Watco buying the Ann Arbor?

[Racer]

Watco buys GLC, reconnects the old AA, paints all the gp35s orange again, makes Ann Arbor an interchange point again, reconnects to Frankfort, and restarts car ferries. (Hey I can dream can't I? )

AA will never be an interchange point again. That worked when cars were lighter and didn't have as much issue with the hill that interchange uses, but with 286000 cars that would be a mess.

think more along the lines of MI train and WALLY... that would be the fastest way up to Owosso... just my thoughts (but I do know that there is a %99.9 chance of it actually happening) it would not be that hard, all of the track is still in place, even across the street.

As of last week, the track is still in tact, but there is a lot of cross-elevation on the rails, compacted dirt/ asphalt over the flangeways at the crossing, trees/ vegetation growing between the rails, the ties are rotted, and most of the ballast/ roadbed is gone. I would like to see the WALLY use this, but I could see the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County opposing that operation across Main Street.

[chapmaja]

As of last week, the track is still in tact, but there is a lot of cross-elevation on the rails, compacted dirt/ asphalt over the flangeways at the crossing, trees/ vegetation growing between the rails, the ties are rotted, and most of the ballast/ roadbed is gone. I would like to see the WALLY use this, but I could see the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County opposing that operation across Main Street.

If the WALLY does end up being a go, which I highly doubt will happen, don't expect it to use the current interchange, expect a new bridge to be put in place across the river, rather than the interchange across Main St to be used.

The interchange tracks themselves are still in place, with the exception of the switch from the AA to those tracks. That was removed several years ago.

[John Ryan]

1) Don't count on the WALLY any time soon.

2) Back during the proposal to run an intercity train between Detroit and Lansing, the idea of a bridge connection from the westbound NYC to the northbound AA was written off as a $100M+ geometry boondoggle. Add to that the cost of relocating the existing station, because it would no longer work for trains taking the connection.

3) Remember when GLC said they'd have the WALLY train running in three months and it would only take a few hundred thousand dollars? Sometime between then and now, Reality crashed into Fantasy. Neither MDOT nor SEMCOG nor any other local authority can pull it together to get a commuter train running. There is NO money.

[John Ryan]

Speaking of the Ann Arbor, it appears their website in undergoing overhaul.

http://www.annarbor-railroad.com/

[chapmaja]

1) Don't count on the WALLY any time soon.

2) Back during the proposal to run an intercity train between Detroit and Lansing, the idea of a bridge connection from the westbound NYC to the northbound AA was written off as a $100M+ geometry boondoggle. Add to that the cost of relocating the existing station, because it would no longer work for trains taking the connection.

3) Remember when GLC said they'd have the WALLY train running in three months and it would only take a few hundred thousand dollars? Sometime between then and now, Reality crashed into Fantasy. Neither MDOT nor SEMCOG nor any other local authority can pull it together to get a commuter train running. There is NO money.

A couple things.

First, #3: The demand simply is not there for the WALLY top operate. If the line ran parallel to US-23 then they would have something, but it doesn't and WALLY isn't going to be popular enough with riders to cover it's cost even with a few hundred thousand dollars of investment. I disagree about no community or organization can pull together a commuter train system. I think the Detroit to Ann Arbor commuter system will end up being a go, but Howell-AA just doesn't have the same demand, so the WALLY won't work.

Second #2, I don't buy the political speak $100 million dollar boondoggle crap either. The bridge could be put in for much cheaper than that if they wanted to put it in. As for relocating the station. That is already in the plans. The plan is for a new station down the hill from the UofM hospital complex.

Finally #1: I don't plan on the WALLY ever actually starting up.

[Saturnalia]

If we're going to have an AA-DET train, than Wally may as well build a joint station in AA that has 2 levels. Riders could change trains there. Coordinate train times.

I think WALLY isn't doable in the current climate, but they'd save themselves a lot that way.

[cfriedri]

Speaking of the Ann Arbor, it appears their website in undergoing overhaul.

http://www.annarbor-railroad.com/

I'm not sure what's going on with their website. The page has been like that for the last six months or so.

[Saturnalia]

Trains Magazine is reporting that Watco intends to keep the AA's image, including logos, instead of adopting the Black & Yellow company image. Page 9.

Nice article by the way, RailOhio

[Y@]

UGH, really? This was the one time I was hoping Watco would repaint everything. The entire AA fleet looks like butt with the exception of the 7802, but even that's old news now.

[Ypsi]

UGH, really? This was the one time I was hoping Watco would repaint everything. The entire AA fleet looks like butt with the exception of the 7802, but even that's old news now.

rather have the AA shield engines then Watco Black. UPs paint looks better then watco black IMO.

and incase you didnt notice, AA 7802 is the only engine that looks like butt, the rest have way better paint (Im kidding, I love the 7902, but 1337 also looks pretty nice) just glad to see that Watco is not repainting any of the units.

[Saturnalia]

UGH, really? This was the one time I was hoping Watco would repaint everything. The entire AA fleet looks like butt with the exception of the 7802, but even that's old news now.

rather have the AA shield engines then Watco Black. UPs paint looks better then watco black IMO.

and incase you didnt notice, AA 7802 is the only engine that looks like butt, the rest have way better paint (Im kidding, I love the 7902, but 1337 also looks pretty nice) just glad to see that Watco is not repainting any of the units.

Now they may repaint units, but they'd be done in an AA-style instead of a Watco one

[Y@]

and incase you didnt notice, AA 7802 is the only engine that looks like butt, the rest have way better paint (Im kidding, I love the 7902, but 1337 also looks pretty nice) just glad to see that Watco is not repainting any of the units.

Sorry, but plain-jane UP yellow with no nose logo or long hood emblem looks awful compared to the 7802.

[Ypsi]

just for reference...

AA 7802: http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... play_media
AA 1337: http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... play_media
Watco: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8HRWbA1o68o/T ... C_3784.jpg

potato, patato. Y@ likes character, I like clean; in this situation. diference of Opnion no big deal... I will say you do have a point Y@, there are over 10,000 maybe even 15,000 UP color engines out there

at least the 7802 is safe for now

[Ypsi]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Watco has completed its acquisition of the Ann Arbor Railroad. Watco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officers Rick Baden said, “We are excited to welcome the Ann Arbor Railroad into the Watco family and look forward to building a relationship with the customers of the Ann Arbor. We plan to continue the excellent service they’ve been receiving and to pursue opportunities to build economic value for the communities, states and customers we serve.”

Ann Arbor operates 50 miles of track between Ann Arbor and Toledo, Ohio, focusing mostly on automobile and manufacturing industries, including significant rail terminals in the Toledo area that load automobiles for Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford.

The trains story

[Y@]

7802 isn't safe... It's beat to hell and Watco has the ability to replace it.

[Racer]

7802 isn't safe... It's beat to hell and Watco has the ability to replace it.

As much as I admire 7802, I thought the same thing as well.