Iowa Pacific-San Luis & Rio Grande (SLRG) Passenger Cars

Chris Webster · **Joined:** Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am **Posts:** 1027

steve55126 wrote:

If the Railfan & Railroad list is accurate on locomotives, there is sad news on that front. The two C&NW/Metra E8s at Silvis were both scrapped this week.

Photograph of former Metra EMD E8 521 (ex-CNW) being scrapped on March 3. 2021:
Railpictures #765282

davew833 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:22 pm

There's no sign of the cab or trucks of #516 which was scrapped first. I wonder if they were saved.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2610

Chris Webster wrote:

steve55126 wrote:

If the Railfan & Railroad list is accurate on locomotives, there is sad news on that front. The two C&NW/Metra E8s at Silvis were both scrapped this week.

Photograph of former Metra EMD E8 521 (ex-CNW) being scrapped on March 3. 2021:
Railpictures #765282

You can see both of them in this drone video from last summer, between 11:00 and 12:00. The scrapper was probably just waiting on the go ahead from the trustee for the two E's, I wonder if anything other than the Chessie GP30 (which is now saved at the Lebanon Mason Monroe in Ohio) made it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qso1gQHst8M

Jason Lamb · **Posted:** Mon Mar 08, 2021 12:19 pm

The Everett Railroad purchased a former CNW GP-7R.

dieselloco · **Joined:** Thu Oct 03, 2019 2:31 pm **Posts:** 71

I don't know about needing an MBA, your income must exceed your outgo. It is noble to want to save equipment. But outside of museums, if you have a common carrier railroad it has to, unfortunately, turn a profit. Gathering equipment and shortlines that don't make business sense is folly. I worked with a guy who worked with Ed, and I asked him about all the trouble they were getting into at least 5 or 6 years ago. He told me it was a lot of fun to work there! Fun doesn't pay your employees, suppliers, and for maintenance. There are a large number of people who lost their jobs. I worked in the marine industry for almost a decade. The saying is, a boat is a hole in the water you pour money in, a ship is an even bigger hole that you can't pour enough money in. Just ask the people who have to worry about taking care of museum ships. Getting in trouble over a $34 million FRA loan shows that things were not on the up and up.

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1716

dieselloco wrote:

I don't know about needing an MBA, your income must exceed your outgo. It is noble to want to save equipment. But outside of museums, if you have a common carrier railroad it has to, unfortunately, turn a profit. Gathering equipment and shortlines that don't make business sense is folly. I worked with a guy who worked with Ed, and I asked him about all the trouble they were getting into at least 5 or 6 years ago. He told me it was a lot of fun to work there! Fun doesn't pay your employees, suppliers, and for maintenance. There are a large number of people who lost their jobs. I worked in the marine industry for almost a decade. The saying is, a boat is a hole in the water you pour money in, a ship is an even bigger hole that you can't pour enough money in. Just ask the people who have to worry about taking care of museum ships. Getting in trouble over a $34 million FRA loan shows that things were not on the up and up.

True. I’ve been pretty critical of WMSR so I I guess it’s not fair of me to defend Iowa Pacific. I got to ride the Pullman Rail Journeys from New Orleans to Chicago and I rode the Hoosier State a couple times as well and I’m telling you I’ve never wanted something to succeed more! Best experiences I’ve ever had - even better than VIA rail’s Canadian. The pacific parlour car on the coast Starlight with a good attendant is the only experience I’ve had that comes close to comparison.

So I just really really wanted them to be successful. :-/

dieselloco · **Joined:** Thu Oct 03, 2019 2:31 pm **Posts:** 71

We would like to see everyone do well. It's a matter of economics. In the short time I've been online all I've tried to do is inject a little reality. One of the last trains I ran was into the Permian Basin. Came into Carlsbad NM with 20,920 tons of frac sand. It was a smooth trip. Everyone came home with fingers and toes intact. Although the cab driver said we all looked like homeless people, carrying our backpacks.

Eric S Strohmeyer · **Posted:** Tue Mar 09, 2021 7:15 pm

PMC wrote:

Chris Webster wrote:

steve55126 wrote:

If the Railfan & Railroad list is accurate on locomotives, there is sad news on that front. The two C&NW/Metra E8s at Silvis were both scrapped this week.

Photograph of former Metra EMD E8 521 (ex-CNW) being scrapped on March 3. 2021:
Railpictures #765282

You can see both of them in this drone video from last summer, between 11:00 and 12:00. The scrapper was probably just waiting on the go ahead from the trustee for the two E's, I wonder if anything other than the Chessie GP30 (which is now saved at the Lebanon Mason Monroe in Ohio) made it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qso1gQHst8M

The IPH / Heritage Rail bankruptcy estate made out just fine with regards to the 516 and 521. The trustee sold both units to the scrap dealer for fair chunk of change. To be honest, I was surprised the scrapper offered as much as he did!

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:35 am

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... de-begins/

Quote:

In a motion filed Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, trustee William A. Brandt reports a stalking horse bid for $7.5 million plus assumed liabilities from Midwest & Bluegrass Rail, which currently operates four short lines: the Chesapeake & Indiana, Vermillion Valley, Youngstown & Southeastern, and Camp Chase Railway. Any competing bids received by the May 21 deadline must be accompanied by a cash deposit of $500,000. If if no other bids are received, the stalking horse bid will be accepted. Additional qualifying bids will lead to a May 26 auction in Denver, with a hearing to approve sale to the winning bidder in bankruptcy court during the week of June 1.

The Midwest & Bluegrass offer is for the rail line, related structure, all locomotives and other rolling stock, operating contracts such as trackage rights agreements, the name “San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, Inc.” and other intellectual property, and other facets of the railroad. It calls for the bankruptcy trustee to file for an abandonment exemption with both the court and Surface Transportation Board for the westernmost 29 miles of the railroad, west of Monte Vista, Colo.

More at the link.

hi-plains · **Posted:** Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:03 pm

Quote:

The Midwest & Bluegrass offer ... calls for the bankruptcy trustee to file for an abandonment exemption with both the court and Surface Transportation Board for the westernmost 29 miles of the railroad, west of Monte Vista, Colo.

Why?

SD70dude · **Posted:** Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:47 pm

hi-plains wrote:

Quote:

The Midwest & Bluegrass offer ... calls for the bankruptcy trustee to file for an abandonment exemption with both the court and Surface Transportation Board for the westernmost 29 miles of the railroad, west of Monte Vista, Colo.

Why?

I 'flew over' that section of the line on Google Earth. I could not find any customers and it appears the track immediately west of Monte Vista was being used for car storage when the images were taken.

Trainlawyer · **Posted:** Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:23 pm

Because bankruptcy courts deal in money, not railfan fantasy, and there has been no commercial reason to preserve that segment absent traffic since it ceased to be the outlet for uraninite ore coming out of the San Jaun on the Rio Grande Southern to the general system of railways.

Now if you can come up with enough real traffic (potential future does not count) anywhere between Monte Vista and Creede to make the line pay its own way, believe me the Court and the trustee will be listening.

GME

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:58 pm

I got curious, and after some exploring on Google Maps I made a customer list for the SLRG. Not sure if it is 100% accurate as updated Google imagery is hard to come by in that area of Colorado.

As far as I can tell the two SD70M's (PRLX 4685 & PRLX 4687) and the F40M-2F (SLRG 459) are the current main motive power.

Attachment:

SLRGcustomers.PNG [ 32 KiB | Viewed 7109 times ]

MD Ramsey · **Joined:** Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:52 pm **Posts:** 178

NS 3322 wrote:

I got curious, and after some exploring on Google Maps I made a customer list for the SLRG. Not sure if it is 100% accurate as updated Google imagery is hard to come by in that area of Colorado.

As far as I can tell the two SD70M's (PRLX 4685 & PRLX 4687) and the F40M-2F (SLRG 459) are the current main motive power.

Attachment:

SLRGcustomers.PNG

No business beyond Monte Vista on the former Creede Branch to South Fork. South Fork to just outside Creede is the now defunct DRGHS. All track in place but in very poor condition with no online business beyond Monte Vista. SLRG connects with the San Luis Central (SLC) at Sugar Jct., just east of Monte Vista. The SLC has been an important and steady feeder of agricultural and other products to the SLRG/UP/DRGW for years.

eze240 · **Joined:** Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:29 am **Posts:** 319

While it's true that there's no business beyond Monte Vista...beyond car storage.... It's possible there could be.
The gentleman who owns the end of the line....btw...South fork is about 20 miles from Creede....his operation had some dealings with Ed and IOU....they pretty much screwed him over and embargoed him, preventing any business development that might have been possible.... Until about 2014 he was operating a small motor car trip that just needed to be enlarged and better promoted to make reasonable money....
He has been trying to sell his section since that time....
The section from Monte Vista to South Fork is, I believe, at least 20 miles and has not been well maintained by IP....it would probably do ok added to the South Fork section...

Iowa Pacific-San Luis & Rio Grande (SLRG) Passenger Cars

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