Drove home from work today along US 12, which parallels the CNW line. About 5 miles west of Menomonie a large track crew was working (12-15 persons) with a variety of self propelled equipment. A section of ribbon rail had been dropped about two weeks ago at the curve where the track is closest to the highway–this is the site of a derailment in the winter about 11 years ago–this location may be called Tegarden on some timetables.
Also, there is a Sperry inspection truck at the Super 8 motel in Menomonie.
Wow, sounds like Uncle Pete is really serious about bringing some real traffic to the old route of the 400’s. It will be interesting to see if the NIMBYs along the tracks start to whine as more trains come through. I live just a couple of miles from the tracks, and would love to hear the horns anytime!!!# Day or Night!!![swg]
Guys,
Got a forwarded copy of a UP employee newsletter for the Chicago region and the Chicago to Twin Cities Roadrailers are supposed to begin around July 15 with four trips each way per week. The trains will run the route with only two crews–probably making the change at Adams, WI.
My contact at Triple Crown says the ramp is completed. They’re using it as a staging area for the RoadRailers they bring in OTR from Chicago. She doesn’t know the address of the ramp yet though. If anybody has heard or discovered where it is, please post it. They now have enough inbound traffic, but they’re looking for more out bound traffic.
I saw one TC RoadRailer westbound in I-94 near Eau Claire WI last Thursday.
Maybe I can try another hunt tomorrow. Drake Street in St Paul might be a good place to look. That’s where they do their auto unloading, and It’s not far from the Ford plant, if that’s their big customer. WE WILL FIND THIS THING!!![swg]
Little more on this…service is supposed to start next month, with dedicated pools for the crews (two crews to make the trip, instead of the usual four). The reason the UP line was chosen is apparently that it has the capacity, which BNSF, CN, and CP seem to lack.
Anyone else hear the rumor about Triple Crown service eventually coming to Madison, Wisconsin? UP would be utilized again, and it would require them to take back their line between Janesville and Madison (which is currently leased to Wisconsin & Southern).
I hate to admit this, but I have yet to see a train of Roadrailers on NS! (I’ve seen a couple of the units on Amtrak trains, and remember well the ones that were on the C&O in Michigan in the 1960s, but these trains are going to be as much of an eye-opener for me as they are for a lot of folks on this end of the UP.) Can’t wait!
The Adams Sub is getting more work today, a section of track washed out by Randolph after the 9+ inches of rain that fell around here wednesday night. If that wasn’t bad enough it rained all day thursday as well. Haven’t heard a total yet but more on the way for tonight.
CShaveRR, I am just curious about the rumor with Triple Crown running into Madison. I don’t see any need for it since the GM plant is in Janesville. I’m sure the liberals in Madison would have a fit if there was any more train traffic.
The Adams Sub is getting more work today, a section of track washed out by Randolph after the 9+ inches of rain that fell around here wednesday night. If that wasn’t bad enough it rained all day thursday as well. Haven’t heard a total yet but more on the way for tonight.
CShaveRR, I am just curious about the rumor with Triple Crown running into Madison. I don’t see any need for it since the GM plant is in Janesville. I’m sure the liberals in Madison would have a fit if there was any more train traffic.
It has always amazed me that liberals complain the loudest when prosperity doesn’t come in a form that is politically correct to their way of thinking. - GO-FIGURE[?][%-)]
I drive I-94 every day between Kenosha and Milwaukee, and I have begun to see tractor/trailers with the NS black horse emblem on the cab; I had not seen those until recently, so perhaps TwinModal is seeing the same trucks as I do.
What I do not understand, is if there is already trailer traffic travelling this route on the highway, why does it take over two months to “start the service”?
I don’t know who the big customer(s) would be if service to Madison were instituted. It doesn’t have to be auto parts. Mention of this possibility was made by someone who should have his ear to the ground, but I’m considering it only a rumor until we hear something a little more definitive.
My guess is that you are seeing Triple Crown freight moving between their Chicago terminal and points in Wisconsin. On occasion, I have seen Triple Crown vans in Delavan.
It appears that the start-up is awaiting completion of work on track a facilities. Obviously, this is in competition with over-the-road truck service. It isn’t going to sell unless the train’s running time is competitive. Given the bucks involved, it is a good idea to have all the ducks in order before start-up.
What intrigues me is the possibility that there could be a terminal set-up in the Milwaukee area, say at Butler Yard. Anyone with ideas about that?
They are definitly in the Twin Cities. Yesterday I was behind one south bound on I35E until I got off on exit 85 on I35 in Lakeview. A few days ago there were 3 at a place that cleans trailers in Roseville.
I was by South Beaver Dam, WI today on the Adams Sub and noticed track lying along the roadbed so I stopped to take a look. Looks like they will be putting in 136lb welded rail to replace the 115lb jointed track. Not sure where they will start or fini***his project, I didn’t have time to see how much they had on the ground. Its nice to see more upgrades, and hopefully more traffic, to this line.
The Minneapolis terminal for the Triple Crown RoadRailer service will be 525 Kasota in Minneapolis. Just a couple blocks west of MN280.
I stopped by there today and there was a truck delivering portable office space trailers. There is freshly graded fill dirt, a line of MofW cars loaded with ballast and a couple of incomplete track switch panels laying on the ground.
There as also an old K-Line 40’ container retro fitted with an a/c, windows and doors. It was painted with UP logo & colors and marked “Northern Tie”
I have heard the first RoadRailer trains to/from Mpls are planned to be distpatched on July 12th.
Maybe some one out there with a contact in UP operations can discover what the schedule will be.
Don’t want to burst anyones bubble, but triple crown trains grow old pretty fast, from an observers POV…
The first dozen you see are “novel” and new, but after that…every train seems just like the last, since they don’t mix them with other cars,…and usually one loco is more than enough to pull the whole string.
They are pretty impressive on how quick they accelerate from a dead stop though
Too bad the CNW sold off the big yard at Bain. That would have been a good spot for a terminal (3 miles from I-94, halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee). Back when I was on the CNW, the employees kept trying to convince the railroad that Bain would have been a good spot for a “Global 3 or 4”. But alas, to no avail.[sigh]
(p.s.–Bain is just off of Hwy K on the west side of Kenosha. It used to have 16 long tracks that AMC used to load it’s autos, with acres of (still) unused land to expand in to)