Rail Monthly Update

7, February 2007

 

 

 

SIX MAJOR RAIL PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR 2007 PRODUCTION SEASON!!  NEARLY ONE-HUNDRED & SEVENTEEN MILES OF CWR TO BE INSTALLED ON THE TWO PROPERTIES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON.

 

Six major projects will headline the 2007 production year. They are on the Black Hills sub between Colony, WY and Sturgis, SD; PRC sub between Rapid City and Wasta, SD; Tracy sub between Sleepy Eye, MN and Mankato, MN; Mason City sub west of Algona, IA; Marquette sub north of Dubuque, IA and Marquette sub between Samoa and Bellevue, IA. There will also be a curve program to replace worn CWR and jointed rail in over 60 curves on the IC&E. Along with these CWR projects there are over 60 new turnouts scheduled to be installed in 2007 and some of these turnouts are scheduled to have power assisted switch machines to increase the efficiency of the properties.

 

¨       A thirty mile project of new and used 115# CWR is scheduled to start between Colony, WY and Sturgis, SD on Monday April 9th. This project will eliminate all jointed rail from the main line north of Rapid City and will install 17 new turnouts. The contractor for this project will be Railworks, the same group that installed ties in this area last year.

 

¨       A twenty-two mile project between Rapid City and Wasta and the installation of 10 turnouts is scheduled to also begin on April 9th. The contractor for this project has not been selected at this time, but should be finalized within the next two weeks

 

¨       We are also scheduled to install 22 miles of rail between Sleepy Eye, MN and Mankato, MN in 2007.  Along with the rail there will be 10 new turnouts installed in this corridor. The final selection of this contractor should be made within the month.

 

¨       The next scheduled CWR project is one of seven and one/half miles just west of Algona, IA. This new 115# CWR will also include the installation of 4 new turnouts and is scheduled for a June or July installation by a contractor or own crew.

 

¨       A Marquette sub project north of Dubuque, IA will include the installation of about 8 miles of new 136# rail and is scheduled for early May. This project will eliminate the jointed rail between Dubuque and Marquette.  Final selection of contractor will occur within the next couple weeks.

 

¨       Another Marquette sub project of 15 miles of new 136# CWR will eliminate the jointed rail between Dubuque and Samoa, IA this project also includes installation of new Power assisted switches at Green Island to increase efficiency in this location.

 

¨       The total number of turnouts that will be installed with the cwr programs as well as other projects is now scheduled to be sixty-seven for the 2007 season.