Railroad Projects This Spring
Numerous structures on the WSOR line between Prairie du Chien, Wauzeka, Boscobel and Madison will, or have been, repaired or replaced. (Photo by Ted Pennekamp)
Several railroad projects for
2017 in Prairie du Chien area
By Ted Pennekamp
Numerous railroad projects are in the works for the Prairie du Chien and Wauzeka areas this spring and summer and will be conducted by the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR).
WSOR Director of Government Relations Ken Lucht said that installation of new jointed rail on St. Feriole Island is a state rehabilitation project funded 80 percent by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and 20 percent by Wisconsin and Southern Railroad. A contractor has been selected and will begin construction in June of 2017 with an August estimated completion date.
The project will include replacement of rail, crossings and turnouts on the island to achieve 286,000 pounds of gross weight on rail. From St. Feriole Island near Water Street and the public boat landing to Wells Street, the old jointed rail will be replaced with new jointed rail.
“Due to the relatively low speeds and short distance, it was indeed more cost effective to use new jointed rail versus new continuous welded rail,” said Lucht. “All turnouts to Wauzeka will also be replaced. This project will use a local contractor using domestic materials to achieve modern rail loading standards (or 286K). The benefits will be safety first and foremost. Economic competitiveness for businesses and rail customers in the Prairie du Chien area will be enhanced and railroad efficiencies will be improved. Total cost of this project will be $2.2 million.”
An ongoing project will be to replace old, worn out rail with new and better rail between Prairie du Chien and Madison.
“Our long-term priority is to remove all the 100 plus-year-old joint rail between Prairie du Chien and Madison and replace it with 115-pound continuous welded rail,” said Lucht. “This existing rail is over 100 years old and way beyond its useful life.”
Several bridges between Prairie du Chien and Madison will also be repaired or replaced. “The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad also partnered with WisDOT to replace and repair bridges on the Prairie Subdivision between Madison and Prairie du Chien,” said Lucht. “Working as WisDOT’s General Contractor, WSOR recently completed repairs to seven structures between Prairie du Chien and Boscobel. These repairs were necessary in order to keep this line in service and able to handle 286,000-pound loads. WisDOT and WSOR also completed repairs to eight other structures between Boscobel and Madison, again to maintain service to all rail customers along the line and to maintain 286,000-pound weight carrying capacity.” One of these structures that was repaired was Bridge 348, west of Wauzeka and near Bridgeport, noted Lucht. This project included replacement of stringers and caps and cost approximately $200,000.
A large bridge project near Wauzeka should be coming up within the next couple of years. Lucht said that Bridge 316 east of Wauzeka is the largest railroad structure near Wauzeka. This project has not been funded yet, but is on WSOR’s priority list for the upcoming two years. Lucht said complete replacement is necessary and will cost close to $8 million. The WSOR is working closely with WisDOT to re-prioritize replacement of this bridge in order to avoid any future service interruptions, said Lucht.
A large project that was completed in 2016 was the replacement of Bridge 318 over the Kickapoo River. This is a 360-foot-long bridge. The final cost exceeded $2 million and was jointly funded by a WisDOT grant and the WSOR.
After capital improvements such as the ones listed above are completed, the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad is 100 percent responsible for on-going maintenance.
“Our maintenance plan over our entire system includes routine track inspections, spot tie replacement, crossing maintenance, weed and brush control, drainage management, and maintenance of active and passive warning devices among others,” said Lucht. “In 2016, the WSOR spent approximately $12.5 million on maintenance of track and structures alone. The short-line railroad industry is one of the most capital intensive industries in the world, spending up to 25 cents out of every dollar of revenue on track and bridge maintenance.”
