Most of the Eastern U.S. has been battered by artic cold, snowstorms, and flooding, and that’s deservedly gotten plenty of media coverage. However, in the northern Midwest, Wisconsin is also experiencing dangerous cold temperatures far below normal.
Most Wisconsinites take pride in their ability to handle the cold, but they don’t do it without help. Two of the biggest helpers are road salt and propane, and the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR) and Watco Terminal and Port Services (WTPS) recently started handling these commodities.
“Both of those products, road salt and propane, up here, because it is so cold, are considered safety products and they are absolutely necessary in the winter,” said WSOR commercial director Jason Murphree.
WTPS Madison kicked off road salt operations in November 2017 and is capable of storing up to 80,000 tons, or about 800 rail cars, of the product. The facility is rail-served by the WSOR and, so far, has unloaded about 20,000 tons. The salt is stockpiled at the facility and loaded onto trucks for private snow removal services, various area municipalities, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to make road safe to travel in the winter in southern Wisconsin. So far, more than 100 trucks have been loaded for final delivery.
“Road salt keeps everything going up here in the winter,” Murphree said. “Without it, the roads would be impassible, the economy up here would shut down because nobody would safely be able to get to and from work. So it really keeps the economy moving in the northern Midwest in the winter months.”
Propane also helps keep the winter chill at bay, and the WSOR has two new propane Customers. Both Customers are shipping in loaded tank cars to distribution centers on the WSOR. Propane is used to heat a lot of homes in Wisconsin and many companies have propane heat as a backup in case their electric heat goes out or isn’t enough. During severe cold snaps in Wisconsin, a propane shortage can be created, with dangerous outcomes. There are a few pipelines that feed the state, but when it’s really cold for a prolonged period of time, those pipelines reach capacity and can’t meet demand.
“Because it’s so cold up here, if you go without heat for even a day you can have major damage to your facilities and unsafe conditions for people,” Murphree said. “What this does, is it ensures a supply of propane to the state, regardless of the capacity of the pipelines.”
The first Customer, based near McFarland, has been open about a year and receives around 300 loads annually. The newest Customer, in Waldo, is brand new and Murphree expects them to ship 200-300 tank cars each year.
Both of these moves are helping to winterize Wisconsin, and at the same time, they’re winterizing Watco as well. In the colder months, high volume commodities like construction materials and grain slow down, or stop shipping altogether due to the freezing temps. Propane and road salt ship in higher volume for the winter months, keeping WSOR and WTPS volume steady during that time.
“Historically, all the road salt for Wisconsin has come in through the waterways (Mississippi River and Lake Michigan). This is the first time anyone has ever railed in road salt in this state that we’re aware of, and we expect it to be a great benefit to both the State of Wisconsin and Watco,” Murphree said. “It’s not the first time that propane has been railed into Wisconsin, but it’s the first time that it’s been done successfully on the WSOR and we are glad we get to participate in this exciting market with our valued Customers moving forward.”