From June 2024 issue of Railway Track & Structures
As part of our scope of work with Mosaic and CSX in New Wales, Florida, we were tasked with replacing two sections of track which are used to clean empty railcars. The track was in extremely bad shape. Years of product buildup had covered the ties, to such an extent that CSX would no longer put trains on it. Because these sections of track typically accommodated 80 railcars a day, six days a week at normal capacity, this was significantly increasing dwell time and the costs associated with it.
The project involved the removal and replacement of 11,615 track feet on Track 50 and Track 51, with two switches to be designed, built and cut in at each end. The project was scheduled for spring, when demand for the fertilizer produced at this Mosaic plant is at its peak, with a very tight time frame for completion; work was performed in two phases to minimize impact to the plant’s production, each with its own deadline, so that the other half of this track could still be used during the project.
In addition to a tight timeline, with work being conducted while plant production continued at a rapid pace, the project presented the Road & Rail Services team with a number of challenges. The Bone Valley area where New Wales is situated is extremely hot. The track being replaced was situated between a large gypsum stack on one side and a retention pond on the other, a less than ideal location. In addition, the track was located over the central flume, the point where all piping comes downhill and runs below the track. Storms in the area are common. The team was required by Mosaic to halt work whenever a lightning strike occurred within seven miles of the location, or when winds reached 25 miles per hour or more. As many as five contractors also had to be managed over the course of the project, and compliance with stringent Mosaic safety protocols and Road & Rail Service’s own safety procedures had to be ensured.
Road & Rail Services fielded a team of 12 – 15 employees, and deployed a significant amount of equipment to the worksite throughout the project. The work began with the removal of existing ties and more than 11,000 track feet of old rail. This was followed by the excavation of 7” to 14” of track bed, along with the demolition and removal of a building on the site that had previously been a railcar wash station, including the removal of all electrical.
Once the old track was removed and excavation was complete, the Road & Rail Services team laid in 12” of sub-ballast, followed by 4” lifts that had to be rolled, compacted and tested. Then new ties were placed and new, all welded track was laid. The new switches had to be cut in during a very tight 36-hour window. As a result, rotating crews worked at night to cut in #8 switches consisting of 125 feet of track, and lay an additional 325 feet of track for each switch.
With a detailed plan of work prepared in advance and a seasoned track crew onsite, Phase I was safely completed on time with Phase II ahead of schedule. The result was a significant reduction in dwell time for Mosaic and CSX railcars at the Mosaic site. As a result of this project, CSX will be able to set out trains on these two tracks, whereas the poor operating condition had previously prevented this efficiency.