GE Told you so!!

The obvious first choice would be Caterpillar - Progress Rail. Since there is "competition" from international manufacturers it could be argued that such a move would not be anti-competitive. It would be like the Boeing - Airbus situation. 

I thought about that but they would only need the engines and, maybe, traction motors.  I remember when GE opened a small plant in Grove City to make diesel engine parts, I guess, for the Cooper-Bessemer  engines.  CB was a good customer for awhile but I knew they were going to fold. The RR industry keeps churning.

Jim:

I know that's how the Wall Street Journal's headline reads, but GE is not in the railroad business, they are in the railroad EQUIPMENT business.

Anyway, what GE is going through now is what we went through at Westinghouse 20+ years ago and living in Pittsburgh, you saw what happened to Westinghouse!

Bill

Say it ain't so....love my GE's

joe krasko posted:

Say it ain't so....love my GE's

Have you ever had to work on them, or operate them? The REAL ones, that is?

Warren Buffet should buy it as he already owns a rr, coal mines, coal power plants and wouldn't be surprised if he owned controlling interest in a few rr car builders. 

Jim Pastorius, I would like to say that the GE plant in Grove City was built long after their affiliation with Cooper-Bessemer was over. The GE plant was constructed to rebuilt GE locomotive prime movers,i.e engines.  Later this plant built, and is building, new engines for the GE locomotives.

Cooper-Bessemer exited the locomotive prime mover business when GE bought the rights to the "FDL" engine from them in the late 1960's. After that their business was much larger stationary engines and pipeline compressors, etc. up to 24,000 horsepower. Later Cooper Energy Services in Grove City was closed by Cooper Industries as part of their diversification plan which put many out of work. This had nothing to do with railroad locomotives or their engines.

My father retired from Cooper-Besssemer, and I worked there for eight years. It took me eight years to get 5-1/2 years seniority, due the roller-coaster energy market. Good memories of a good-paying job.

Hope I didn't step on your toes, but I wished to clarify this.  Don Francis

Berkshire Hathaway does own UTLX so there is your car builder.

Referring back to 645's post; GE actually sold their rail cars to both First Union and Union Tank Car.  UTLX took the tank cars and some, if not all the GE shops and First Union got the rest.

One of the happiest days in my work life when UTLX bought the tank cars we leased from GE.  They were without doubt the most difficult bunch I ever had to deal with.

Curt