I am steadily amazed at posters who think that just because something is “better”, we ought to give up our careful investments and buy the “better” thing just because it’s “better”.
Here’s a thought. Why don’t these bright minds write up a proposal that shows how (at today’s interest rates) it makes financial sense to sell our used bilevels (at whatever used market value you anticipate) and finance an order of the “better” ones.
Now show that the cost of financing, building, and operate these new “better” railcars will improve on the cost of retaining our existing GO fleet and running it to life end.
If such a pitch were available, some investors and lenders would already have gladly funded the new fleet and reaped the profit.
Full disclosure - I drive my autos until the bitter end, maintaining them in proper condition the full time. The limiting factor in how old my cars get before I replace them is the availability of parts. My last car was 14 when I traded it in, and I still wonder if that was too soon. Were there “better” cars on the market all that time? Certainly. But the economics of earlier replacement were not compelling.
ML’s mandate is not to have the “best” equipment available.
- Paul
