Progress Report 09.10.10

Clerk Report:
Waybill data entry was completed.  All waybills were printed, but need to be cut.

Signal Maintainer Report:
Code line was connected in Rock Island.  The welding tool played out so progress came to a screeching halt.  Crews continued efforts by pulling the rough wiring for West Davenport, Davenport Yard, Joliet, Blue Island and Burr Oak Yard. 

Car Department Report:
Another batch of cars have been brought down to the shop for inspection, upgrades and repairs.  The Car Dept expects to have another 20 cars or so complete by the end of the weekend.

Industry Update 09.10.10

There have been changes to some of the industries on the CRI&P.  Changes are highlighted below:

Davenport, IA

• Town station - Branchline Centre Hall Depot Kit
• Davenport Yard - receives sand, diesel fuel
• Davenport Freight House - Walthers Water Street Freight Terminal - receive/ships LTL freight
• Consumers Ice & Fuel Co - Walthers Golden Flame Co kit - receives coal and LPG
• Electrolux - DPM Gripp's Luggage Mfg kit - receives parts, electric motors/ships vacuum cleaners 
• Formerly Hull Machinery
• Kohr's Cold Storage - DPM Trackside Transfer kit - receive/ships fruits & vegetables
• General Electric Co - DPM Woods Furniture Co kit - receives motors, hardware, coil steel; ships appliances
• Continental Grain Elevator - Walthers ADM Grain Elevator kit - receive/ships grain
• Davenport Elevator - Walthers ADM Grain Elevator kit - receive/ships grain
• 
  
  Contract lost

Rock Island, IL

• Town station - Blair Line Leeton Depot kit
• Sunrise Feed Mill - Walthers Sunrise Feed Mill - receives farm supplies; ships bulk & bagged feed
• Valley Fuel & Supply - AMB A.C. Brown Manufacturing - receive/ships fruits & vegetables
• Possible name change to Johnson Grain & Produce
• Possible kit change to AMB Hinkle Mill Kit
• Contracts being negotiated
• Putnam Oil Co - Walthers Interstate Fuel & Oil kit - receives coal, heating oil
• Relocated from Blue Island

Bureau, IL

• Town Station - Walthers Golden Valley Depot
• Farmers Grain Co - Walthers Farmers Coop Kit - ships grain/receives farm supplies
• Bader Ag - AMB General Service Building - receives farm supplies

Stockdale, IL

• Town Station - Blair Line 2-Story Depot kit
• Markham Produce - AMB Transfer Building Kit - receive/ships fruits & vegetables
• Illinois Valley Grain Co - Walthers Valley Growers Assoc Kit - ships grain/receives farm supplies
• Changed kit

Joliet, IL

• Town Station - Blair Line Leeton Depot kit
• American Can Co - DPM Woods Furniture Co kit - receive aluminum ingots, ink labels/ships tin cans 
• Change in items manufactured 
• American Service Co - Walthers O.L. King & Sons Coal Yard kit - receives coal
• Lost LPG contract - just coal now
• Joliet Grain Co - - Walthers Farmers Coop Kit - ships grains
• Changed kit

Blue Island, IL

• Town Station - Walthers Clarksville Depot kit
• Looking for new kit
• Midwest Lumber Co - Walton & Sons Lumber kit - receives lumber
• D&D News - DPM Scratchbuild - receives newsprint and ink
• Oberholtzer - DPM Scratchbuild - receives wood, steel, packing materials, paint, varnish, machinery; ships finished tools
• Putnam Oil Co - Walthers Interstate Fuel & Oil kit - receives coal, heating oil
• Relocated to Rock Island
• Blue Island Freight House - Walthers Water St Freight Terminal kit - receive/ships LTL freight
• Chicago Wholesale Foods - DPM Scratchbuild - receive/ships fruits & vegetables and grocery items
• Otis Elevator Company - DPM Scratchbuild - receives wire rope, machinery and elevator guard rails
• Contract lost - possible relocation to Davenport, IA

Meredosia

• Town Depot - Atlas Maywood Station
• Pearl Button Company - Undecided - receives machinery; ships buttons
• Meredosia Freight House - Undecided - receive/ships LTL freight
• CIPS Power Plant - DPM Power Plant - receives coal (from N&W)

Peoria, IL

• Town Station - AMB UP Style One-Story Depot kit
• Oakley Grain Co - Walthers Farmers Coop kit - ships grain
• Johnson Grain & Produce - AMB Hinkle Mill - receives groceries; ships grain, fruits & vegetables
• Possible name and kit change - See Rock Island industries for more details
• Rural Gas Service - Undecided - receives LPG
• Caterpillar Inc - Walthers Superior Paper Mill kit - receives parts, motors, lubricating oil, hydraulic fluid; ships heavy equipment

* AMB - American Model Builders
* DPM - Design Preservation Models

Progress Report 09.09.10

Using Shenandoah's Waybill software to key information previously compiled in a spreadsheet.  I have setup all the online and offline industries and have keyed 99 of the 4-cycle waybills.  I'm hoping to complete the task by the end of this weekend and print the waybills Monday.  Slowly, but surely, items on the To Do list are marked complete in advance of the inaugural operating session in November.

Progress Report 09.08.10

Little progress tonight.  Work wore me out after enduring a 7 hour conference call with support in India.  I did muster up enough energy to drill all the holes for the code line (bus wire) on the upper level plus vacuum up all the debris.  That was a bonus.    

V-Day on the CRI&P

All cars are being shuttled through Davenport Car Shops.  A mass vasectomy is being performed on all the trip pins.  The Car Shop provides the following report tonight:

86 trimmed, ready for use
15 trimmed, but tagged for wheel replacement
1 trimmed, but tagged for door repair

Photos of Recent Progress

Below are photos of the recent progress...

Burr Oak Yard in Chicago, Il

West Davenport Yard, Davenport, Ia

Yard throat at West Davenport

Yard throat at West Davenport with Continental Grain Elevator in place.

New crossover at Blue Island

Former IHB line crossing the CRI&P mainline and industrial trackage

View of Burr Oak Yard.  Left bank is the old yard.  Right bank is the new yard.  Only the Stockdale local will come out of the old yard unless there is a space issue.

Progress Report 09.05.10

Announcement from the CEO...
The CEO has announced some changes to the construction agenda.  Due to budgetary restraints, Phase II (Peoria and Meredosia branches) of construction has been postponed for approximately a year.  Engineering reports that they are close to having enough materials to complete Phase III (CNW branch) of construction.  Construction is expected to start in the very near future.  The CEO has reported that operating on a strict budget now will benefit the railroad greatly in the future.

Phase I - West Davenport to Chicago (Burr Oak Yard)
Phase Ib - Davenport Shops
Phase II - Peoria and Meredosia Branches
Phase III - Chicago & Northwestern Branchline

Engineering Report:
Last night, operating in the cover of darkness (to cover up their mistake), crews installed the new crossover in Blue Island, IL.  Preliminary tests this morning were successful.  Also, while out last night, crews installed the subroadbed (cork) for Burr Oak Yard(s) (old yard off the old mainline alignment down Main St. through Blue Island and new (new alignment to the right).  

Track crews were very busy this afternoon and evening.  Burr Oak Yard is complete.  The former Indiana Harbor Belt line in Blue Island is complete along with the industrial spur.  Davenport yard track extensions are complete.  Plus, the industrial trackage in Rock Island is also secured to the layout.  Engineering reports that all track has been laid for Phase I (99 days from when the first board was cut).  Management applauds the efforts of crews in meeting the company's goals!!

Clerk Dept Report:
The clerk department is on a mission to find Southern wood chip hoppers, along with three steel coil cars for operations.  Some excess equipment will be sold.