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Published May 26, 2011, 12:00 AM

Railroad Tour

South Dakota Railroad Board takes a tour of the rehabilitation project between Mitchell and Kimball


Department of Transportation Railroad Transit Specialist Lynn Kennison, left, and state railroad board President Todd Yeaton discuss the condition of a section of line west of Mitchell which is undergoing a rehabilitation project Thursday during a tour for the board. (Photos by Chris Huber)

  • Department of Transportation Railroad Transit Specialist Lynn Kennison, left, and state railroad board President Todd Yeaton discuss the condition of a section of line west of Mitchell which is undergoing a rehabilitation project Thursday during a tour for the board. (Photos by Chris Huber)
  • Yeaton holds up a date nail from the line outside Mitchell. The number 28 of the nail signifies the year in which it was driven into a railroad tie when it was placed, making that particular tie more then 80 years old.
  • Lynn Kennison inspects an open-rail bridge on the railroad line a couple miles east of Mount Vernon. Kennison said bridges hold up as time goes on better than regular track because they aren’t constantly exposed to moisture from lying on the ground.
  • Three different vechicles which are specially equipted to drive on the rails were used during the tour.
  • Railroad board members got a first hand look at the condition of the line.
  • Markings like these replaced date nails to help determin the age of a specific tie.