come to the point it falls in to the water before the CN puts much in to it.

Other than the one over 680 which not too long ago sported a
brand new and very attractive green paint job. So, now it's
held up by not only rust but also green paint.