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Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 10:28 pm
by justalurker66
NSSD60M wrote:While that's certainly a feasible scenario, has it indeed happened with that unit or any other currently leased units to Watco?
Are the engines with the Grand Elk logo owned or leased?

On a long term lease, I would not be surprised if painting was allowed in the lease. As long as it did not affect the ability for the engines to be leased to the next customer, what would be the problem?

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 10:02 am
by PatAzo
NSSD60M wrote:While that's certainly a feasible scenario, has it indeed happened with that unit or any other currently leased units to Watco?
A number of WAMX units have been repainted by Watco for into schemes for local schools. Watco was founded by Richard Webb, Rick Webb is the current Chairman. WAMX is Webb Asset Management. Look up Webb Asset Management and the CEO is Derek Webb.

Leases where the carrier is responsible for maintenance are common. Class one's repaint leased locomotives all the time.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 1:40 pm
by NS3322
PatAzo wrote:
NSSD60M wrote:While that's certainly a feasible scenario, has it indeed happened with that unit or any other currently leased units to Watco?
A number of WAMX units have been repainted by Watco for into schemes for local schools. Watco was founded by Richard Webb, Rick Webb is the current Chairman. WAMX is Webb Asset Management. Look up Webb Asset Management and the CEO is Derek Webb.

Leases where the carrier is responsible for maintenance are common. Class one's repaint leased locomotives all the time.
A few examples of Watco painting locomotives in school colors. They have even painted a few units in local high school colors.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 2:18 pm
by chapmaja
NS3322 wrote:
PatAzo wrote:
NSSD60M wrote:While that's certainly a feasible scenario, has it indeed happened with that unit or any other currently leased units to Watco?
A number of WAMX units have been repainted by Watco for into schemes for local schools. Watco was founded by Richard Webb, Rick Webb is the current Chairman. WAMX is Webb Asset Management. Look up Webb Asset Management and the CEO is Derek Webb.

Leases where the carrier is responsible for maintenance are common. Class one's repaint leased locomotives all the time.
A few examples of Watco painting locomotives in school colors. They have even painted a few units in local high school colors.
Not a big fan, but the Texas Tech University loco looks cool.

How about we have the local railroads start painting locos in the school colors for area universities.

GDLK can cover the WMU Broncos. GRE can cover GVSU. MQT can get Ferris State. GLC can cover CMU. Lake State can have SVSU, HESR can get Northwood, and Ann Arbor can have UofM. One of the Detroit railroads can get UofD Mercy and the other gets Oakland. In the UP, LS&I can have NMU, Mineral Range can get MTU and LSSU is on their own, or can get one of the Canadian lines to cover them, since they are basically in Canada anyway.

And finally, JAIL can get MSU. (As a Michigan fan something sounds right with this one, sorry just had to).

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 6:44 pm
by AARR
chapmaja wrote:How about we have the local railroads start painting locos in the school colors for area universities.
When Mr. TSB acquired TSBY in the early 1990's the GP35's were being painted into black/yellow. He kept the yellow but changed the black to blue. Many of us thought it was in honor of U of M (maize & blue). But he said it was for West Virginia (IIRC) which has very similar colors to U of M. :lol:

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 7:43 pm
by NSSD60M
PatAzo wrote:
NSSD60M wrote:While that's certainly a feasible scenario, has it indeed happened with that unit or any other currently leased units to Watco?
A number of WAMX units have been repainted by Watco for into schemes for local schools. Watco was founded by Richard Webb, Rick Webb is the current Chairman. WAMX is Webb Asset Management. Look up Webb Asset Management and the CEO is Derek Webb.

Leases where the carrier is responsible for maintenance are common. Class one's repaint leased locomotives all the time.
I believe my whole point has been missed, and perhaps that's my fault for being unclear.

1) There's still a hefty amount of actual lease (non-Wamx) units on the Watco roster from some of the larger leasing companies. Have any of those been purchased, such as the 2204?

2) Never have I heard of (and I've been in the industry a while...) of Class 1 or anything otherwise being able to (or having the desire to) paint leased units from anything other than the manufacturer. Certainly not lease units from the leaser rent-a-wreck companies. One small exception is the recent painting of DOTX 2000 on the Indiana NNortheastern, which wears INE colors, but bears USDOT name.

I don't really count WAMX as a leasing company, while it assigns conglomerate assets to the shortlines it owns. They're all WAMX property, so of course its lines are free to add the neat little touch of painting them in hometown team colors.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 9:47 pm
by MQT1223
NSSD60M wrote:
PatAzo wrote:
NSSD60M wrote:While that's certainly a feasible scenario, has it indeed happened with that unit or any other currently leased units to Watco?
A number of WAMX units have been repainted by Watco for into schemes for local schools. Watco was founded by Richard Webb, Rick Webb is the current Chairman. WAMX is Webb Asset Management. Look up Webb Asset Management and the CEO is Derek Webb.

Leases where the carrier is responsible for maintenance are common. Class one's repaint leased locomotives all the time.
I believe my whole point has been missed, and perhaps that's my fault for being unclear.

1) There's still a hefty amount of actual lease (non-Wamx) units on the Watco roster from some of the larger leasing companies. Have any of those been purchased, such as the 2204?

2) Never have I heard of (and I've been in the industry a while...) of Class 1 or anything otherwise being able to (or having the desire to) paint leased units from anything other than the manufacturer. Certainly not lease units from the leaser rent-a-wreck companies. One small exception is the recent painting of DOTX 2000 on the Indiana NNortheastern, which wears INE colors, but bears USDOT name.

I don't really count WAMX as a leasing company, while it assigns conglomerate assets to the shortlines it owns. They're all WAMX property, so of course its lines are free to add the neat little touch of painting them in hometown team colors.
NS painted a bunch of the units they sold off for the leaser companies that bought them. They also painted a lot of the former SOO SD60's into CIT Blue.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 1:49 am
by Ypsi
NSSD60M wrote: ~snip~
Leasing companies commonly sell locomotives to companies in lease to buy agreements or the likes. That agreement is between the railroad and the leasing company. I don’t expect anyone outside of the company or lessor to have details on such agreements. Same thing with paint, chill and see what’s going to happen. Watco has a record of painting locomotives into school colors.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 10:35 am
by NSSD60M
Ypsi wrote:
NSSD60M wrote: ~snip~
Leasing companies commonly sell locomotives to companies in lease to buy agreements or the likes. That agreement is between the railroad and the leasing company. I don’t expect anyone outside of the company or lessor to have details on such agreements. Same thing with paint, chill and see what’s going to happen. Watco has a record of painting locomotives into school colors.
Really an irrelevant response, but not surprising. Obviously leased units can be purchased. Much the same as any other kind of lease arrangement for anything out there, like a car, heavy equipment, your TV from Rent-a-Center... etc.

Simply a question of whether any, or all, GMTX lease units have been purchased and are now WAMX property. Yes, WAMX has a recent history of painting locomotives into local school colors.
Class 1s can do contracted paint work to lease units any time authorized to so, such as the example of painting Ex-Soo SD60s into CIT blue.
Could you paint your leased automobile into "Ypsi's Expert-of-All Service" logos and then turn it back in at the end of the lease? Absolutely negative.
So bottom line, unless GMTX and sisters have been purchased, nothing is going to be painted into any line-specific paint.
Yes, I have a very recent roster report from Watco, and nothing specifies any lease units as anything other than just that.
So go ahead, kick back, chill, and think of some other way to twist all of this around into something that was never asked, stated, or otherwise referenced.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 3:31 pm
by Ypsi
It was a relevant response.. I responded to the question of if watco purchased the locomotive or not and spoke on their painting practices. I never said they would paint a unit they don’t own so I don’t know where that came from. Unless you work for watco it’s none of your business what they are doing with leased units.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 4:31 pm
by justalurker66
NSSD60M wrote:Could you paint your leased automobile into "Ypsi's Expert-of-All Service" logos and then turn it back in at the end of the lease? Absolutely negative.
So you have read my lease? It is amazing how people on the Internet make "absolute" statements without full knowledge.
And yes, I have driven a commercially leased vehicle with the leasee's logo on the vehicle. Permission was included in the lease.
NSSD60M wrote:So bottom line, unless GMTX and sisters have been purchased, nothing is going to be painted into any line-specific paint.
So you have read the Watco/GMTX lease? Wow, you must be the most excellent hacker to get your hands on private documents!

Please read previous responses for more information.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Sun May 05, 2019 8:14 am
by PatAzo
A long term lease is a common method of financing a locomotive purchase. Rather than tie up millions in capital with an out right purchase the carriers lease the locomotives. Common in a long term lease is the carrier is responsible for all maintenance.

My friend at the Elk says yes they plan to paint a locomotive in a WMU Bronco scheme and the 2204 belongs to them now, it's no longer leased.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Sun May 05, 2019 3:41 pm
by Super Chief
Finally the confirmation I asked for to begin with. Thanks PatAzo for verifying the 2204 which I knew they owned is going to be WMUX painted and a Bucking Bronco to boot.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 7:12 am
by 1TrackMind
PatAzo wrote:A long term lease is a common method of financing a locomotive purchase. Rather than tie up millions in capital with an out right purchase the carriers lease the locomotives. Common in a long term lease is the carrier is responsible for all maintenance.

My friend at the Elk says yes they plan to paint a locomotive in a WMU Bronco scheme and the 2204 belongs to them now, it's no longer leased.
I don't think anything official has been done yet. Pretty sure the 2204 is still being leased, with plans to purchase the locomotive. It still says GMTX on it.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 9:27 am
by SD80MAC
Railroads paint and modify the paint schemes on their leased power all of the time. Patriot Rail has a whole fleet of LTEX GP15-1s in their own paint, still with LTEX reporting marks. Several GATX and CEFX engines have been painted and or lettered for the railroad that leased them at the time as well. Indiana Railroad, Vertmont Railway, and even Marquette Rail are a few that come to mind, and none of the units that were painted were kept by the railroads, either.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 9:56 am
by PatAzo
They are also talking about sending the 3534 out for a "Dash 3" electrical package.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 5:42 pm
by 1TrackMind
PatAzo wrote:They are also talking about sending the 3534 out for a "Dash 3" electrical package.
This is true yes. Another watco property is having one done, if that one goes well the GDLK will send theirs.

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 2:07 pm
by NS3322
Just wanted to let everyone know that GDLK #13 (formerly CR #18516) made it safely to its new home, the Mid-Michigan Railroad Club, on the grounds of Cornwell's Turkeyville (which is just north of Marshall).

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 3:43 pm
by NS3322
Is MANN+HUMMEL off of Sprinkle Rd. an active customer?

Re: GDLK Operations

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 7:03 pm
by NSSD70ACe
NS3322 wrote:Is MANN+HUMMEL off of Sprinkle Rd. an active customer?
On the Apple Maps sat view, the ballast looks relatively new and you can see the detail in place but no cars. I’m not sure when the photography was updated last.

I will say that I see the 105 job now much more frequently thanks to my new job as a ramp agent with a global airline subsidiary and I have never seen then stop at the MANN+HUMMEL facility. They usually have a few tanks and boxes with them and make a beeline (at 10 mph) and stop near Pfizer. I see the switch is down there but I usually just see them sitting there waiting for the gate at Pfizer to be opened, not actively switching. I could’ve missed something since they’re so far downfield and past the threshold of RWY 35 by that time but that’s just from my observations.