System-Wide Weekly Update #30

11 November 2004

 

         

          This past week has been one where the engineering forces on both properties have mainly been concerned with getting our final pass surfacing completed for the year and doing normal winter preparations.

          The eleven surfacing crews on the two properties have surfaced nearly 790 pass miles this year and will continue to surface until freeze up.  At year’s end the total pass miles of surfacing on the two properties will far exceed the 800 miles we originally projected and we will also exceed 255,000 tons of ballast being unloaded.

          As far as the major program work we have still ongoing across the two properties we have the LA Colo tie crew which is over half way completed in their 10,000 tie project on Track 1 between Moseby Jct and Birmingham.  We expect this project to reach it’s conclusion by the middle of next week concluding the IC&E’s tie program for the 2004 year.

          Wes Risseeuw’s DM&E tie crew is nearly three-quarters finished on their 7,000 tie project near Midland SD.  This project is also expected to be completed next week and this will conclude the DM&E’s tie program for the 2004 season.

          Steve Koser’s curve rail crew has been making excellent progress replacing worn rail in curves with new premium, head hardened continuous welded rail, which will give us longer and better service.  The curve replacement project will last through the second week of December.

  Jim Nemec’s tie crew will be finishing up their last tie project over the next couple weeks.  This project involves installing about 2,000 ties in the Wasta area.

          Rick Hanson, Track Supervisor at Rapid City, has been supervising the installation of 4 new switches, removal of 6 old switches and the rebuild of several hundred feet of track at Colony.  This project is nearly 75% complete.

          The Florence siding and connection is getting the final surfacing done today and will be completely ready for use by Friday the 5th.  This connection with the BN Rail Road will provide new and improved service opportunities to customers on both systems.

         

           

¨       Equipment problems have been very minor and have not been delaying any of the projects.

¨       All track ties have been received on both properties and have been unloaded at the needed sites.  Ties will soon start being delivered for the 2005 programs

¨       The E-80 bridge crews currently have three crews working on bridges on the Tracy, Huron and PRC subs

¨       LG Everist and New Ulm Quartzite Quarry have done an excellent job supplying this year’s ballast.