Rail Weekly Update #20

26 August 2004

 

 

 

IC&E CWR PROJECTS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS

 

 

As of August 26th, we had installed just over 84 of the roughly 97 track miles to be completed by November 19th.   It appears we will meet or beat that schedule.  The LA Colo crew began installing CWR on the IC&E near Calmar, Iowa last week and will expect to complete that 15 track miles by early September.  The IC&E CWR crew, under foreman Steve Koser’s guidance, also began installing about 9 track miles of CWR on curves across the entire IC&E system this week and will install rail nearly through the end of the year.  Mr. Koser’s crew has completed the Mason City sub portion of the curve project and the Marquette sub portion last week and will complete the Chicago sub portion today, the 26th of August.  The Koser crew is nearly 1/3rd done with their portion of the 2004 CWR project.

 

 

 

¨       All tie, crossing, and bridge work is completed on the first stretch of CWR between Sleepy Eye and Springfield and final surfacing will be coordinated with the completion of the Cobden siding which is now expected to be completed by the second full week of September.

¨       Chad Roob’s crossing gang has been busy completing the crossings on the Volga to Lake Preston portion of the CWR project and has nearly completed these crossings.  When this is completed, this crew will finish all of the crossings on the last stretch of CWR between Garvin and Verdi.  Earl Ruchdaschael’s surfacing crew has been assisting in this crossing effort as well as doing out of face surfacing in the area.

¨       Mike Anderson is overseeing the effort as we continue to use several cranes to clean up the OTM and scrap rail in the last stretch of CWR on the DM&E between Garvin and Verdi. 

¨       The last remaining rail train for this year’s projects (80,000 feet) was unloaded on Monday the 23rd in the Calmar area. 

¨       Welding crews are making all of the closure welds and the welds in all of the switches and should complete all of the welding on the Calmar project within a week after the completion of the CWR laying.

¨       Randy Parmenter’s crossing gang has been extremely busy installing crossing in the Calmar CWR area in preparation for the completion of the entire project.  Remington Hills’ surfacing crew has been assisting this effort

¨       The clean up effort on the Calmar CWR is just beginning and will be completed in front of the final surfacing.