Re: Laramie, North Park & Western RR

Hi Dirk,

I didn't see Mike at the museum today; he must be traveling for the FRA.

Heartbreaker is an understatement. The goal was within our grasp, and CDOT screwed it up.

I was in constant contact with the mine manager, George Patterson. Kerr Coal had buyers in the Midwest who would blend the low-sulphur North Park product with their higher-sulfur local product to meet EPA stack emissions standards. But the UP did everything they could to thwart us; we could never get a mine-to-power plant rate that was within 10 cents/ton of what the UP bid for coal from their own mines at Hanna. When you are burning thousands of tons of coal a year, 10 cents/ton is a big deal!

As for the car shortage, I think that was either a ploy invented by the Durbanos to convince all concerned that they couldn't get cars and thus hasten the abandonment of the railroad--or they were absolutely incompetent when it came to car leasing and interchange; take your choice.

Man. oh man, that was a David-versus-Goliath experienced.

Mike