Sidings Weekly Update #26

14 October 2004

 

FLORENCE SIDING TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE TOMORROW, THE 15TH!!!!!

 

 

As of October 14, we have put 5 of the 6 sidings now planned for 2004 into service.  The 6th and last siding will be put into service tomorrow to complete the siding projects for this year.  The new sidings and extensions are Tracy, Sanborn, Elkton, De Smet, Cobden and now Florence.

 

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.

 

¨       Chad Roob’s crew has assembled the cross-over switches and we expect to install them within the next couple weeks.

 

3.) The Florence siding will be put into service tomorrow the 15th, and the BN connection portion of this project is still on schedule to be put into service no later than the end of the month.

 

¨       Mathiowetz Construction of Sleepy Eye is 100% completed on the dirt work for the entire project.

¨       The 4 switches have been delivered to the site and all have been installed by Chad Roob’s crew.  This crew installed the last switch this past Monday at MP 250.4.

¨       The Connection track is built, ballasted and has had one pass of surfacing completed on it to the wye track switch.  Wes Risseuw’s crew will complete the construction of both legs of the wye track today, the 14th, to complete the construction phase of this project.

¨       Kent Maxon’s surfacing crew will complete the final surfacing once the ballast has been placed.

¨       BN crews are installing their two mainline switches and the necessary track to attach to both of the DM&E’s legs of the wye this week.

¨       Bledsoe Rail service is completing closure welds in the switch areas as well as on the siding and connection.

 

 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!!!