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OPERATIONS UPDATE

Industrial Project “Operation Clean Sweep”

Contribution by Tracy Key, Chris Dykhoff, Marc Hackett

Loram is always looking for ways to help new
customers solve problems. Recently a team from Loram
was able to do just that using their expertise and RV18.
The problem, industrial plastics material mixed with bal-
last. The answer, pick it up with RV18 and properly dis-
pose of the material in a local landfill. This whole opera-
tion was necessary to prevent the waste from moving
from the plant location to the waterway during storm-
water runoff.

Like most new business at Loram it starts with
the Sales Team and in this case that person was Regional
Sales Manager Andrew Schroder. Andrew worked to
begin a relationship with Loram’s soon to be newest cus-
tomer, a large producer of industrial products. The plant
is on the Gulf Coast near the ocean and waterways, a
place we all want to keep as clean as possible. As we all
learn to become better stewards of the environment,
different industries are trying to find creative ways to
operate and improve. In some cases, this means chang-
ing and cleaning up after old work practices that have left
material that can wind up in sensitive locations.
Rail Vac 18 At Work!

When Andy first mentioned this opportunity, we approached it as being like a project Loram was involved
with in Canada a few years ago. The Canada work involved the same tool, a RailVac, but different material. What
both projects had in common was the need for handling large volumes of ballast and material as well as a tight
schedule for getting the work done. Ideas began to percolate, and a team was assembled, the meetings began.
Once it was determined that Loram’s solution was both complete and very viable a site team was assembled. The
site team consisted of Loram employees Bill Walls, Ben (Calvin) Claxton, Tracy Key, Robert Vert, Robert Doelker
and Michael Paynter.

The Gulf Coast project was 7300 track feet consisting of four yard tracks and two plant loading tracks. Of
importance to our customer was the containment and removal of the industrial product to prevent any impact to
the waterways. A special handling method was arranged that involved careful dialing-in of the swing conveyor.
This precision off-loading worked well; the operator hit the mark every time as spoils were emptied into a con-
tainer. This was certainly no ordinary RailVac job!

The team had lots to consider as this was to be a complete turn-key solution, meaning Loram would pro-

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Volume 2 : Issue 10