Union Pacific Building Tracks To Support Growth In Casa Grande, Arizona OMAHA, NE -- Union Pacific Railroad is spending $4.9 million this year in Casa Grande, Arizona, constructing two "staging" tracks to support continuing growth in area businesses that transport materials and goods by rail. Crews began preparing the site for track construction in July, with construction beginning in August. Each track will be 6,000 feet long and will be able to handle 100 cars per track. The project is scheduled to be completed in December. Fifty-five Union Pacific employees will work on the construction project. These improvements are part of the $180 million Union Pacific is planning to spend in 2006 to enhance commercial facilities across its more than 32,400-mile system. - Mark Davis, UP News Release
No, they mean "Staging tracks" as in, "we have all of our sidings full of trains, so we're building two more so that we can fit two more trains on our schedule."
I know they are finally building bazillions of houses in and around that whole area. The only commerical growth I see happening around there is the casinos and resorts, not exactly rail customers. Some of those new houses are very close to Uncle Pete.
Staging tracks are for loading and unloading stuff, like lumber, containers, even automobiles, where a front end loader or mobile crane can transfer stuff to or from the railcars.
OK. Understand. Guess I'm used to those being called "team tracks." Am stuck in older days. Boxcab E50
More info... Added Railroad Staging Tracks To Help Industries In Casa Grande CASA GRANDE, AZ -- Union Pacific Railroad is spending $4.9 million in Casa Grande this year on construction of two staging tracks to support industrial growth. Crews began preparing the site, on the city's west side near industrial sites, in July and actual track construction began in August. Each of the two tracks will be 6,000 feet long and capable of holding 100 rail cars. The company said 55 Union Pacific workers are involved in the project, with completion scheduled in December. "That will save time," said Mark Davis, a Union Pacific spokesman at the company's headquarters in Omaha. "It's an efficiency move where you can place cars for staging for businesses in the area versus having to move them to and from the (switch) yard in Tucson. "The staging tracks not only are being built for demand now, but for the future. This allows us to better serve existing customers and future customers. Once again this year, we're handling a record volume of traffic." The addition is something city officials have pursued for several years. "That's very positive news," said Lori Gary, executive director of the Greater Casa Grande Valley Economic Development Foundation. "We're very pleased with the commitment from Union Pacific. It was a challenge to talk to new companies that would need rail service when Union Pacific had limited (additional) capacity. "Hopefully, this will help the companies that have rail service now to get more expedited service if the cars can be picked up and dropped off close to their facility." She said one of the benefactors will be Diamond Plastics, a firm the Economic Development Foundation has been working with since January 2005. The company's site plan already has been approved by the city, she said. Construction of the staging tracks here is not related to double-tracking the main line, a years-long project for Union Pacific. "This year a lot of that effort has gone over in New Mexico," Davis said. "We did 52 miles there this year. After we're done this year, we'll have a little under half of the Sunset Route (Los Angeles to El Paso) double-tracked." Davis said the railroad hasn't decided yet where double-tracking will be done next year, but said the Arizona work is in the planning stages. The local improvements are part of the $180 million Union Pacific is spending this year across its 32,400-mile system. - The Casa Grande Dispatch, Courtesy Marc Pearsall
Two 100 car long staging tracks. That is a good start toward a small yard. They must be expecting some really heavy growth. However, if there is an empty track there and a trin that will fit into it, you can bete a dispatcher will use it like a siding when need be.
Hmmmm. I'll bet you're right. Unless they establish a rule in Special Instructions, or Bulletin it as a no-no, there'll be a meet sooner than later. Boxcab E50
Boxcab,you are also right. Team tracks refer to the days of horse teams being able to pull alongside the railcars and load or unload. It is the interface between rail and nonrail transport. Yard tracks usually means classification yard, where cars are gathered and resorted into trains for different destinations. House tracks, team tracks and staging tracks are not usually desirable for passing sidings because: They are often poor quality with light rail and bad trackbed unable to handle heavy cars, may be dead end requiring backing in, and may be too short.
Union Pacific Building Tracks to Support Growth in Casa Grande, Ariz. Union Pacific Railroad is spending $4.9 million this year in Casa Grande, Ariz., constructing two "staging" tracks to support continuing growth in area businesses that transport materials and goods by rail. More...
