Eastern Railroad Discussion > Guilford

Has anyone heard about Guilford buying D&H back or being merged into NS recently? Thanks for any info.

Nothing, nada. Rumor mill has been quiet here in Albany.

What has been reported factually is that Canadian Pacific wants to get rid of the D&H property. Guilford is RUMORED to be one of the potential suitors, but nothing firm has come out.

Thanks to you both. See ya down the line!

We can only hope that a good shortline like the Susy Q or G&W buys the D&H, or that NS decided to buy both the D&H and Guilford (GRS is for sale, the price is steep though) and compete with CSX in the northeast...

--RW

Sources in Maine, both government and industry, indicate that there have been high level discussions between NS and Guilford. In addition, CN and CP have looked at the company. CN made an offer, but it was way too low. CP reportedly is only interested in GRS south of Waterville. Would MM&A acquire everything to the north? Could be.

An inspection train ran south of Waterville on GRS last month. It was rumored to contain NS officials. Regardless, the passengers were all in suits.

If NS were to acquire GRS, I am guessing they would need the D&H to make things work.

Time will tell. Pray hard, think happy thoughts, and hope, hope, hope.

I also believe that if NS buys Guilford, it will also buy the D&H. Why would CP sell D&H and then buy Guilford? It would need trackage rights to reach it, like BNSF has over UP to reach its isolated trackage in Louisiana. What about merger of Guilford, D&H, MM&A, Vermont Rail System, Reading and Northern and NYS&W, instead of merger with NS? This would create a new class one and would probably fall under the same merger rules as the Kansas City Southern. What do you think?

It would be ok if GRS is not the owner. :-)

I just don't see it happening. A similar idea was proposed years ago by the Federal Government. GRS has no real interest in continuing in rail, I don't believe, and no one in their right mind would invest the capital necessary to buy up and organize so many marginal carriers.

As of 9/9/03 on the GRS web site, GRS is looking to hire unspecified # of engineers and conductors in the Schenectady and Massachusetts area (and also Connecticut). They are also looking to hire Train Operations Managers (dispatchers). Seems like a lot of people for GRS to hire just to maintain operations status quo....

Believe me, they are just hiring and doing enough just to get by... Deinnis is 100% correct in that we should all be praying that NS buys both the D&H and especially Guilford and decided to run them like a real railroad and not half ass (like CP) or a bandaid operation (like Guilford). Much much money would need to be spent to bring the B&M into competition with CSX though. A good start would be to set a solid schedule for trains though.


-RW