Genesee & Wyoming Inc to buy RailAmerica

[reinhardtjh]

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=64426&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1717069&highlight=

GREENWICH, Conn. & JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 23, 2012-- Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) (NYSE: GWR) and
RailAmerica, Inc. (NYSE: RA) jointly announced today that they have entered into an agreement under which GWI will acquire RailAmerica
for an all cash purchase price of $27.50 per share.

Following the transaction, GWI will have 111 railroads (108 in North America), 15,100 miles of track (12,900 in North America), 1.8 million carloads (1.6 million in North America), 1,000 locomotives (900 in North America) and 4,300 employees (3,900 in North America).

[MichaelWinicki]

Amazing how the G&W has grown!

Anyone else remember the article in MR back in the late 70's or early 80's?

[FrankCampagna]

I remember when they were a little ALCO powered short line hauling salt in upstate NY.

Frank

[lock4244]

Not important, but the G&W orange is far more attractive than the RA red, silver and blue. Hopefully that colour will spread to our local RA properties; Southern Ontario Railink and Goderich-Exeter.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Remember when shortlines were locally run, quirky and fun?

[seusscaboose]

Remember when shortlines were locally run, quirky and fun?

Boy...do I...   I grew up on one... literally...  from age 6 to 11.  One Word.  AWESOME.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Branch_Valley_Railroad

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?railroad=South%20Branch%20Valley%20Railroad

[wm3798]

I hate the G&W paint scheme.  Reminds me of the color of things one might find in a diaper.

[cv_acr]

Remember when shortlines were locally run, quirky and fun?

Some still exist. Here's one from my area:
http://www.osrinc.ca/

And there's others like Wisconsin Southern (that might qualify as more of a regional) and Aberdeen and Rockfish.

Although a lot of other former shortlines have been brought into the G&W or RA fold already. And of course, before RailAmerican there was RailTex and RaiLink (Canada). And there's still other companies that own multiple shortlines like the Washington Group (MRL, Southern Ry. of BC), OmniTrax and Cando Contracting operates several shortlines in Canada.

I think independents are in a definate minority today but they're definitely out there.

[cv_acr]

Not important, but the G&W orange is far more attractive than the RA red, silver and blue. Hopefully that colour will spread to our local RA properties; Southern Ontario Railink and Goderich-Exeter.

The RailAmerica red/silver/blue is an attractive enough paint scheme, there's just damn few engines actually painted in any consistent scheme on Ontario's RA properties.

[Packer]

So the UP and G&W are the "borg" railroads now? The G&W got the Bay Line RR, so they are kinda local.

I hate the G&W paint scheme.  Reminds me of the color of things one might find in a diaper.

X2 on hating th G&W scheme. I think if the orange were red, white, or yellow it'd look alot better IMO.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

It wouldn't be as bad if it weren't for the yellow pilots.

[wm3798]

What's the Chinese Air Force have to do with it?

[GaryHinshaw]

High-intensity yellow and orange are way too close on the color wheel to work well together.  It's like a loud, dissonant chord in music.  Given the stylized antique font in their logo, I think it works much better as a sepia tone:



And as Ed notes, putting the lightest color at the bottom of the loco is especially poor:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=97039&nseq=12

[Iain]

Hmm, I must be in shortline heaven, since there are five shortlines within forty miles of here (including the aforementioned Aberdeen and Rockfish).

[wes_sutton]

Personally I love the G &W colour scheme and the fact that OZ still provides around 20% of GWI's total income. Prior to this transaction it was around 33%.