Pere Marquette Date Nails
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:27 am
Did the Pere Marquette place date nails in the ties? I have been looking for ages but I have come up with ZERO. Did they just not place them or are they just rare?
Best bet is to find an old pile of removed ties lying along the ROW. There are not many left as the environmental regulators have pushing the railroads to remove such piles.kd_1014 wrote:Did the Pere Marquette place date nails in the ties? I have been looking for ages but I have come up with ZERO. Did they just not place them or are they just rare?
Used railroad ties, like most other things, are regulated as solid waste once they have been removed. Most states have very similar rules driven by federal mandates. Most states limit the amount of time that “regulated” solid waste can be stored prior to disposal. I found a useful article from the Missouri DNR discussing the subject. https://dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub196.htmSteve B wrote:Railroads often get rid of unusable ties by selling them to powerplants. I don't recall hearing anything about regulators harassing railroads about piles of ties on the R/W. Can you provide a source?
Tell those inspectors to go down to the Michigan Southern, massive piles of them laying around in Sturgis.Trainman2223 wrote:https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/10/p ... 00_fo.html
https://www.masslive.com/news/2017/01/s ... il_ti.html
Most are "forced" to remove piles of ties due to fire hazard.
There are a few story's about environmental issues ( creosote & Chromated copper arsenate) and increased risk to the health and safety of the public or first responders.
Ect, Ect.
I am not sure that meets my definition of an operating railroad.MQT1223 wrote:Tell those inspectors to go down to the Michigan Southern, massive piles of them laying around in Sturgis.
Sounds good, thanks. Is the Verplanks in Ferrysburg the old track that's still in place at the boiler factory near Spring Lake or is it another place?EWRice wrote:The closest you may be able to find is near Michigan Shore's ROW.
The line to the old papermill in Lakeside
The ties still laying in position for the old siding at Pontaluna Rd. (NE corner of crossing between tracks and driveway)
Siding into Verplanks in Ferrysburg.
Siding in front of Grand Haven depot.
Siding from OCRC to Heybor excavating at Hayes St.
The landscape ties I picked up from North yard years back didn't have date nails in them, but one had a small stamped sign nailed to it that said "Re check your lineup". Too short for a switch tie. Always wondered where that would have been used.
Rodger, did the GTW use date nails or no?EWRice wrote:The remaining track at the boiler shop is off the old GTW, as is the track under US31 and to the west of the Spring Lake off ramp. Verplanks track is between the swing bridge and 3rd st west of the main. I believe this used to be for Construction Aggregates back in the day.
Yes they did per the note above about the Ex GTW from Lowell Grand River eastward to the county line. There were, at one time, a lot of date nails going up the hill on the now MQT line...Lameroux on up northward...but I assume they were replaced by CSX when we did a large tie replacement a few years back..well 10 plus maybe anyway.kd_1014 wrote:Rodger, did the GTW use date nails or no?EWRice wrote:The remaining track at the boiler shop is off the old GTW, as is the track under US31 and to the west of the Spring Lake off ramp. Verplanks track is between the swing bridge and 3rd st west of the main. I believe this used to be for Construction Aggregates back in the day.
Thanks for the info.Doktor No wrote:Yes they did per the note above about the Ex GTW from Lowell Grand River eastward to the county line. There were, at one time, a lot of date nails going up the hill on the now MQT line...Lameroux on up northward...but I assume they were replaced by CSX when we did a large tie replacement a few years back..well 10 plus maybe anyway.kd_1014 wrote:Rodger, did the GTW use date nails or no?EWRice wrote:The remaining track at the boiler shop is off the old GTW, as is the track under US31 and to the west of the Spring Lake off ramp. Verplanks track is between the swing bridge and 3rd st west of the main. I believe this used to be for Construction Aggregates back in the day.