railfancwb Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Over the years, some great companies have stumbled. Some recovered to fight on. Others disappeared almost or totally. And it continues to happen. Early railroads notoriously went bankrupt. Many more than once. That has continued. A valuable physical plant - right of way and track - financed largely with bond debt makes them susceptible to declines in revenue but worth buying out of bankruptcy. Some names... Rock Island Milwaukee Road W T Grant Montgomery Ward Sears, Roebuck & Co K-Mart Westinghouse General Electric Zayre Baldwin Alco and on and on What are some other notables? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 TG&Y 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 S&H Green Stamps 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 7 minutes ago, Eric said: S&H Green Stamps And several of their trading stamp competitors Top Value Quality 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 Does Foley’s still exist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 Woolworth Woolco 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 Autoshack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 (edited) General Dynamics Not really. I was thinking of companies which had merged & evolved almost away. So I'll go with Radio Shack. Edited October 11, 2020 by gwalchmai 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 Fotomat Fox Photo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 Circuit City 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 KB Toys 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 Toys R Us 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 I see General Electric on the list. Man. What happened there? THAT was a total train wreck. Everything from jet engines to blenders, to WTF? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Radio Shack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Lots of oil companies and airlines. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 9 minutes ago, tadbart said: I see General Electric on the list. Man. What happened there? THAT was a total train wreck. Everything from jet engines to blenders, to WTF? Hasn’t it been, though! Sold off their medical imaging business, their locomotive and mining equipment business, their finance arm... and probably many other things of which I’m not aware. Guess when Jack Welch left he took the magic with him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyjohnson Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Blockbuster Video. American Motors. Kodak. Somerville Lumber-they were a regional Comp. that specialized in Lumber any Species any amount any Grade it was a Great Hardware Chain they could get anything you wanted to go along with it too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 35 minutes ago, gwalchmai said: So I'll go with Radio Shack. That one hurt. I remember when you could go there and say i need three zenier diods, one Varactor diode, and a capacitor...and they would point at the way and say right there. They went from Radio Shack to The Shack. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 Xerox - they developed the point and click computer interface and did nothing with it. Apple couldn’t sue Microsoft over Windows point and click because Apple had “borrowed” it from Xerox. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 Incredible Universe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramjet38 Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Western Auto. K-Mart will be gone before long. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 11, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 11, 2020 White’s Auto. I believe Western Auto bought them out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie-pete Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 42 minutes ago, tadbart said: I see General Electric on the list. Man. What happened there? THAT was a total train wreck. Everything from jet engines to blenders, to WTF? My wife worked for GE as a purchasing agent. Luckily she retired before the downward spiral and escaped with her 401k relatively intact. What happened was ole Jack anointed that putz Immelt to succeed him and he drove it into the ground. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railfancwb Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 Automobile brands and manufacturers disappearing are legend. General Motors sold its locomotive business, which put diesel into the minds of railroad executives, its over the road trucks, its construction equipment, eliminated three major US brands, and still went bankrupt. Packard Nash Hudson Studebaker Kaiser Henry J Chrysler eliminated numerous brands over the years and was bought and sold many times Tucker - a special case And many others going back to the infancy of the industry 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 I never understood getting rid of Oldsmobile and Pontiac and keeping Buick. :sad: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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