Hi-rail set-on locations for open trouble tickets, Hawk Subdivision

The fastest usable place to set a hi-rail vehicle on the track for each of the four open trouble tickets on the subdivision. Candidates come from the grade crossing inventory, the railroad's list of set-on pads, the industry track list and the sidings on the track chart, and are searched in widening steps of 0.5, 1, 3 and 6 miles in both directions from the trouble location. In three of the four cases the closest location is not the fastest.

4 open trouble tickets, Nov 5, 2026Hawk Subdivision, MP 100.0–133.5Defaults: 20 mph on track, 20 min per siding passedPrepared Nov 5, 2026

Summary

TT-26-4471 · MP 114.4

The closest grade crossing cannot be used

The WIS 606 crossing is about 1,060 ft from the trouble location, but it has four-quadrant gates, a 41° skew and a 7% approach grade. The private crossing at MP 113.7 has a locked gate and a gravel surface. The best location is the Juneberry West set-on pad, 2.3 mi away, which first shows up in the 3-mile step: 22 min to the trouble location (Crossing_Inventory_Hawk_Sub.xlsx, rows 5–6; HiRail_SetOn_Locations_Hawk_Sub.xlsx, row 3).

Action: send the hi-rail to the set-on pad at MP 116.7 via WIS 606.

To confirm: the skew, grade and load limits that rule out the crossing come from the railroad's own instructions, not from federal rules. The railroad's engineering department (maintenance of way) should confirm them.

TT-26-4475 · MP 118.0

The siding on the far side takes 18 min longer

Juneberry siding is 0.7 mi from the trouble location, but getting there means routing through the siding's east switch: 37 min including the allowance. The Juneberry West set-on pad is nearly twice as far but on the near side, and gets there in 19 min (Track_Chart_Hawk_Sub_MP100-133.5.pdf, p. 5).

Action: set on west of the siding. Juneberry only comes out ahead if the allowance drops below 2 min.

TT-26-4478 · MP 126.2

The trouble in Larkspur Tunnel can only be reached from the east

The trouble location is about 530 ft inside the west portal, but all four candidates within 6 mi to the west drop out: a skewed crossing with four-quadrant gates, a private logging road with a locked gate and gravel surface, an out-of-service log spur and a station with no crossing surface. The closest usable location is the Larkspur East set-on pad, 1.9 mi east through the tunnel: 21 min.

Action: plan road access via County Highway S. The closest usable location to the west is the Juneberry team track, 7.3 mi away.

Search by trouble ticket

Pick a trouble ticket, or click anywhere on the line to set your own location. The search widens in four steps in both directions. Each candidate is checked against the set-on criteria and ranked by estimated time to the trouble location. Click a candidate for its source record, road access and assessment.

Speed on track
20 min
Show

TT-26-4471

0Candidates in the search area
0Usable (conditional)
–Best location
–Estimated time to trouble

Search steps

Usable Conditional Not usable Grade crossing Set-on pad Siding Tunnel Search area

Click the line to move the trouble location. Distances are measured along the track. The highlighted segment is the route from the best location to the trouble.

Candidates

    Selected candidate

    Sources and method

    Sources

    • Trouble_Tickets_Hawk_Sub_2026-11-05.xlsxOpen trouble tickets with mileposts, reported 4:12 AM–6:05 AM4 rows
    • Track_Chart_Hawk_Sub_MP100-133.5.pdfTrack chart: sidings and switches, yard, timetable stations, bridges and tunnel8 pages
    • Crossing_Inventory_Hawk_Sub.xlsxExtract from the USDOT crossing inventory: crossing ID, road, warning devices, angle, surface, approach grade, load limit8 rows
    • HiRail_SetOn_Locations_Hawk_Sub.xlsxThe railroad's list of dedicated hi-rail set-on/set-off pads with access roads3 rows
    • Industry_Tracks_Hawk_Sub.xlsxIndustry and team tracks with road access, paved area and service status4 rows
    • HiRail_SetOn_SetOff_Instructions.pdfRailroad instructions: set-on site criteria and time allowances for set-on and routing through sidings4 pages

    Method

    1. Candidates were taken from four lists: every crossing in the crossing inventory, every dedicated set-on pad, every industry track, and every siding, yard and timetable station on the track chart. Bridges and the tunnel are shown along the line but are not candidates.
    2. Each candidate was checked against the seven site criteria in the set-on instructions: full-width surface flush with the rail, crossing angle 70–110°, approach grade of 4% or less, access road rated for at least 20 tons, off-track parking, unrestricted access and in-service status. One failed criterion makes a location Not usable. A key or gate hours make it Conditional.
    3. From the trouble location, candidates were searched in four steps, 0.5, 1, 3 and 6 miles, in both directions. Distance is measured along the track as the difference in mileposts.
    4. Time to trouble = 15 min to set on + on-track travel (distance ÷ speed) + an allowance for each siding whose switches lie between the set-on location and the trouble.
    5. Usable candidates were ranked by time. The search continues past the first usable hit, because a location farther away can be faster.

    Assumptions and limitations

    • Setting on and working on the track require track authority from the train dispatcher and on-track protection under the railroad's operating rules and 49 CFR Part 214. Those are planned separately and are not covered here.
    • Road travel time to the set-on location is not included. It depends on where the hi-rail is when the ticket comes in.
    • The allowance for routing through a siding is a standard figure from the instructions. The actual time depends on traffic.
    • The criteria for crossing angle, grade and load rating, the 20-minute siding allowance and the list of set-on pads are the railroad's own; there is no federal rule for set-on locations. Because the criteria decide whether a set-on can be made safely, the railroad's engineering department (maintenance of way) should confirm them before the ranking is used.
    • The inventory data has not been field-verified. Snow, parked equipment or ongoing work can make a usable location unusable.