On a mild fall day in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR) hosted a group of state and local government officials to tour the flood-ravaged area that was affected by the string of severe storms that occurred August 21-22, 2018.
Onboard the Stone-Gardner theatre car and the Northern Plains dormitory car, and powered by WSOR 3928, officials from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and members of the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission (WRRTC) were treated to a ride along the rails of the WSOR’s Prairie Subdivision. In total, over 40 people attended, including WisDOT Deputy Secretary Bob Seitz and Chief Engineer Joe Nestler, as well as WRRTC Chairman Alan Sweeny. WisDOT and WRRTC own the land and track that WSOR operates on, and were instrumental in working together with WSOR to return this section of track to service.
WSOR bridge rupervisor David Bierman explaining the importance of preventative maintenance for bridge structures and also addressing the long-term needs for the bridge over the Wisconsin River at Spring Green.
The group traveled the recently repaired track and were shown first-hand the extent of damage caused by the severe storms. They were able to see the challenges the WSOR Team faced and put their response into perspective.
At a total cost of was approximately $1.6 million, the WSOR Team rallied to restore service to the entire segment in only 28 days. Approximately 26 miles of WSOR’s Prairie Sub, between Arena and Shorewood Hills, Wisc., were affected by the severe storms. More than 85 wash-outs occurred, causing more than 6,000 feet of track to be inoperable. With the help of WisDOT and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, the WSOR received a state grant of $750,000 toward the repairs. The repairs included replacement of 1,275 ties, 34,850 tons of fill material, 8,330 tons of new ballast, and 12 new culvert pipes in five different locations.
The business train paused at Mazomanie for a 45-minute tour of Plastic Ingenuity, one of WSOR’s Customers along the affected area. Plastic Ingenuity is one of the largest custom thermoformers in North America, and leads the nation in innovative packaging solutions that encompass every stage of packaging design and manufacturing.
“Watco applauds Plastic Ingenuity for its leadership within their industry and wishes them continued success for years to come,” said Ken Lucht, AVP government and industry relations. “Watco is pleased to be their primary service provider for inbound plastic resins and is committed to providing the best service possible in order to accommodate further growth in the future.”
Plastic Ingenuity’s Mike Whitish discussing their reliance on freight rail and the process for which plastic resins leave the rail cars and enter their facility at Mazomanie, Wisc.
The Watco executive business cars are stationed on the WSOR in Madison, Wisc., and are available for events throughout the Watco network. We’re fortunate to have two highly-qualified attendants that oversee the maintenance and operations of the business cars. George Falor and Jerry Lapidakis provide exceptional service to Watco and the WSOR, and we’re grateful for their professionalism and dedication to the Team.
Several members of the WSOR Team joined the ride, including superintendent of MOW Roger Schaalma, bridge structure supervisor Dave Bierman, project engineer Brent Marsh, general manager Preston Nelson, assistant general manager Aaron Dean, and Lucht. Thank you to WSOR engineer Justin Cox and conductor Paul Muzik for serving as crew for the day.
Top picture: George Falor (L) and Jerry Lapidakis (R) pose after the trip alongside the Stone-Gardner theater car.