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Things likely to go away when MRL does.
Author: Ross Hall
Date: 01-12-2022 - 10:03
Here is a list of things likely to go away with MRL so get your photos now.
1) Livingston Diesel shop. Shop was in the process of being readied to be demolished when
MRL took over. Shop is poorly located (not a division point)and BNSF has been closing shops
system wide as it is. Shop is rates as one of the best in the nation for EMD work as they can fix or rebuild anything from a GP-9 to an SD-70ACe and have it run when they are done.
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2) Speaking of motive power. Only the SD-70ACe's are likely to survive. As there is a glut of used power on the market due to PSR and scrap prices are high anything else will likely go pretty fast.
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3) MRL's employee profit sharing checks to employees.
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4) MRL dispatching and office center in Missoula. Since MRL is slated to be part of another division, most of what is in Missoula will be redundant.
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5) Gas Local -- BNSF will try to run the train, but it is short and on a fairly strict schedule so it is not compatible with current class one operation standards. BNSF will likely try to force the customer to use longer trains, and if that fails they will attempt to add it to another passing train. Such dedicated trains work on short lines and regionals that consider small operations important, but on a big road, this operation is small potatoes and will be "in the way".
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6) Wood chip traffic that currently loads on MRL will fade away. No longer considered important traffic to getting lumber loads and equipment is getting old.
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7) MRL's interesting equipment like it's 250-ton ex-NP wrecker based in Missoula. Used mostly for bridge work. I believe it will be the only one on the BNSF system. MRL people are proud of the machine and put on a live demonstration of it this past summer as part of
the Northern Pacific Historical Society (NPRHA) convention in Missoula.
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8) All remaining branch lines, active or not will likely go away. Most are dormant and those that operate are light on traffic.
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9) MRL's community involvement and close association with NPRHA will go away. Not a class one railroad function.
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10) MRL's business car fleet will likely go. BNSF has plenty of cars in it's current fleet.
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11) Evaro Hill will likely to be at least mothballed if not abandoned. Steep grades and costly bridges make the line a liability to BNSF's current cost cutting.
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12) Efforts to reopen Homestake will cease. Steep grades and bridges as well.
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13) Frequent washing of units will end. Contractor that power washes units at Helena on
a regular basis will likely not see his contract renewed.
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14) Any operation taking place out of an old depot may be replaced with a smaller prefab building that will be smaller and cheaper to heat and maintain.
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It is not surprising that overhead traffic grew to 90% of revenues. MRL over the last decade made changes to it's marketing plan that did not as agressively go after traffic as
it did in the beginning. MRL was also trying to work with the STB and FRA to change the status of Class One, Class Two and Class Three revenue thresh holds that have not been adjusted in decades and was making too much money to stay in it's current class status and was soon to be subject to more regulation and have the very expensive PTC imposed on it.
Also, it's been long reported that the next generation of the Washington family was not interested in the rail operations.
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Next question, will Washington group sell the SRY??
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1) Livingston Diesel shop. Shop was in the process of being readied to be demolished when
MRL took over. Shop is poorly located (not a division point)and BNSF has been closing shops
system wide as it is. Shop is rates as one of the best in the nation for EMD work as they can fix or rebuild anything from a GP-9 to an SD-70ACe and have it run when they are done.
-
2) Speaking of motive power. Only the SD-70ACe's are likely to survive. As there is a glut of used power on the market due to PSR and scrap prices are high anything else will likely go pretty fast.
-
3) MRL's employee profit sharing checks to employees.
-
4) MRL dispatching and office center in Missoula. Since MRL is slated to be part of another division, most of what is in Missoula will be redundant.
-
5) Gas Local -- BNSF will try to run the train, but it is short and on a fairly strict schedule so it is not compatible with current class one operation standards. BNSF will likely try to force the customer to use longer trains, and if that fails they will attempt to add it to another passing train. Such dedicated trains work on short lines and regionals that consider small operations important, but on a big road, this operation is small potatoes and will be "in the way".
-
6) Wood chip traffic that currently loads on MRL will fade away. No longer considered important traffic to getting lumber loads and equipment is getting old.
-
7) MRL's interesting equipment like it's 250-ton ex-NP wrecker based in Missoula. Used mostly for bridge work. I believe it will be the only one on the BNSF system. MRL people are proud of the machine and put on a live demonstration of it this past summer as part of
the Northern Pacific Historical Society (NPRHA) convention in Missoula.
-
8) All remaining branch lines, active or not will likely go away. Most are dormant and those that operate are light on traffic.
-
9) MRL's community involvement and close association with NPRHA will go away. Not a class one railroad function.
-
10) MRL's business car fleet will likely go. BNSF has plenty of cars in it's current fleet.
-
11) Evaro Hill will likely to be at least mothballed if not abandoned. Steep grades and costly bridges make the line a liability to BNSF's current cost cutting.
-
12) Efforts to reopen Homestake will cease. Steep grades and bridges as well.
-
13) Frequent washing of units will end. Contractor that power washes units at Helena on
a regular basis will likely not see his contract renewed.
-
14) Any operation taking place out of an old depot may be replaced with a smaller prefab building that will be smaller and cheaper to heat and maintain.
-
It is not surprising that overhead traffic grew to 90% of revenues. MRL over the last decade made changes to it's marketing plan that did not as agressively go after traffic as
it did in the beginning. MRL was also trying to work with the STB and FRA to change the status of Class One, Class Two and Class Three revenue thresh holds that have not been adjusted in decades and was making too much money to stay in it's current class status and was soon to be subject to more regulation and have the very expensive PTC imposed on it.
Also, it's been long reported that the next generation of the Washington family was not interested in the rail operations.
-
Next question, will Washington group sell the SRY??
-
-
Things likely to go away when MRL does.