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RE: (erielack) What shoulda been

Mike, your chronology is a bit off. ATSF did consider the possibility of 
acquiring EL in 1974, before EL's trustees considered becoming a part of 
Conrail. The ATSF expressed interest while the MARC-EL proposal was on the 
table. Prior to the onset of the severe recession in the second half of 
1974, EL was still contemplating reorganization as an independent entity. 
Also around this time, the Milwaukee Road, struggling financially and 
disadvantaged by the 1970 BN merger, proposed to acquire the ex-PRR 
Panhandle (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St Louis) route between Chicago 
and Pittsburgh. The PC bankruptcy was a cataclysmic event in the RR world, 
and there was lots of uncertainty about how the Northeast RR map would 
eventually be carved up. Railroads consider lots of proposals that are never 
implemented, and the Santa Fe abandoned the idea of acquiring EL when it 
became apparent that a trans-Chicago merger would still have an icicle's 
chance in hell of getting through the ICC. However, the interest did lead to 
more coordination at Chicago including revival of the ATSF-100 symbol and 
Croxton origination of ATSF-99 in July, 1974. In early 1975 EL requested 
inclusion in the Final System Plan, then late that year Chessie proposed to 
acquire most of EL east of Akron. The scuttling of this plan in early 1976 
led to EL's last-minute inclusion in Conrail.

Paul B

From: Mike Spinelli <idrsspin_@_yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: (erielack) What shoulda been

Santa Fe made inroads toward an offer, and even looked at buying a short 
road that would connect the two bypassing Chicago. But the EL trustees had 
already got in bed with Conrail and didn't want to back out. Some wonder how 
serious ATSF really was.

Mike Spinelli
 


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