Maumee & Western RR purchased by Michigan Southern RR

[MSchwiebert]

http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... enDocument

[MDH]

Very interesting... thanks for posting here. Now let the wild speculation begin!

http://pioneer-railcorp.com/mso.html

[StupidFlee​t]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[railohio]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's only good news for you if they start running at night.

[StupidFlee​t]

That's only good news for you if they start running at night.

That's not relevant. THE MAW HAS BEEN SAVED! (well kinda, but you see what I'm saying)

[railohio]

That's not relevant.

That's mattered here since when?

[TrainWatcher]

Pioneer... well needless to say this oughta be interesting.

[BnOEngr]

Huh. Spencer must have been courting suitors. I guess US Rail didn't offer a good enough deal.

[NSSD60M]

That's only good news for you if they start running at night.

That's not relevant. THE MAW HAS BEEN SAVED! (well kinda, but you see what I'm saying)

I would use the term "Saved" loosely, based on the condition of existing Pioneer properties. Seen the Michigan Southern lately? Pioneer is about the last resort before Rails-to-Trails takes over.

[Saturnalia]

That's only good news for you if they start running at night.

That's not relevant. THE MAW HAS BEEN SAVED! (well kinda, but you see what I'm saying)

I would use the term "Saved" loosely, based on the condition of existing Pioneer properties. Seen the Michigan Southern lately? Pioneer is about the last resort before Rails-to-Trails takes over.

Watch them drive the customers away, and pull the tracks to be sold/used elsewhere.

However, Pioneer has an AMAZINGLY large customer base on the line to work with.

[AARR]

I would use the term "Saved" loosely, based on the condition of existing Pioneer properties. Seen the Michigan Southern lately? Pioneer is about the last resort before Rails-to-Trails takes over.

MSO is hanging in there, though. Runs 2-3x per week. No derailments that I know of. Paper plant is their biggest customer but they have a few others.

[railroadchoad]

Not to brag but Conrailman75 and I had this one called out a little while ago on the fourth incarnation of the Great Maumee and Western thread. It really does suck being right all of the time!

[AARR]

It really does suck being right all of the time!

There was the one time you thought you were wrong but you were really right

[BOHICA]

I thought Midwest Rail was going to start running it.

[NoviRailfan]

I didn't know that the STB had jurisdiction over rollercoasters.

[Saturnalia]

I didn't know that the STB had jurisdiction over rollercoasters.

I think it's closer to cornfields

[conrailman75]

As I feared, Pioneer purchased the MAW Given their track record with the Michigan Southern, I'm not holding my breath on seeing any improvements anytime soon.

[MSchwiebert]

Not aware of the current situation in Michigan (has the customer base shrunk for example?), but as far as I'm concerned - they can do no worse than the current situation. I'd also think that Pioneer would have better access to capital streams - both private & public than MAW had.

As I feared, Pioneer purchased the MAW Given their track record with the Michigan Southern, I'm not holding my breath on seeing any improvements anytime soon.

[AARR]

Not aware of the current situation in Michigan (has the customer base shrunk for example?), but as far as I'm concerned - they can do no worse than the current situation. I'd also think that Pioneer would have better access to capital streams - both private & public than MAW had.

As I feared, Pioneer purchased the MAW Given their track record with the Michigan Southern, I'm not holding my breath on seeing any improvements anytime soon.

The economy has cost MSO a customer or two. It is speculated by some railfans, with or without merit, that another customer or two reduced or eliminated rail service due to conflict with Pioneer. However, those ex-customers eventually closed shop so in the end its a moot point. I can't comment specifically on MSO's situation because I don't know, but the average railfan will blame the railroad for losing business when sometimes its the customers fault like if they won't pay their bills.

[NoviRailfan]

One has to imagine that customers on the MAW were getting the lowest possible rate. They definitely weren't taking money out for maintenance or equipment.