Loading ...The “Frac-Sand” boom has breathed new life into nearly abandoned northwoods railroad lines in Wisconsin. Three years ago the CN spent $40 Million to reclaim and rebuild their line into the sand mines area. Today the larger sand operations along these rail lines have built sizeable rail yards for holding hopper cars and some have purchased or leased their own locomotives for shuffling cars around. Typically they will load a ‘unit-train’ of about 100 hopper cars for shipping out on the class 1 railroads down the line. They do this several times a week… as fast as they can load them out and get empties back to fill up again.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=521354
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=521355