Re: (erielack) Santa Fe purchase of EL

["Jwmutter_@_aol.com"]

Hello Jack,

>  
>  I was speaking to a friend of mine who used to work for the EL.
>  
>  He claims that AT&SF wanted to purchase the Erie Lackawanna just before
>  the Conrail takeover in 1976. This would have created the first true
>  transcontinental railroad in the US. By this time, however, the EL was
>  committed to Conrail.
>  
>  Is their any truth to this story?
>  

In his book "Erie Lackawanna, Death of an American Railroad", H. Roger Grant 
describes a study completed by Santa Fe Industries in 1975, in which they 
looked at acquiring the EL.  The problem, according to Grant, was that "top 
management did not order" the study.  It was performed by John Darling, head 
of ATSF's cost analysis and research section.  By the time John Reed, Santa 
Fe's president, spoke to George Maxwell, EL was "too far along with our 
commitment to Conrail" (pages 197-198).

A very interesting thought:  warbonnets on Tunkhannock Viaduct!  However, the 
acquisition of EL by Santa Fe would have created a transcontinental railroad. 
 I wonder what the ICC's reaction would have been?  My initial approach to 
modeling the EL assumed the Santa Fe had purchased the railroad but that the 
ICC would not allow complete assimilation of the EL.  The two railroads would 
have been operated as separate entities, but with a strong ATSF influence on 
the EL.  Thus, we could have seen SD-60Ms (with gull-wing cab, of course) in 
GMY!  

Jeff Mutter
Severna Park, MD

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End of Erielack Digest V2 #729
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