L.B. Foster Developed and Delivered the First 320’ Rail to Lake State Railway

Reese Dahse, Midwest Region Short Line Sales Manager, and Sam Beck, Director, Rail Sales on site at LSRC..

The 320’ consist is a transformative advancement in the rail industry, redefining traditional supply models. Previously, rail was delivered in shorter segments up to 80’ requiring field welding or as 1,600’ Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) strings, which demand large-scale installations and dedicated trainsets, all at a significant cost.

Before BNSF Logistics' development of the five-car consist in 2023, 320’ rail produced by SDI, had to be cut to 80’ or welded into 1,600’ CWR for transport. While the 80’ sticks require on-site welding, CWR shipments need multiple miles of track replacement to justify use and must operate independently with their own locomotive and crew under railroad guidelines.

SDI is currently the only U.S. mill capable of rolling rail at this length and has been doing so for over 15 years—other domestic mills are limited to 80’ lengths due to the shipment constraints. Unlike CWR shipments, the 320’ train can be transported in manifest freight service, eliminating the need for a dedicated locomotive and crew for long-distance transit, and presenting significant cost savings.

Sam Beck, Director, Rail Sales, is excited about the benefits this new offering will bring to our customers. He said, “This breakthrough allows L.B. Foster to deliver longer, weld-free rail sections that offer superior performance to our customer base.”

L.B. Foster’s Midwest Region Short Line Sales Manager, Reese Dahse, worked closely with LSRC’s Engineering leadership finalizing the details of the 320’ consist in order to deliver the first revenue move. The train contained a mixture of 115# and 136# rail that LSRC will utilize for grade crossings, curve replacement, and sections of track between interlockings/control points. The railroad plans to use future 320’ consists for projects such as bridge rail replacement and rail distribution in congested areas.  

Tom Klemm, Chief Engineer at LSRC, was pleased to purchase the 320’ rail for LSRC to increase efficiency and ease of distribution for the railroad. He said, “The benefit of the 320’ rail is the ability to completely remove field welds from crossing interiors. Lake State’s crossings are located in a highly corrosive environment. Many of the broken rail within crossings originate at the weakest point, the field weld. The 320’ rail allows elimination of nearly all of these welds on future crossing projects.”

An example of the 320’ rail’s advantage is its ability to eliminate welds and joints in crossings as shown in this photo.

A key advantage to using 320’ rail at crossings is the ability to position rail joints well beyond the transition zone, minimizing exposure to surface conditions that can compromise field weld performance. While conventional 80' stick rail often requires welds to be placed in the middle of the crossing or near crossing ends, the 320-foot rail solution allows for significantly greater flexibility—ensuring welds are located farther from high-stress areas for improved durability and reliability.

The 320’ rail consist also provides improved efficiency for targeted curve rail replacement. Tom commented, “In the past, LSRC has utilized CWR trains to distribute curve patch rail, or flash butt welded 80’ rail in the field to create curve patch rail. The 320’ rail train allows for curve rail to match what is needed and be easily distributed to the location.”

The 320’ consist allows for efficient and simple distribution in constrained project areas such as curve rail replacement, highly trafficked corridors, densely populated city centers, and bridge rail replacement locations.

“We are proud to have worked with L.B. Foster on the initial use of the 320’ rail train. When Sam first told me about the concept several years ago, I saw right away how that can fit the needs at Lake State. L.B. Foster has been a great partner to Lake State.” Tom Klemm, Chief Engineer, LSRC

With the completion of its first revenue move, L.B. Foster's Rail Sales Team is excited to utilize the 320' consist to solve its customers' infrastructure challenges, one piece of 320' rail at a time.