Representative Clients

• Port of Vancouver, USA - Vancouver, Washington
• Portland & Western Railroad - Oregon
• TriMet Light Rail - Portland, Oregon
• J. R. Simplot Livestock - Mountain Home, Idaho & Pasco, Washington
• Weyerhaeuser / Willamette Industries, Inc. - TN, KY, GA, NC, SC, MO, LA, PA
• Columbia & Cowlitz Railroad - Longview, Washington
• Weyerhaeuser - Longview, Washington
• BNSF Railroad - Oregon, Washington
• Surface Transportation Board
• Washington County, Oregon
• City of Lake Oswego, Oregon
• Prudential Steel - Longview, Washington
• Cascade Grain Ethanol – Clatskanie, Oregon
• City of Sherwood, Oregon
• United Grain Corporation - Vancouver, Washington
• Western Aggregates, Inc. - Marysville & Bay Area, California
• Portland Development Commission - Portland, Oregon
• Ashgrove Concrete - Durkee, Oregon
• City of Astoria, Oregon
• Kalama Export
• Morse Bros., Inc. - Linnton, Oregon
• Nustar, Inc. – Oregon & Washongton
• Columbia Grain, Inc. - Port of Portland, Oregon
• Moroni Feed Co. - Moroni, Utah
• HI-PRO Feeds - Dexter, New Mexico
• Teevin Bros Lumber, Oregon
• Reed Grain and Bean - Buhl, Idaho
• ST Services - Linnton, Oregon & Vancouver, Washington
• Intermountain Farmers Association - Nephi, Utah
• Port of St. Helens - St. Helens, Oregon
• BC Rail - Vancouver, British Columbia
• Polypure - Longview, Washington
• Precision Castparts Corporation - Portland, Oregon

Representative Projects
The following are descriptions of relevant rail projects designed, detailed, and specified by Thomas W. Wiser:

At-Grade Crossing Design, Portland & Western Railroad, Salem, Oregon. 2003 to Present.  Coordinated design between railroad and public agency.  Prepared construction and signal plans, rehabilitate the existing track and install signals based upon the ODOT Rail Order.  Perform construction administration involving bidding, contractor selection, submittal review, resolving construction questions and issues, and review of contractor’s efforts and performance during construction.  Currently around 40 crossing design packages.
 
Port of Vancouver, Columbia Gateway FEIS/NEPA/SEPA Rail Access Master Plan Project, Vancouver, WA.  2002 to 2008.  Responsible for development of rail access master plan to the new Port property and for creating concept designs for various tenant types within the new development.  Included 10% and 30% master plan designs.  Involved coordinating the civil road/bridge aspects and coordinating with the permitting agencies.  Prepare multiple alternative access alternatives through different routes to the Port and analyzed their impacts to roads, neighborhoods, utilities, wetlands, industry, rivers, etc.  Also included preparation of UPRR access alternatives within the Port as well as potential tenant yard layouts and impact resolution, preparation of schematic operations, coordination with BNSF on rail operations, coordination with Mainline Management on preparation of rail operations computer model of Port and region.  Preparation of EIS documents and rail analysis.  Responsible for analysis of existing rail capacity and evaluating physical and operational improvements. 
 
Tongue River Railroad, Mill City, Montana.  2012 to Present.  Working with ICF International and the Surface Transportation Board to review rail alignments for the proposed Tongue River Railroad.  Responsible for preparation and review of alternative concept routing through the environmental permitting process.  Prepared designs, profiles, cut/fill volumes, and cost comparisons for alternative routes from 14 to 130 miles in length through the SE Montana mountains. 
 
GAPCO, Conakry, Guinea, Africa - Designed in 2002 to 2005. Project encompassed master planning and preliminary design and layout of a port facility for handling up to four, 94 car trains in and out per day.  The trains will be carrying alumina, caustic, lime, fuel oil and diesel fuel as well as various other materials on flat cars and container cars.  Involved extensive modeling and phasing of operations to determine minimal initial construct.  Also prepared rail master plan design for load out at the mine.  Second phase of the project involved development of design/build performance specification.  Estimated construction cost of $220,000,000.
 
Aggregate Load Facility, California. 1991 to present. This project involved the layout of 30% design alignments and profiles of various alternative rail access concepts ranging from siding tracks to nine mile rail corridors extending to an aggregate load facility. The project includes unit train loading of aggregate by either a loop track or various main line siding tracks for unloading / storage.  Project Engineer for this project providing engineering designs and layouts based upon aerial topo CAD files.  In addition, preliminary conceptual plans have been developed for various concept offload facilities at various remote locations in other regions of the state.
 
TRI-MET Eastside Light Rail Project - Portland, OR.  2009.  Responsible for the 30% design of alternate preliminary alignments for freight rail trackage impacted by the Eastside light rail project.  These impacts included the UPRR Tillamook lead and the Kellogg Industrial Park.  In addition, responsible for review and coordination of at-grade crossings, barrier wall and quiet zones.
 
Port of Vancouver, Rail Consulting Services, 2006-Current.  WRE developed and maintains the Port rail master plans; coordinated utility design; assisted in rail material procurement; oversaw Schedule 1a & 1b engineering design by DEA/Otak; coordinated Kinder Morgan track design and facility location; worked with Port to oversee work of Smith, Monroe and Gray on Kinder Morgan design; Worked closely with legal team on property procurement including preparing lease lines, impacts, easements, rail corridor requirements, etc.; coordinated surveying efforts of MacKay & Sposito for numerous property issues and legal descriptions; worked with City, BNSF, Port, Boise Cascade & Gramor on preparation of street/bridge configuration; assisted in construction oversight of Schedule 1a & 1b; review design work of HDR and HDJ on final construction plan set, including review of plans and specifications.   Responsible for maintaining and updating master plan, adjusting the master plan for various tenant concepts, and preparing and overseeing construction sequencing plan.  In addition, responsible for preparation of various rail concepts based upon marketing efforts by the Port.  Included working with potential tenants to develop rail operation plans.  Assisted the Port on preparation of NEPA/SEPA documentation.
 
Alaska Railroad, Port MacKenzie Extension, Alaska.  2010.  Worked with ICF International and the Surface Transportation Board to review rail alignments for the proposed Alaska Railroad Corporation Rail Line Extension to Port MacKenzie, Alaska.  Responsible for preparation and review of alternative concept routing through the environmental permitting process.  Prepared designs, profiles, cut/fill volumes, and cost comparisons for various alternative routes. 
 
U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, Seattle District, Fort Lewis Interchange Yard Rail Expansion, Fort Lewis, WA.  2007-2008.  WRE teamed with Berger/ABAM to develop the revised Interchange Yard for BNSF to interchange cars for Fort Lewis Deployments.  The scope of work involved the demolishment of 15,333 TF of existing yard trackage, construction of 16,512 track feet of new yard, rehabilitation of 7,900 TF of existing; installation of new road crossing and construction of new rail maintenance building.  Rail Design Engineer for all aspect of the rail portion of the design. 
 
Paper Mill, Wood Chip Unload Facility, Willamette Industries, Inc., Kingsport, Tennessee. Designed in 2001 to 2002.  Prepared construction plan sets for a two spur shipping facility, a single spur additives facility with hazardous spill containment, a single softwood preparation building unload spur, a chlorate unload spur, and a future chemical unload facility. In addition, prepared multiple alternative yard track layouts for a future wood chip rail unloading facility.  This facility is designed to receive up to a 40 car unit train every two days.  The layouts were required to avoid existing plant facilities, CSXT yard and leads, and a cement plant facility.  The site design involved ten, private at-grade road crossings.  Performed construction observations throughout construction.
 
HI-PRO Feed, 110 Car Unit Train Grain Facility, Dexter, NM. Designed in 2001.  Prepared design drawings for a 9,300 ft. loop track off of the BNSF main line for delivery of up to 150 unit trains of grain per year.  The design encompassed the layout of the roads and facility, including three at-grade road crossings.  Project was bid utilizing a bill of materials format associated with an engineer’s cost estimate.  The project was rebid with the materials bid separately from the labor saving $260,000 and bringing the rail construction cost to under $700,000. 
 
Evergreen Pacific Development, 5th Avenue Crossing - Hillsboro, Oregon.   Designed in 2002 to 2003. Prepared plans to obtain approval with ODOT Rail for this new public, signalized at-grade crossing in the City of Hillsboro.  Involved meetings with ODOT Rail, the Willamette and Pacific Railroad, the City of Hillsboro and the Developer to negotiate an approach that would not be cost prohibitive to the Developer.  The project involved the detailing of the road profile to follow ODOT Standards.
 
J.R. Simplot Livestock Group, Mountain Home Loop Track, Mountain Home, Idaho. Designed in 1998.  The project comprised the design of a loop track off of the Union Pacific main line just west of Mountain Home, Idaho. The purpose of this loop is for the delivery of up to 100 unit trains (100 cars per train) per year of 100-ton grain cars.  The project also comprised the analysis and preparation of drainage and grading, truck access and routing, access roads, track crossings, private at-grade road crossings and assistance in siting the offload and storage facility.
 

Port of St. Helens, Cascade Grain Unit Train Ethanol Facility - 2000 to 2008.  Preparation of construction plans for a unit train grain unloading track and an ethanol loading yard.  Involved coordination between the Port, BNSF and the Portland and Western Railroad. Responsible for construction oversight of rail contractor. 
 
J.R. Simplot Livestock Group, Wallula Grain Offload Loop Track - Pasco, WA.  Designed and built in 2000.  The project comprises the design of a 16,400' lead and loop track off of the Union Pacific and BNSF main lines for the delivery of up to 100 unit trains (100 cars per train) of 100-ton grain cars per year.   Included four private, at-grade crossings.  Project was bid utilizing a bill of materials format associated with an engineer’s cost estimate.
 
United Grain Corporation Track Improvements Project – Port of Vancouver, U.S.A. 1995. Large industrial project involving the design of approximately eight miles of track in a 1½ mile strip to increase the unit train capacity for United Grain Corporation and the Port of Vancouver Bulk Load Facility.   Included 42 turnouts, 1½  miles of access road and a large amount of utilities.  Project Engineer responsible for overseeing the civil engineering, surveying and geotechnical engineering.  Responsible for all conceptual layouts and preliminary layouts for rail, civil and utilities.
 
Prudential Steel Ltd. / Columbia & Cowlitz Railway Co. - Longview, WA. 1998. Developed rail alignment plans for a 4500' lead and spur track for the new Prudential Steel facility in Longview.  Design included multiple road crossings, connections to existing rail facilities.  Bid without the use of a bill of materials

Wood Chip Unloading Facility Spurs, Willamette Industries, Inc. - Hawesville, KY. 1998.  Rail plans for a six spur shipping facility, a single spur additives facility with hazardous spill containment, and a single PCC facility spur.
 
Broad River Chip Facility, Willamette Industries, Inc. - Rutherfordton, NC. 1998. Two 3000'+ parallel tracks for a chip loading facility in rural western North Carolina.
 
Mill Spring Chip Plant Facility, Willamette Industries, Inc. - Mill Spring, MO. 1998. Two 3300' spurs connected to a 1051' lead spur off of the Missouri Pacific RR main line.
 
Rail Corridor Study, Lander County Commissioners – Lander County, NV. 1994. Performed the engineering analysis, route layout and field reconnaissance portions of a study to identify potential railroad routes through Lander County (approximately 125 miles in length) toward Yucca Mountain.
 
Port of St. Helens, McNulty Way Extension At-grade Crossing, St. Helens, Oregon.   Designed in 2001.  Prepared plans for the ODOT permitting, coordinated the crossing with the state and the Portland and Western Railroad, prepared the ODOT Rail Application, prepared construction plans for construction of the road at-grade crossing and performed field reviews of construction.  This project was performed in conjunction with the road design by Gibbs and Olson Engineering of Longview, WA under a flexible services contract with the Port of St. Helens.
 

Keiser Bridge Rebuild, BNSF Railroad (L.S. 442, Br. 65.4), 1994 - Salem, OR. Performed the field surveying, permitting, and plan set preparation for the bridge rebuild of a 508' timber pile trestle.
 
Timber Bridge Rebuild, BNSF Railroad  (L.S. 425, Br. 4.6). 1994 – Elma, WA. Performed the field surveying, permitting, and plan set preparation for the bridge rebuild of a 144-foot timber pile trestle. 
 
BNSF Railroad Tonquin Bridge Rebuild  (L.S. 442, Br. 38.6), 1992 - Tualatin, OR. Performed the field surveying, permitting, and plan set preparation for the bridge rebuild of a 377' timber pile trestle.

 
TRI-MET South/North Light Rail Project - Portland, OR.  Designed in 1998.  Responsible for the design of alternate preliminary alignments for freight rail trackage impacted by the South/North light rail project.  These impacts included the Oregon & Pacific Railroad yard adjacent to OMSI, the UPRR lead to Darigold, the UPRR Brooklyn yard, the UPRR Tillamook lead and the Kellogg Industrial Park.  Prepared cost estimates for the alignment alternatives.  This project was performed in conjunction with Parsons Brinckerhoff.  The contact reference at Tri-Met is now working for another consulting firm. This same team has also worked on the 2001/2002 project for the South Corridor Alignment.