South Dakota Selling State Owned Lines

[Murphy Siding]

VerMontanan

 

 

Murphy Siding

The 285 mile Mitchell to Rapid city line hasn't been used on the 215 miles west of Chamberlain in probably a decade or two? 

 

 

 

Not true.

A shuttle grain train facility at Kennebec (30 miles west of Chamberlain) opened in 2016:

https://www.croplife.com/croplife-top-100/wheat-growers-celebrates-kennebec-elevator-grand-opening/

The first shuttle grain train at Presho (40 miles west of Chamberlain) was loaded on November 8, 2018.

All told, there are three shuttle facilities between Mitchell and Presho on the Dakota Southern Railroad: Kimball, Kennebec, and Presho.  9,445 revenue cars were handled in 2018.

The ex-GN line between Aberdeen, SD and Geneseo Jct., ND is operated by the Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western and was largely devoid of traffic until a shuttle grain train facility opened in Britton in 2016 (Britton is actually on ex-Milwaukee Road trackage from a connection with this route at Jarrett Jct. north of Britton).  The Britton facility is accessed by both CP and BNSF (the first BNSF shuttle train was in 2017).  In 2018, the line handled 3,618 revenue cars.  

The Wolsey interchange tracks are currently leased by the Rapid City, Pierre, and Eastern.  These will undoubtedly be purchased as the tracks facilitate interchange between RCP&E and BNSF to allow not only generic single car shipments, but also unit trains to/from Miller, Highmore, Harrold, and Onida.

The rest of the routes appear not to have sufficient value that would entice anyone to purchase, but I suppose that depends on what the state would sell them for and stipulations about what the state deems necessary to keep the routes properly maintained and/or viable.  We shall see.

 

Interesting. I never would have guessed they would run west of the river, let alone to Presho.

 

[VerMontanan]

Murphy Siding

The 285 mile Mitchell to Rapid city line hasn't been used on the 215 miles west of Chamberlain in probably a decade or two? 

Not true.

A shuttle grain train facility at Kennebec (30 miles west of Chamberlain) opened in 2016:

https://www.croplife.com/croplife-top-100/wheat-growers-celebrates-kennebec-elevator-grand-opening/

The first shuttle grain train at Presho (40 miles west of Chamberlain) was loaded on November 8, 2018.

All told, there are three shuttle facilities between Mitchell and Presho on the Dakota Southern Railroad: Kimball, Kennebec, and Presho.  9,445 revenue cars were handled in 2018.

The ex-GN line between Aberdeen, SD and Geneseo Jct., ND is operated by the Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western and was largely devoid of traffic until a shuttle grain train facility opened in Britton in 2016 (Britton is actually on ex-Milwaukee Road trackage from a connection with this route at Jarrett Jct. north of Britton).  The Britton facility is accessed by both CP and BNSF (the first BNSF shuttle train was in 2017).  In 2018, the line handled 3,618 revenue cars.  

The Wolsey interchange tracks are currently leased by the Rapid City, Pierre, and Eastern.  These will undoubtedly be purchased as the tracks facilitate interchange between RCP&E and BNSF to allow not only generic single car shipments, but also unit trains to/from Miller, Highmore, Harrold, and Onida.

The rest of the routes appear not to have sufficient value that would entice anyone to purchase, but I suppose that depends on what the state would sell them for and stipulations about what the state deems necessary to keep the routes properly maintained and/or viable.  We shall see.

[mudchicken]

BNSF has had issues with multiple MILW lines it acquired, including IA and SD. Gets interesting when you build something on land you unwittingly no longer own. In IA they had some records. The Old Colony lines in MA were bought with zero records and the old stupid assumption that they just needed to go to the local courthouse.

[Murphy Siding]

mudchicken

I hope South Dakota did a better job of acquiring their lines than Massachusetts did.

 

The state sold some of the tracks a couple years back to BNSF. I don't recall there being much of a hang up that transaction, so maybe the required homework has already been done?

[mudchicken]

I hope South Dakota did a better job of acquiring their lines than Massachusetts did.

[Murphy Siding]

MarknLisa

Anybody wanna go halfsies? 

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/short_lines_regionals/news/South-Dakota-DOT-to-sell-all-state-owned-rail-lines--58390?email=[e-mail]&utm_medium=email&utm_source=prdailynews&utm_campaign=prdailynews8/22/2019

 

 

I could throw in a $20. That actually might be enough for some of these lines.

The only one that is really used is the 68 mile Elk Point to Canton section. It is used exclusively by the Dakota and Iowa railroad on a daily basis. I thought they owned it. It must have a brand new bridge with it to sweeten the deal. This spring the bridge over the Big Sioux River at Canton dropped into the flood swollen river. Just this week I've started seeing D&I rock trains heading south again. The branch off this line at Hawarden is a little used grain line to Beresford used by the D&I.

The 285 mile Mitchell to Rapid city line hasn't been used on the 215 miles west of Chamberlain in probably a decade or two? The far west end at Rapid City is virtually gone. That end probably hasn't seen a train since the early 80's.

     The 83 mile Napa Junction to Platte line is virtually gone. Every highway is paved over it and there are 6-8" diameter trees growing up between the rails.

     The other three lines are seldom used lines that connect one railroad to another.


       Should we bid our $40 on a certain line, or on all the lines?

     I think the D&I might outbid us on the one line. The others might be a different matter.

[MarknLisa]

Anybody wanna go halfsies? 

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/short_lines_regionals/news/South-Dakota-DOT-to-sell-all-state-owned-rail-lines--58390?email=[e-mail]&utm_medium=email&utm_source=prdailynews&utm_campaign=prdailynews8/22/2019