Sidings Weekly Update #20

26 August 2004

 

 DE SMET SIDING EXTENSION PUT INTO SERVICE!!

 

 

As of August 26th we have put 4 of the 6 sidings now planned for 2004 into service, Tracy, Sanborn, Elkton AND De Smet.  Cobden siding is expected to be completed early in September, and Florence is on schedule for October.

 

1.) The Cobden siding track work is now about 75% complete.

 

¨       Track construction started on June 28th.  Over 7,000 feet of track has been completely built.

¨       The siding has been put into service as a 4,500 foot stub track until the final extension is completed.

¨       Dirt work on the last 3000’ will be completed by Friday the 27th, and crews will be assembled to complete the siding by the end of the second week of September.

 

 

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

 

¨       The cross-over switches will be assembled next week and installed in mid-September.

 

 

3.) The Florence siding construction is on schedule for completion by the end of October.

 

¨       Mathiowetz Construction of Sleepy Eye started on their dirt work on August 2nd and has completed the connection portion of the project. We expect all of the dirt work to be completed by the end of September.

¨       Material is on order and will be arriving over the next few weeks.

¨       The Connection and siding are expected to be in service by the end of October.

¨       The first two switches will be inspected next week and delivered shortly thereafter, and the last two switches will follow soon after.

 

 

 4.) The De Smet Siding extension was approved in late May.  This project will extend the siding nearly 4,000 feet westward from the current west switch location.

 

·        The dirt work started on Monday the 26th and was completed last week

·        The new west switch was installed on August 5th.  Track has been constructed and ballast was dumped the 26th.

·        Siding extension was put into service on Friday the 20th!!!

·        The new siding will have final surfacing completed shortly.

 

5.) The Elkton Siding has been extended over 4,000 feet to the east and was put into service on the 28th of July.  This will help with congestion and will enable the meeting of longer trains.  Total length of Elkton siding is now 8200’.

 

 

6.) The Sanborn Siding project involved renewing over ˝ the ties in the current siding and elevator tracks and changing the rail as well as adding ballast and surfacing.  This removed restrictions that allowed only empty cars and four-axle locomotives to use these tracks.  The track was put back into service on June 23rd!!

 

·        Project is 100% completed!!!