Western Railroad Discussion > RIP MRL

Good Riddance! BNSF is finally able to undo one of the BNs greatest blunders.

What a good way to start 2022!

https://railfan.com/bnsf-railway-to-acquire-montana-rail-link/

Posted from iPhone

Right…because we can’t possibly have any variety in the world.

Wonder what kind of timeframe for this to become "official"

6-12 months?

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

BobE

Ugh, there goes one of my favorite railroads.  I've been scanning a bunch of old MRL slides lately and thinking I should spend some time up there next summer.  Looks like I might want to speed that up.  Wonder how long we've got until things really start to change?

 

Good riddance??? What a good start??? The last thing modern railroading needs is less competition! Between the loss of MRL and the probable loss of KCS, railroading/railfanning in 2023 is starting to look pretty bland. Maybe more shortlines can come in and actually serve some smaller customers.
~wko


splitreduction Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good Riddance! BNSF is finally able to undo one of
> the BNs greatest blunders.
>
> What a good way to start 2022!
>
> https://railfan.com/bnsf-railway-to-acquire-montan
> a-rail-link/
>
> Posted from iPhone

What competition did MRL bring to the table?

wko Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good riddance??? What a good start??? The last
> thing modern railroading needs is less
> competition! Between the loss of MRL and the
> probable loss of KCS, railroading/railfanning in
> 2023 is starting to look pretty bland. Maybe more
> shortlines can come in and actually serve some
> smaller customers.
> ~wko
>
>
> splitreduction Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Good Riddance! BNSF is finally able to undo one
> of
> > the BNs greatest blunders.
> >
> > What a good way to start 2022!
> >
> >
> https://railfan.com/bnsf-railway-to-acquire-montan
>
> > a-rail-link/
> >
> > Posted from iPhone

i wonder what the mrl's "on-line" shippers will say about this?

66

won't loose much competition since the BNsF controlled the majority of movement on or off the MRL

wko Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good riddance??? What a good start??? The last
> thing modern railroading needs is less
> competition! Between the loss of MRL and the
> probable loss of KCS, railroading/railfanning in
> 2023 is starting to look pretty bland. Maybe more
> shortlines can come in and actually serve some
> smaller customers.
> ~wko
>
>
> splitreduction Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Good Riddance! BNSF is finally able to undo one
> of
> > the BNs greatest blunders.
> >
> > What a good way to start 2022!
> >
> >
> https://railfan.com/bnsf-railway-to-acquire-montan
>
> > a-rail-link/
> >
> > Posted from iPhone

Curious how this could effect Hauser. Prior to the MRL Spokane had at least half the pool to Missoula. 

Farewell MRL. I feel bad for their train and engine employees when they find out about our shiny, new "Hi-Viz" attendance policy. 

---

Not many local customers on the MRL.
Elly
 

makes it easier to bring back the NCH

Doesn't sound bad for the employess. Time will tell. Mr Ollmann got the order of railroads backwards as they served BN before BNSF.
JB

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> makes it easier to bring back the NCH

How?

BNSF must have met Dennis Washington's price to terminate the lease early. The lease wasn't up until 2037.
 Makes me wonder if the forthcoming reciprocal switch legislation drove BNSF to seal up their captive market in the northern plains ahead of that?

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Why "Good Riddance"?   Why is this such a "good start"? 
I've not heard much in the way of complaining from MRL employees neither recently nor over the years. So what's up with the MRL hate?

The only issues I've ever heard of were when the MRL first started and some possibly disgruntled former BN employees did some nasty things during the first days / weeks of the startup.  Those folks real issues were with the BN, so I don't know why they took it out on the MRL, not to mention putting the public and innocent people at risk with their dangerous, illegal and immoral actions.


Chief

Maybe Wahington wanted to cash out before he died and reap the rewards

Easier dealing with one railroad to run for the NCH, perhaps higher track speeds, with BNSF maintenance

So BNSF... Any renewed thoughts about Homestake Pass??? (Baby brother to Colorado's dead Tennessee Pass)


~ Railfan formerly known as MrMRL...

funnelfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BNSF must have met Dennis Washington's price to
> terminate the lease early. The lease wasn't up
> until 2037.

Krebs tried to force the issue in 1996 by running virtually all traffic through Shelby and Great Falls, overlooking the fact that MRL had a guaranteed minimum amount of traffic and was being paid to not run trains.

The bag of money must have been pretty big.

Not as good a deal as Nick Temple got though - selling it back to BN(SF) for more than he put into it...before ever making a single payment as I hear tell.

TAW