When the weather turns cold, the track has alot of strain put on it with the contracting steel. Many joints can come apart, as is the case here at MP 268.4 on the CN Dubuque Sub. The crew works into the night drilling holes and putting joints back together. 1 bolts has 30,000 pounds of holding force, so many joint out here are going from 4 bolts joints to 6 bolts and even 8 bolts for a joint to help the strain. Dubuque Sub between Dubuque and Waterloo is really being put to the test with the latest cold.
Photo: taken on CN property, by CN employee.