Before and After
Here's a set of maps to make sense of the recent series of construction photos taken here in New Richmond.
Last year it was decided to install crossing lights and gates at Washington Ave. This narrow street twists and turns but sees a lot of truck traffic as the main entrance in and out of the Lakeside Foods canning plant. With a 90+ degree turn and driveways right up to the crossings on both sides it didn't seem like there was room for a new set of lights and gates to be installed. CN has made room by removing the side tracks on either side of the main at Washington.
I was more surprised by the changes to the siding than by the removal of the team track although both have seen plenty of use in the last 10 years. Before there were ethanol plants on the Minneapolis Sub, the through freights would drop empty boxcars for Friday Canning (later Lakeside Foods) on the team track westbound for easy retrieval for spotting in the plant by the next eastbound. When ACE ethanol in Stanley opened, a local was based out of New Richmond to haul corn from Cylon to Stanley, along with other local work. Hoppers and power often filled the team track.
After the plant near Boyceville opened the local moved to CF Yard, but the team track was still regularly used for quick run around moves (the west end of the siding is about a mile away). There have been many bad orders parked on the team track through the years and last winter the Loram ballast cleaner spent months there.
At last the odd anomoly of a double ended team track has passed into history. It did not all go to the scrap heap however. Both switches were picked up and reused in the altered track arrangement in New Richmond. The old east switch and cannery switch were disassembled and removed. The west end team track switch was picked up, moved east, spun around 180 degrees and placed as the new east siding switch. The east end team track switch was picked up, moved west (ultimately west of the old west switch in its new spot) and placed as the new canning plant spur switch. Looking at the new alignment I guess you could say the canning plant spur starts at the mainline and the siding now diverges from it.
With the local and through traffic on one train again and no more coal or coke traffic, it's been years since the siding here has been used for meets. Back when New Richmond was used occasionally used for meets, extra long eastbounds going in the hole would park most of the train on the siding then go over to the team track with their power and a handful of cars in order to clear up for a westbound. It will be interesting to see how the new arrangements will affect future operations. The siding is the last place for a run around move in New Richmond.
Before and After
Here's a set of maps to make sense of the recent series of construction photos taken here in New Richmond.
Last year it was decided to install crossing lights and gates at Washington Ave. This narrow street twists and turns but sees a lot of truck traffic as the main entrance in and out of the Lakeside Foods canning plant. With a 90+ degree turn and driveways right up to the crossings on both sides it didn't seem like there was room for a new set of lights and gates to be installed. CN has made room by removing the side tracks on either side of the main at Washington.
I was more surprised by the changes to the siding than by the removal of the team track although both have seen plenty of use in the last 10 years. Before there were ethanol plants on the Minneapolis Sub, the through freights would drop empty boxcars for Friday Canning (later Lakeside Foods) on the team track westbound for easy retrieval for spotting in the plant by the next eastbound. When ACE ethanol in Stanley opened, a local was based out of New Richmond to haul corn from Cylon to Stanley, along with other local work. Hoppers and power often filled the team track.
After the plant near Boyceville opened the local moved to CF Yard, but the team track was still regularly used for quick run around moves (the west end of the siding is about a mile away). There have been many bad orders parked on the team track through the years and last winter the Loram ballast cleaner spent months there.
At last the odd anomoly of a double ended team track has passed into history. It did not all go to the scrap heap however. Both switches were picked up and reused in the altered track arrangement in New Richmond. The old east switch and cannery switch were disassembled and removed. The west end team track switch was picked up, moved east, spun around 180 degrees and placed as the new east siding switch. The east end team track switch was picked up, moved west (ultimately west of the old west switch in its new spot) and placed as the new canning plant spur switch. Looking at the new alignment I guess you could say the canning plant spur starts at the mainline and the siding now diverges from it.
With the local and through traffic on one train again and no more coal or coke traffic, it's been years since the siding here has been used for meets. Back when New Richmond was used occasionally used for meets, extra long eastbounds going in the hole would park most of the train on the siding then go over to the team track with their power and a handful of cars in order to clear up for a westbound. It will be interesting to see how the new arrangements will affect future operations. The siding is the last place for a run around move in New Richmond.