Sidings Weekly Update #10

17 June 2004

 

2004 SIDING WORK PROGRESSING

 

 

As of June 17, we have put 1 of the 6 sidings now planned for 2004 into service.

 

1.) The Cobden siding dirt work has been completed for the west 8,000’ for   several weeks and the west switch has now been delivered and has been assembled on site.  It will be installed the week of the 21st with construction of the siding to start the week after that.  We expect a positive result in our wetlands mitigation efforts, which will allow us to build a 10,000’ siding at this location.

 

¨       The west switch is scheduled for installation on Wednesday the 23rd by the New Ulm section crew, under foreman Steve Hesse’s direction.

¨       Tie delivery will be completed by the end of the month and will not affect the construction.

¨       All track material is on site in preparation for the construction to begin. 

¨       Track construction is to begin on the 28th of June with tie gang employee Darrin Legare leading the construction process with the aid of boom truck operators Ted Arndt and Tim Meyer.

 

 

2.) The Tracy siding was put in service on Thursday the 6th of May and continues to perform up to the transportation department’s expectations.

 

¨       We expect to install the crossovers later in July to complete the project, but the new pass is usable without the crossovers being installed.

 

 

3.) The negotiations on the Florence siding continue to move forward and we expect a final agreement very soon. We still expect to receive an agreement soon enough to complete this project during this work season.

 

 4.) The De Smet Siding extension was approved in late May.  This project will extend the siding nearly 4000’ westward from the current west switch location.

 

·        A dirt contractor has been selected and dirt work will begin right after the 4th of July holiday with completion expected by the end of the month.

·        The switch is ordered and delivery is expected by late July or early August.

·        Switch installation and track construction are scheduled to begin shortly after the completion of the dirt work.

·        Rail and OTM have been recovered from the Arlington CWR project and delivered to the site this past week.

 

5.) The Elkton Siding will be extended over 4000’ to the east and will help with congestion and will enable the meeting of longer trains.

 

·        Dirt work that started on the 17th  of May is now completed and the location is ready for material distribution and eventual construction.

·        A new switch for the east end is ordered and will be delivered by the end of July.

·        Ties have been ordered and loaded in gondolas and will be delivered shortly.

·        Rail and OTM that has been recovered from the Volga/Lake Preston project will be delivered and stored on site ready for the construction.

 

6.) The Sanborn Siding project involves renewing over ½ the ties in the current siding and changing the rail as well as adding ballast and surfacing.

 

·        LA Colo and Sons installed ties over the past week.

·        Wes Risseeuw’s tie crew will be on site the week of the 21st to remove the 72# rail and install 100# rail that was recovered from the Arlington project.    

·        Ballasting and surfacing will be completed soon after the rail is installed and we expect this project to be fully completed by early to mid July.