Watco possibly buying GLC?

[Theglcboy69]

Heard a rumor Watco was currently in talks to buy GLC...has anyone actually heard about this or is it just a rumor?

[Chip]

I was seriously considering it had I won the power ball. And I’m not saying it as a joke, my wife was on board with it.

[PatAzo]

Rumor.

[~Z~]

Heard a rumor Watco was currently in talks to buy GLC...has anyone actually heard about this or is it just a rumor?

Maybe go ask your inside source and let us know . viewtopic.php?p=495973#p495973

[1TrackMind]

The rumor is going around, yes.

[chapmaja]

Even if they were going to buy the GLC, what changes would really occur? I could see some power changes, mainly the GP35's being ditched. Other than that, I don't see a lot of operational changes. I think you would still see a Toledo to Osmer and return train interchange with OSTN. Maybe some changes on stuff interchanged at AnnPere move to interchange in Toledo, but other than that, what changes would realistically happen?

[PatAzo]

Federated sold Watco a minority stake in 2013 to raise capital so the owners do talk. Before my Watco friend retired he would tell me about Watco expressing interest to NS about taking over the Michigan Line freight service and CSX about selling Plymouth and GR sub's. But I wouldn't call tire kicking "talks". If there was a genuine talk going on to sell the people in a position to know what is going on are also people who are not going to blab in public about an on-going negotiation.

[chapmaja]

I think they did way more than talk about taking over the Michigan line from NS. IIRC they had a plan rejected by the STB to do just that. Of course that was before NS sold the line to the State of Michigan. I don't think now NS would entertain giving up freight service on the line. The Jackson-Wayne local has been running pretty solid train lengths recently, and had about 46 cars today, which is a bit longer than normal. Having the JAIL interchange, and the ability to outlet traffic either VIA the Grand Elk or via Wayne has to be a good deal for NS, plus they only pay for a portion of the maintainance now and the State / Amtrak pick up much more of the cost than they did under NS ownership.