HomeMy WebLinkAbout580147 THE L REATWESTERNIAILWAY CDMPANY ,;(-1,A>
GENERAL OFFICES SUGAR BUILDING
BOX 5308 TERMINAL ANNEX
DENVER,17 COLORADO
August 8, 1958
Mr. Elmer Shultz, Commissioner
Weld County Commission
Greeley, Colorado
Dear Sir:
Enclosed herewith please find a fully executed copy
of an Application submitted by The Great Western Railway Company
to The Public Utilities Commission for an order authorizing the
removal of Railroad Bridge No. 6 located over and across Weld
County Road No. 91 near Mead, Colorado, and the construction
- _.
thereat of"a railroad grade crossing. Included in this Application
is a fully executed copy of an Agreement dated July 14, 1958,
between The Great Western Railway Company and the County of Weld,
Colorado, covering the removal of this bridge and the construction
and maintenance of the grade crossing.
We hope a hearing date will be set for the first of
September. You will be required to appear in support of this
Application.
Ver tru your ,
64-2-4
P. H. McMaster Vi e-President and
JWK:pms Gen 1 Manager
Enclosure
S8 14-17
•
BEFORE THE PUBLIC TJTILITI.3 COMMISSION
OF THE STATE OF COLORADO (�, `
* * *
IN TEE MAI itE OF THE APPLICATION OF
THE GREAT WESTFAN RAILWAY COMPANY,
A COLORADO CORPORATION, 500 SUGAR
BUILDING, DENVER, COLORADO, FOR AN
ORDER AUTHORIZING THE REMOVAL OF
RAILROAD BRIDGE NO. 6, LQCA`NU ) APPLICATION NO. 16523
OVER AND ACROSS WELD COUNT"( ROAD )
W%. <<1,)NEAR MEAD, COLORADO, AND )
�
:, !l 7 STROnloDN T BEAT OF A
RAIiIiRaAD GRADE CROSSING.
.
W', £L INTERES EU PAS TIES, AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN;
Yon, and each of you, are hereby notified that The Public Utilities
lonntiosion of the State of Colorado has set the above-entitled matter for
h:,:a, `i:"g before the Commission on:
Date: Monday, September 8, 1958,
Time: 10=00 o'clock A. M.,
Place: 330 State Office Building,
Denver, Colorado,
t,ich time and place you will be given an opportunity to be heard.
You are hereby requested to indicate, in duplicate, within five (5)
. - after receipt of this Notice, your attitude in respect to the above•
entitled matter, by protesting or consenting to said application. In the
event you file protest, you will be expected to appear at the time of hearing
and substantiate same.
Applicant is not required to reply to this Notice, but must appear
at the hearing in support of the application.
IV ORDER OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO.
J. J. MAHONEY, SECRETARY.
a ..: 1 at Denver, Colorado,
thib 18th day of August, 1958.
arnr
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE
STATE OF COLORADO .z= ,
rsR ai"
In the Matter of the Application
of The Great Western Railway
,
Company, a Colorado corporation,
for an order authorizing the
removal of railroad bridge No, 6 APPLICATION NO. J
located over and across Weld Z
County Road No. 91 near Mead,
Colorado, and the construction
thereat of a railroad grade
crossing.
Applicant, The Great Western Railway Company, respectfully
shows
1 . Applicant is a Colorado corporation authorized to do
business within said state , with general offices at 500 Sugar
Building, Denver, Colorado.
2. Applicant owns and operates a shortline railroad having
approximately 63 miles of main and branch line track constructed
through an agricultural area in northern Colorado adjacent to
which are located certain beet sugar factories and other industries .
No regular passenger trains are operated by Applicant and the
freight train operations of Applicant consist principally of short
hauls and switching at the various beet receiving stations and
industrial sites which are located from one to five miles apart .
Freight traffic consists of all commodities but chiefly of sugar
beets transported to sugar factories served by the Applicant and
of beet sugar, beet sugar by-products and molasses manufactured
at such factories .
3. Applicant owns and maintains a railroad bridge numbered
6 at I.C .C . Survey Station 564 plus 14.7 of Valuation Section No.
1, which said bridge for convenience is hereinafter called "rail-
road bridge . " Said railroad bridge crosses Weld County Road No.
91 which runs east and west between Sections 11 and 2, Twp. 3 N. ,
R. 68 W. of the 6th P.M. , Weld County, Colorado, which said road
for convenience is hereinafter called "county road."
4. Applicant, in its own behalf, and at the request of the
Board of County Commissioners of the County of Weld, Colorado,
and persons owning lands adjacent to said railroad bridge, desires
to remove said railroad bridge and to replace same with a railroad
grade crossing.
5. The location of the grade crossing, structures, property
lines and roads in the vicinity of the proposed grade crossing,
profiles showing ground lines and proposed grade lines of approaches
on said county road, together with a plan view of said improvements
when completed, are shown on Exhibit "A" , attached hereto and made
a part hereof.
6. Two daily daytime trains averaging 8 cars in length pass
over said railroad bridge during nine months of the year. During
the months of October, November and December, when the movement
of sugar beets occurs, 2 to 4 trains averaging 36 cars in length
move over said railroad bridge during the day and night . The
average speed of all trains that pass over said railroad bridge
will seldom exceed 25 miles per hour.
7. Applicant has been informed by the Colorado Highway De-
partment that it estimates approximately 50 motor vehicles per
day pass under said railroad bridge at the aforesaid location.
8. The County of Weld, Colorado, has executed an agreement
with Applicant in connection with the construction of said grade
crossing, all as set forth in Exhibit "B" , attached hereto and
made a part hereof.
9. The elimination of said railroad bridge and its replace-
ment by a grade crossing is necessary and proper for the service,
accommodation and convenience of the public for the following
reasons :
(a) Said railroad bridge crosses said county
road at an oblique angle, thereby creating
a dangerous condition in said county road
where it passes under said railroad bridge
and greatly reduces the visibility of
motorists approaching the bridge from
either side.
2
(b) The grade as it presently exists on said
county road is a traffic hazard. The over-
all improvement program contemplated by the
removal of said railroad bridge, the cons-
truction of said railroad grade crossing
and the grading of said county road would
provide a more uniform grade at the afore-
said location, all as shown on the profile
map Exhibit "A" ,
(c) The 11 feet 8 inch overhead and 14 feet
side clearances on said railroad bridge
will not permit combines and other large
pieces of farm machinery to pass there-
under, thereby requiring farmers in the
area to make lengthy detours , delaying
farm operations in an important farming
area and creating a hazard to railroad
operations resulting from damage to said
bridge by farm machinery and other large
vehicles passing or attempting to pass
thereunder.
(d) The proposed improvement program would
be superior in every respect to the re-
placement of said bridge in kind.
10. In view of the small amount of train and motor vehicle
traffic passing at said railroad crossing each day, Applicant can-
not justify the expenditure of approximately $42,770 to replace
said railroad bridge with a steel structure of a type which would
eliminate the hazard created by the oblique angle of the county
road and said railroad bridge .
11. Ample visibility of trains traveling in either direction
will be afforded motor vehicles using said county road as shown
on Exhibit "A" .
12. The contemplated grade crossing to be constructed and
maintained by Applicant is the standard county highway crossing
for single track shown on the drawing marked Exhibit "C" , attached
hereto and made a part hereof.
13 . The proposed grade crossing is not located within the
limits of any incorporated city or town within the State of Colorado,
and does not cross any Colorado state highway.
14. Applicant proposes to install two highway crossing devices
of 500 reflector type adjacent to said grade crossing, which cross-
ing devices have been recommended by the Association of American
'Railroads in its Bulletin No. 3 . The County of Weld proposes to
install advance warning and bus stop signs as may be required at
said grade crossing.
15. It is estimated the total expense incident to the removal
of said railroad bridge and construction of said grade crossing
will amount to $10,692. Applicant ' s share of said expenses will
approximate $6,486, all of which will be provided from its existing
funds . The share of the County of Weld, Colorado, is estimated
to be $4,206, all of which will be provided from county road funds .
16. The names of the public utilities and adjacent property
owners affected by this application are :
Name Interest
The Mountain States Telephone Telephone lines crossing under
and Telegraph Company railroad bridge.
Union Rural Electric Associa- Electrical lines crossing over
tion, Inc . railroad bridge.
George W. Owen and Legal title to that portion of
Doris W. Owen the NE* of Sec . 11, Twp. 3 N. ,
R. 68 W. of the 6th P.M. , ex-
cept R.O.W. of The Great
Western Railway Company .
Roscoe Graham and Legal title to that portion of
Clara M. Graham the SW** of Sec . 1, Twp. 3 N. ,
R. 68 W. of the 6th P .M. and
that part of the SE4 of Sec .
2, Twp . 3 N. , R. 68 W. of the
6th P.M. lying easterly of the
R.O.W. of The Great Western
Railway Company .
Katharine Charlton Hamm Legal title to that portion of
the SE4 of Sec . 2, Twp. 3 N. ,
R. 68 W. of the 6th P.M. , ex-
cept that part lying east of
the R.O.W. of The Great Western
Railway Company .
Glenn C. Anderson and Legal title to that portion of
Robert L. Anderson the NW* of Sec . 12, Twp . 3 N. ,
R. 68 W. of the 6th P.M.
17. All of the above-mentioned parties in interest are willing
that said railroad bridge be removed and said grade crossing be
constructed at the aforesaid location. Waivers of notice and
consents executed by said parties in interest are attached hereto
as Exhibit "D" .
4
WHEREFORE, Applicant prays for an Order of The Public Utili-
ties Commission of the State of Colorado, under authority vested
in it by Section 115-4-6, C.R.S . , 1953, authorizing Applicant and
the County of Weld to remove said railroad bridge and to construct
said railroad grade crossing at the aforesaid location.
Dated at Denver, Colorado, this 6th day of August 1958.
THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY
By /s/ Frank A. Kemp
President
Attest :
/s/ Robert A. Wherry
Secretary
5
Hello