Pioneer Railcorp comes to Georgia/Georgia Central GEs

[ShortlinesUSA]

Another of the larger shortline holding companies is expanding, and establishes its first presence in the state of Georgia. A snip from the exemption filed with the STB is below, but in short, looks like the parent company of the Heart of Georgia Railroad (HOG) has elected to cast off the properties it operated as the Georgia Midland RR by purchasing them from the Ogeechee Railway just a few years ago.

At this point, I have heard nothing on what power will operate the lines, or if Pioneer elected to purchase any of the GMR (former OGEE) power that populated these branches. If anyone in the area has info to add on this subject, please do so...much appreciated!

As background, Pioneer is based in Peoria, IL, and one of its most often photographed operations seen here on Railpictures.net is the Peoria & Western, which actively uses F-units in freight service. The company also publishes The Short Line magazine, which is a good place for any of you who would like to get a start at publishing articles and/or photographs of shortline railroading, or enjoy publications about short line railroading. More info on the magazine and how to submit news and articles is available at http://www.the-short-line.com .

-- Pioneer Railcorp (Pioneer), a noncarrier holding company, has filed a verified notice of exemption to continue in control of Georgia Southern Railway Co. (GASR), upon GASR's becoming a Class III rail carrier.


This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice of exemption in STB Finance Docket No. 35322, Georgia Southern Railway Co.--Lease and Operation Exemption and Operation Exemption--Certain Lines of Georgia Midland Railroad, Inc. and Heart of Georgia Railroad, Inc. In that proceeding, GASR has sought an exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 pursuant to an agreement with: (1) The Georgia Midland Railroad, Inc. to assume the lease and operation of approximately 51.9 miles of rail line in Peach, Houston, Crawford, Candler, Bulloch, and Screven Counties, GA; and (2) the Heart of Georgia Railroad, Inc. (HOG) to operate, under contract with HOG, approximately 42.4-miles of line currently leased and operated by HOG in Toombs, Treutlen, Emanuel and Jenkins Counties, GA.


The transaction is scheduled to be consummated on December 16, 2009 (the effective date of this exemption).

[Joe the Photog]

Nothing in the Carolinas, I see. For some reason, I thought they had the Atlantic & Western.

[ShortlinesUSA]

Atlantic & Western now falls under the Genesee & Wyoming fold. It was formerly owned by Rail Management & Consulting, Inc, a holding company whose properties included the Georgia Central, The Bay Line, Appalachicola Northern, and Meridian & Bigbee to name a few. That's how that ex M&B 109 wound up on the ATW-- it was shifted there after M&B got some GP38s, and all of this went down right before the GWI buyout of RMC.

[nikos1]

Also explains the mass amount of ATW boxcars found on most GC trains, which are in dedicated service for the SP paper mill in Dublin.
Off topic but would you happen to know if M&B is still running the two low hood U-Boats that were transferred from GC?

Interested in seeing what will happen with this Pioneer deal though i think a trip to get Midlands blue geeps might be in order before things change. Atleast its not another G&W takeover....

[ShortlinesUSA]

Those were U30B 1007 and U33B 1012, and were last known to be in the US around the 2006 timeframe. GWI shipped them to Mexican affiliate FCCM at that time. That railroad was shut down last year, and many of the locomotives from the operation are still sitting in Mexico. These GEs are likely among them. It is unknown what their future will be, but I'd say the chance of them coming back north in active service for GWI is pretty slim.

Outside of the fleet of U23Bs left on the GC and Eastern Pennsylvania, the only other 4 axle U-series GEs left running in active service are the U36Bs on the TTI in Kentucky and the U18Bs on the Pickens. The TTI U36Bs are likely getting to the end of their service life and may soon be replaced. TTI has already tested a pair of CSX B40-8s, and they are reportedly interested in obtaining newer high horsepower GEs as a result. This would almost certainly spell the end for yet another class of GE U-series, the U36B. There are no longer any U30Bs or U33Bs in active freight service.

[nikos1]

Wow so those two on the GC were the last of their kind, makes me wish even more that i had got a shot of them.

[nikos1]

Pioneer arrives in Georgia
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1916569
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1916570
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1916563
Not my shots, found them on RRPA.

[D.Massey]

If you’re talking 4 axle U series, don’t forget about the Pickens U18B's. If you’re talking just 4 axle GE’s in general then come to Tennessee, several shortlines have B23-7’s.

Doyle Massey

Outside of the fleet of U23Bs left on the GC and Eastern Pennsylvania, the only other 4 axle GEs left running in active service are the U36Bs on the TTI in Kentucky. Those are likely getting to the end of their service life and may soon be replaced. TTI has already tested a pair of CSX B40-8s, and they are reportedly interested in obtaining newer high horsepower GEs as a result. This would almost certainly spell the end for yet another class of GE U-series, the U36B. There are no longer any U30Bs or U33Bs in active freight service

[ShortlinesUSA]

Doyle--

I updated the post to better reflect that I was talking about U-series GEs, and thank you for the reminder on the U18Bs at the Pickens. Hopefully that fleet will be around for a while. The Pickens has historically held onto vintage power over the years.