HYDRAULIC FRACKING SAND

fredmcain · **Posted:** Wed Dec 04, 2013 1:35 pm

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal ran an interesting article on the sand boom for "hydraulic fracking sand". It seems that several railroads are sinking big bucks into expanding or beefing up campacity to handle this traffic. In Wisconsin the Union Pacific is rebuilding or rehabbing over 100 miles of branchlines to carry sand. Some of these lines were actually candidates for abandoment just a few years ago.

The article also had a picture of a sand mine. A most intriguing fact struck me as most unusual: It was UNDERGROUND! That's right! I didn't know that sand was ever quarried from underground mines but evidently it is. Sadly, the mine was trackless.

-Fred M. Cain

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Wed Dec 04, 2013 1:41 pm

Yep. UP is now coming through my town on trackage rights from CN, because we have some sandmines a few miles away on former CN&W branches that the tracks were left in place.

fredmcain · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:21 am

Dave,

Oh really? Where are you? I thought you were in Pennsylvania.

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:08 am

Near Lake Winnebago.

Miner Greg · **Posted:** Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:25 am

Miner Dave,

Since you have some local Sand Mines, I'd be curious if you ever got a chance to take any photos of their operations? It might be interesting to see.

Miner Greg

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:42 pm

Not really local. The UP trains just go through town. The mines are in northern Wisconsin. Around me, it is all limestone.

HYDRAULIC FRACKING SAND

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