Sidings Weekly Update #11

24 June 2004

 

BIG STRIDES MADE THIS PAST WEEK

 

 

As of June 24th, we have put 2 of the 6 sidings now planned for 2004 into service, Tracy and Sanborn.

 

1.) The Cobden siding dirt work has been completed for the west 8,000’ for   several weeks and the west switch has now been installed.  Construction will begin on Monday the 28th and will continue until completion in mid to late August.  We expect a positive result in our wetlands mitigation efforts, which will allow us to build the complete 10,000’ siding that was planned for this location.

 

¨       The west switch was installed on Wednesday the 23rd by the New Ulm section crew.  Foreman Steve Hesse directed the project.

¨       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 into 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.

 

·        The contractor selected to do the dirt work is Loiseau of Flandreau South Dakota.

·        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 were delivered to the site during the past week.

 

5.) The Elkton Siding will be extended over 4000’ to the east.  This 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. The goal of this project is to remove the restrictions that allow only empty cars and 4 axle locomotives to use the elevator and siding at this location.

 

·        LA Colo and Sons installed ties during the week of the 14th.

·        Wes Risseeuw’s tie gang, along with boom trucks operated by Ted Arndt and Jim Danburg, have removed all of the 72# rail and installed 100# rail that was recovered from the Arlington project.  This siding was put into service late the evening of the 23rd and has already been used this morning. 

·        Ballasting and surfacing will be completed by Kent Maxon’s crew within the next few weeks.  The siding and elevator will be usable even without the surfacing work being completed.