Work Field Trip

I'm going on a field trip for work! It just so happens that the sights we are seeing are in Reno and we'll have to fly out there and back in one day. I get to go to the opening ceremony for the V&T Railroad tunnels and get to ride on the train!! (My father is totally jealous!) Here's the low down.

Back many moons ago I helped design the extension and reconstruction up of a tunnel on the original Railroad line up in Reno. I'm not sure if it was called the V&T rail line then, but that's what it's called now. I then designed the Substructure (abutment, pier, footings) for the railroad passing over the freeway below Reno. That was quite the adventure with high abutments and not much right-of-way (property owned by the railroad for building on). The reason I was only doing the substructure is because NDOT had donated 2 spans of a steel railroad bridge replaced a couple years ago. Actually.. I think I have some pictures for those who might be interested.

There are actually 2 tunnels, but I'm not sure which pictures belong to each.

Here is my favorite picture of a hole.. (Someone else took all the pictures for us)

A roof

I think this is the other tunnel

This is them working on it. The construction company sent us these pictures because of a question about the welded pins attaching the concrete to the metal roof.
Did you see the guy standing on top of the roof directing the pump? Gives you some idea of the scale.

And here is the picture of the second span of the bridge we used... As u can see it was just sitting out in the middle of a field. I'm sure NDOT was happy to get rid of it!

For those of u who care, the beams sitting on the deck will be used to put the thing back together. You can see where they go on the far left of the picture.

Here is a shot of the other end of the other span.

OK.. I won't bore u anymore with random information. I'm an engineer! I think its way interesting.

PS. Ken (the Transportation Lead) told me to remember to bring a jacket (he's told me 3 times now. I think he's more excited to ride on the train than I am!). Us hot weather people have hard times with coldness. While Jared and Amy were here, I was shivering under my blankets in the morning while they woke up sweating.

PPS... Forgot to mention that it's October 15th.... still 2 weeks away