Napoleon, Defiance and Western: The Definitive Thread

[wildcatsa1fan]

Gettysburg moved this weekend from siding to mainline! Tank car that was with it now gone!! Followed them last week for a few minutes watching the rail wave in front and under the cars!! Track speeds up but not a safe way of doing things! Systech really busy this time of year with rail!! We have currently 12 tank cars here at plant!!

[AARR]

Would you happen to know what arrives in the tank cars and what its used for?

[JoJames]

Would you happen to know what arrives in the tank cars and what its used for?

If Systech is the operation by Lafarge it would be hazardous material that can be burnt for a heat source on the cement making operation. Discarded paint is one of the things I always heard was used as a fuel source.

[wildcatsa1fan]

Not really discarded paint but we use anything that has btu value. For example is proctor gamble cleans a line with a substance we can burn and isn't to much water we will use it. We've burned perfume and lifesaver candy cleanings. Lol

In the next months we are gonna start shipping cement by rail again. Haven't done that consistently since 1995. Look for pressure differential cars in the next few weeks to appear on our sidings.

[Robertrains]

No track has been replaced, for all the work pioneer has done the trackage is still abysmal and derailments are still commonplace just not quite as common as under the MAW

I thought they were "Rebuilding the Track!" What all has been done so far? I know they have had workers fixing the line these last few months! I saw a train in Napoleon, Sat. March 16—I didn't get the best pix though! I want to get some good shots of trains running on the worst sections of track! Any recommendations?

My goal is to get pix like this before the track is all rebuilt (photo by Michael Harding):
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/422389

[MagnumForce]

Rail is 80 pound stick rail from 1903, it has not been replaced. They have replaced a lot of ties, trimmed a lot of trees, and that is pretty much it. Track is horrible everywhere.

[nictd1000]

PREX 3054 is working in Defiance right now.

[MagnumForce]

As it is everyday

[AARR]

Thanks for the info on Systech. Its interesting what they can burn at cement plants.

Im told that railroads can get by on lighter rail if they have good roadbed surface. Nevertheless 110 year old 80lbs rail seems less than stellar for 125 ton engines and 100 ton rail cars.

[MSchwiebert]

My guess is that they have to get things stabilized tie wise before moving to rail replacement. No point in putting down new rail if there's just rotted splinters to spike it to.

Rail is 80 pound stick rail from 1903, it has not been replaced. They have replaced a lot of ties, trimmed a lot of trees, and that is pretty much it. Track is horrible everywhere.

[wildcatsa1fan]

My hope is that they(pioneer) will do what Indiana Northeastern Railroad did at Angola, In and replace a lot of rail!! That system looks amazing from what I saw this weekend!!

[MagnumForce]

The INER /HCRC was never anywhere close to as bad as the MAW. There is no roadbed left to speak of.

[wildcatsa1fan]

No it wasn't but Pioneer could use what they've(INER) done as an example of what to do!! That rail through Pleasant Lake is just amazing now compared to two years ago!!

[Buster Manning]

The INER /HCRC was never anywhere close to as bad as the MAW. There is no roadbed left to speak of.

I don't know about that; having worked at the HCRC during their later years and being with the INER practically at their startup, I can tell you that it was just as bad. Lots of places there was only 1 or 2 good ties per rail length, no ditches to speak of, lots of broken bars and rail, brush rubbing the sides of equipment, severe cross-level at a couple of places (thank you HCRC for pocketing the money instead of fixing up the rr). The IN has done a outstanding job of fixing the railroad; not trying to sound like a Richard, but it took them 20 years of continued investment in the trackage to get to this point. I'm bettin' that Pioneer will fix their trackage enough to allow for the safe movement of trains and then stop spending as much money as they have been and start pocketing the profits.

[MagnumForce]

I don't know if you have seen the MAW / NDW in person but I think you are underestimating just how bad it is / was.

[Notch 8]

I'm with Brent on this as the track on the ND&W is toast ! You can stuff all the ties under that track you want and it is still a short term fix, However I do hope they make a go at it at their New Venture of the ND&W as a slow train is better to watch than no train at all !

[wildcatsa1fan]

Gettysburg moved to Ag-plus siding nice and out of the way!! Crew work till 6 last night switching in new cars at the plant!! Systech really busy with rail this time of the year!

[rrboomer]

You got to start with ties to hold the rail in gauge, then you got to get rid of the worst low spots and improve cross level. The rail is so kinked from lack of maintenance that it will break were the worst low spots were once it is raised. Next problem is finding any 80lb rail the to replace broken rails, there likely isn't any. So they've got to play the "Take out a piece of scrap and replace it with a different piece of scrap" game. With the track somewhat raised they may have problem of sun kinks on hot days too.

Eventually it'll come around, it's a process with no instant cure, just continuous headaches.

rrb

[NoviRailfan]

Isn't one of the major problems is that the soil in much of this area is less than stable? You can put down all the stone you want but if the ground's no good...

[MagnumForce]

My house doesn't sink if that's what you mean...

Soil is plenty stable here now, maybe not so when the MAW was laid down in the 1850's though.