Sidings Weekly Update #24

1 October 2004

 

 5 New sidings now in service!!!

 

 

As of October 1 we have put 5 of the 6 sidings now planned for 2004 into service. They are Tracy, Sanborn, Elkton, De Smet and now Cobden.

 

1.) The Cobden siding track work is now 100% complete.

¨       The siding was put into “full” service as a 9900’ siding on Thursday the 16th 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 in late September and installed later in the year when we have a surfacing crew close to the area.

 

 

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

 

¨       Mathiowetz Construction of Sleepy Eye started on their portion of the dirt work on August 2nd and completed the connection portion in late August.  All dirt work is 100% completed.

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

¨       The first 4 switches were inspected earlier in Seattle and have been delivered to the site.

¨       The connection switch to the DM&E main line at MP 247.8 was installed on Monday the 13th and the “wye” switch on the connection track was assembled in place on Friday the 10th.

¨       The Connection track is built to the wye track switch and had ballast dumped on it Tuesday the 28th in preparation of the first pass surfacing which will be completed later this week.  The connection is approximately 75% completed.

¨       Wes Risseeuw’s tie crew, assisted by crane operator Lynn, Boom Truck operators Danburg, and Kellar and contractor Dave Moriarty, are now working on the siding track at Florence and have over 75% of the ties distributed and 25% of the rail laid.  This siding is about 30% completed and should be very close to being ready for the switches to be installed and ballast by the end of next week.

 

 

 4.) The De Smet Siding extension was put into service on the 20th of August.

¨        This extension is now 100% completed

 

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 has helped with congestion and will enable the meeting of longer trains.  Total length of Elkton siding is now 8200’.

¨        Extension is 100% completed!!!

 

6.) The Sanborn Siding project involved renewing over ½ 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!!!