Ties Monthly Update #2

24, May 2006

 

FOUR OF NINE MAJOR PROJECTS ALREADY COMPLETED.  TIE CREWS ALL PREFORMING UP TO EXPECTATIONS!

 

Tie crews on both properties are busy again in 2006 with over 155,000 ties scheduled to be installed.  DM&E and IC&E crews are scheduled to install 120,000 of these ties and the LA Colo tie crew will be installing the last 35,000.  For the first time, the DM&E has combined manpower and equipment to develop a 25 man tie crew, similar to what is used on the IC&E for better efficiency and better use of track time.  All three of these tie crews started on April 3rd with summaries of their accomplishments to date and future plans listed below:    

 

¨       The DM&E tie gang, with Foreman Wes Rissuew completed the first project of 10,000 ties west of Huron SD on the Pierre sub in early May.  The crew’s equipment was loaded up on the IC&E’s equipment flat cars and the Brandt truck hauled the equipment to Chadron for the next project of the 2006 season.

¨       Wes’ crew started their second scheduled project of the year, nearly 14,000 ties on the lower Black Hills and Crawford sub, on May 15 and are over one third done as this page gets updated.  We expect this project to be completed before the end of May.

¨       After the Crawford lower Black Hills sub ties are installed, this crew will move to the Midland area of the PRC where they will install nearly 30,000 ties from Midland heading westward.

¨       The last DM&E project is a 17,000 tie project between Rochester and Lewiston that is scheduled for later in the year.

¨       The IC&E tie gang with Foreman John Thulen, completed their first major project of the year, the installation of over 20,000 ties on the Marquette sub between Marquette and Guttenberg.  They have now moved to the River sub to install 8,000 ties on the main and various spur tracks in that area.

¨       The last major tie project now scheduled for the IC&E tie crew will be the installation of 17,000 ties on the KC sub near Ottumwa.  When that tie project is completed, Mr. Thulen’s crew will begin several weeks of installing rail in curves on the IC&E.  The curve program will last well into the 3rd quarter of 2006.

¨       The LA Colo crew has completed two tie projects for us so far this year.  They have installed 10,000 ties on the Owatonna sub and 12,500 ties on the east end of the Mason City sub.  This crew has temporarily left the properties and will return later to complete projects on the west end of the Mason City and Chicago subs, and may help us in other areas too.

¨       All ties are delivered and unloaded on site for the year’s current scheduled needs.