Ringneck & Western Railroad Repairs Track After Flooding in South Dakota

Courtesy of RWRR

MITCHELL, S.D. – In June, parts of South Dakota experienced heavy rainfall, causing flooding that impacted Ringneck & Western Railroad’s Chamberlain Subdivision.

Along 55 miles of track, RWRR crew observed washed away crossings and culverts and other damage. According to a report from Watco, “entire sections of rail were left suspended where water carried away ballast and ties or carved into the shoulder of the railbed.” Crews began repair work on June 25^th.

RWRR general manager, Chadd Thimesch, said, “Our conductors and engineers really stepped up to the plate. . . They learned how to run front-end loaders and build track panels. We had divisional engineers, VPs, even SCPs here on the ground slinging ties, helping fill coolers, and making sure we had all the resources we needed. The Eastern Idaho Railroad even sent one of their rotary dump trucks.”

To try to avoid additional damage such as kinks due to the summer heat, crews worked as early as 3a.m. Over two weeks, crews dumped ballast and riprap, replaced ties, culverts, and crossing panels, and made bridge repairs. RWRR sent two test locomotives to go from Mitchell to Kimball on July 10^th. Watco reports on July 15^th, “they moved their first loads: a 115-car shuttle train on the 41 miles from Kimball to Mitchell.”

During this repair timeframe, crews faced challenges, particularly when “quarries were inundated with rock demand,” and the Independence Day holiday required a four-day shutdown. Necessary materials, such as ties and rail, were hard to come by due to nearby demand, and at times, equipment would break down. 

Another challenge presented itself in the location of some of the track. In areas where the track runs directly next to creeks, the flooding caused the rising creeks to “eat away at the bank,” subsequently pulling ballast into the water. The base level of the creeks are 20 feet or more below the level of the track in some areas, and crews “drove steel sheeting into the ground and backfilled between it and the rail with dirt, rock, and riprap.” This riprap mainly came from demolished pavement or construction projects, which contains rebar, making it a cost-effective solution. 

Watco reports that more work is still needed to restore the track and estimate that work will take place until the beginning of August. Currently, crews are working to add more ballast and then tamp and regulate the track. As of July 15^th, crews have utilized almost 15,000 tons of ballast, 5,000 tons of riprap, and installed more than 100 pieces of steel sheeting.

RWRR general manager Thimesch said Watco’s support “has been fantastic. . . They’ve been making sure we have the resources we need and their advice and expertise was huge. They’ve definitely shown the family aspect of Watco and it makes you proud to be part of [a] team that puts forth the time, effort, and manpower to support each other.”