11 March 2009
DM&E to Replace Area Rail This Year
The Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern
line.
Rochester New York USA - They'll be working on the
railroad here, just as soon as spring arrives.
Replacement rail has been delivered to stretches along the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern line, including just west of Rochester.
About 35.2 miles of the 98-mile subdivision between Winona and Waseca is slated for rail replacement this spring and
summer, said railroad spokesman Mike LoVecchio.
"Once the weather warms up a little, work will get under way," he said.
The new rail will be a heavy-weight, 136-pound rail, the standard-sized rail DM&E now sets
on its line, LoVecchio said. (The weight measurement refers to the standard weight of three feet of the rail.)
The rail also will be continuous-welded, meaning the ends of the individual segments will be welded together, making a
line that runs smoother, and is stronger and longer-lasting than conventional rail lines.
Besides new rails, the installation will include four tons of new ballast (rocks) under parts of the line, and equipment that senses
excess heat levels in wheel bearings on passing train cars. The equipment, called hot box detectors, alerts the train conductor and
the operations center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, if a wheel is running too hot. It's a safety measure, LoVecchio said.
The installation work will employ 50 to 60 people, a combination of railroad employees and hired contractors. Because contracts with
the outside firms aren't yet final, LoVecchio declined to say whether any of the hired workers will be local
people.
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