On Saturday, October 2, 2010, nine members of Leadership Reno County 2010 went 650 feet under Hutchinson to join the track team of the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.

The Museum is adding a train ride underground that should be ready to roll by Spring 2011. An electric engine and cars were purchased from the Carey Park Zoo, and old rails and ties, left in the salt mine from early mining days, are being used for the track. The laying of the track will take an abundance of hours to complete since the rails first have to be found, then retrieved and re-laid. Old wood ties are being retrieved and cut to fit the new smaller gauge (width) of the Museum’s rail system.

Outfitted with hard hats, rescuers, and helmet lights (it is dark out there!), the team arrived underground before visitors. At times they were called a “living exhibit” by docents driving by with tram loads of visitors. LRC members found that 68 degrees is a great temperature to work in IF there is some air movement. Since there is not much out in the train route, a few members discovered they were dripping wet in the first hour.

A four person crew cut 260 ties to the new length and predrilled holes for the “spikes” (screws) used to hold the rails. It is estimated that over 1200 ties need to be retrieved and cut. The second crew laid the ties on the railbed, set the rails, bolted rail joint plates to hold the rails together, gauged (spaced) the rails, and screwed them down.

A new record was set by this track team that will be a challenge for others to break. The team laid 205 feet of track in six hours. They also left behind enough cut ties for another 200 feet to be laid by the next crew.

KUSM Supervisors were Dave Unruh and Joel Busch.

Written by Dave Unruh, Track Team Captain