Michael Gibson previously worked for Genesee & Wyoming and Watco Cos. and will be AHR’s vice president of rail and freight development.
“The addition of Gibson and his extensive rail domain and line management experience to the AHR team represents a strategic shift in the company’s long-term planning and operations as it continues to identify and capitalize on valuable market-share growth, infrastructure expansion, and revenue-generation opportunities for the company,” says CEO Allen C. Harper.
General Manager John Harper tells Trains News Wire that Gibson’s primary focus will be developing freight traffic on the company’s two standard gauge routes in Washington and North Carolina. Harper says the company is already pursuing multiple opportunities in the freight market but declined to go into specifics at this early date.
In the past, some freight has moved over both the GSMR and D&SNG. The narrow gauge railroad has hauled equipment and materials for the Tacoma Power Plant, the Tall Timber Resort, and other private landowners along the way.
Prior to coming to American Heritage, Gibson was general manager of Louisville, Ky.-based Road and Rail Services Inc.
It might be cost effective for truckers to avoid climbing out of Silverton and driving onto a flat car at 6 pm at Silverton and arrive in South Rockwood a few hours later to drive on to destination. Look at how green that would be to save the fuel of those truck loads. Maybe some government money could come from the France gas tax that would be used to buy the new flat cars with 3′ gage wheels. Just a drive on, drive off with chocked wheels, driver sleep during the train ride. Auto can fit also, WP&Y example. It used to carry a lot of RV and other camping vehicles via the Alaska Marine Highway ferrys.
Wouldn’t freight up on the Mount Rainier still be handled by Tacoma Rail?
I would like to know what freight was hauled by the D & S and how it was routed seeing as (as Roger Cole pointed out below) it has no connection to the nationwide freight system. Was it narrow gauge piggyback?
Morton Washington has a large wood/log mill operation that used to be served by Tacoma Eastern through Elbe and Mineral. Unfortunately, a major flood washed out about a mile of right of way near Morton back around 2007 or 8, and aside from some studies, and a lot of talk, the line has never been rebuilt. Would make a good freight source it the tracks were to ever be repaired. I guess the cost at this point is getting pretty prohibited.
Can’t imagine there would be much freight available for the D&S, especially with no outside connection to the rest of the US freight network.
The GMSR was Southern’s Murphy Branch which at one time had good freight loadings.
That would be great to see freight return to the D&S. An additional stream of revenue I’m sure they’d more than welcome