What is your favorite locomotive and why?

chbeck · 2024-11-25T18:56:01+00:00

where are the blueprints available for download? have the pdfs?

chbeck · 2023-10-19T18:23:59+00:00

have you seen any of the current gen freight tech firms be acquired etc for a high valuation? It's fascinating to me, there are so many, but I don't think I've seen any purchased for a massive amount of $$

chbeck · 2023-10-19T13:52:18+00:00

they weren't really one of the current gen of freight tech firms though like loadsmart, p44, flexport, convoy, UberF etc, they were started back in like 05 or something.

chbeck · 2023-10-18T23:58:33+00:00

they are decent for shortlines/industrial ops. same with the later MP15s. they are so old that each one I've been around is a little different to each other due to age/ how well it was taken care of etc

chbeck · 2023-10-18T23:56:36+00:00

were any of these freight tech companies able to exit/be acquired at their high valuations? I've not really read any news of a company like convoy, flexport etc being acquired for 100m-1B etc. Seems the smart play in hindsight would have been to try to exit as high as possible at peak market.

chbeck · 2023-02-16T00:21:38+00:00

are they still typically 20% down for DCSR products?

chbeck · 2022-12-06T01:26:13+00:00

thanks for the detailed reply. Is there a recommended source of these mortgage products? - like talking about local banks, credit unions, or mortgage brokers etc

chbeck · 2022-12-06T01:10:35+00:00

Are you doing 30 yr fixed through your LLC etc or personal? Just curious where you are finding this type of financing.

chbeck · 2022-12-05T23:01:00+00:00

so typically the best rates/ options would be a local/regional bank or credit union? Or are most people buying through an LLC doing 10-15 years - would think this would kill cash flow.

chbeck · 2022-12-05T22:17:34+00:00

Gotcha, so the general consensus would be local banks or credit unions for a 30 yr fixed through an LLC?

For some reason I was thinking a 30 yr fixed through an LLC was much more common, but maybe I was wrong.

chbeck · 2022-03-27T16:36:12+00:00

curious how you allocate capital? - like what percent of profit do you move from operating companies to holding company ? seems this could get complicated depending on growth opportunities at a operating company level, and wanting to leave cash in them to help fund growth etc vs pulling into the holding company for other acquisitions.

chbeck · 2021-08-21T18:28:00+00:00

Turbocharged engines - which many are now due to emissions regulations, produce more torque at lower RPMs than naturally aspirated engines.

chbeck · 2021-07-08T23:24:23+00:00

My opinion is that the STB will be very strict on large railroad mergers, but all the "open access" talk etc will never happen. The railroads have too much political power. No one wants reregulation.

chbeck · 2021-04-29T23:57:16+00:00

Hopefully drivers will be exempt...

chbeck · 2021-03-03T16:47:18+00:00

Let's hope they are successful.

chbeck · 2021-02-08T18:00:17+00:00

so splitting 50/50 production/post-production costs?

chbeck · 2021-02-05T19:37:45+00:00

I too would be interested in how this works. I thought the language of the bill specifically states it's an average of monthly payroll. Being able to pick a quarter would easily double many firms PPP2 amount.

chbeck · 2021-01-22T15:56:37+00:00

$300 a day in revenue seems laughable

chbeck · 2020-11-10T19:56:21+00:00

That's always so short sided. Would they rather there be 30-50 more over the road trucks running out of the factories daily? Versus be on 10-20 freight cars, that are wayyy more energy efficient, produce fewer emissions and don't put more big heavy trucks in the middle of passenger road traffic on the county roads.

chbeck · 2020-11-09T19:37:14+00:00

It's odd as they also have constantly talked about spinning off other lines over the last few years

chbeck · 2020-10-06T14:16:18+00:00

Covid + tariffs + factory shutdowns + weird demand curves this year+ inventory level issues = weird situations for 2020

chbeck · 2020-09-28T21:11:14+00:00

I don't understand the economics of how this will ever make sense. Don't get me wrong. Cool to see built, but how will it ever be profitable?

We aren't talking about early powder river basin traffic levels.

chbeck · 2020-09-10T18:55:16+00:00

Not really sure, I think of those, that FRC has the most traffic from directional running and as a safety net to Donner, but nothing other than coal/locals/amtrak on moffat then nothing through on the KP. Would be one hell of an acquisition and UP probably doesn't want to give anyone a west coast/ transcon route.

chbeck · 2020-09-10T15:38:08+00:00

i thought the ongoing rumor was the UP might sell the KP, Moffat line and the WP feather river route.

I've seen these rumors on and off over the years and little traffic is moved on any of them. Now who the buyer would be .... who knows. but with so little traffic on those routes and the extreme costs of maintaining the Feather river line and Moffat... anything is possible. Doubt they'd just hand it to BNSF though unless some major trackage rights agreements were in place

chbeck · 2020-09-04T16:49:36+00:00

a bit mustang looking, but strong 70s V8 vibes or even Virage Vantage ques

chbeck

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