866-217-7794

Discuss Your Project
TGB Group

Tag: Big Spring

  • TSLRRA Membership Has Many Benefits

    TSLRRA Membership Has Many Benefits

    A recap of the 2021 TSLRRA Annual Meeting and the importance of the association

    TGB Group’s TSLRRA membership allowed us the pleasure of attending the first virtual Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association Annual Meeting on Feb. 24, 2021. We’ve belonged to the TSLRRA four years now, and it has always been a key part of our professional lives.

    The TSLRRA forwards to us important details about current short line rail news on both the legislative and local levels and provides many other benefits.

    Paul Treangen, TSLRRA president, says:

    Our advocacy is at the state level, including TxDOT, but we also work with ASLRRA at the federal level. Also, we provide access to, and partner with, Class 1 government affairs staff, hold annual meetings, and provide visibility/engagement to our non-railroad members.

    TSLRRA membership has added benefits of special access to background screenings and drug testing through eVerifile’s service, eShortLine (a contractor screening and security administration program explicitly formed for short line railroads).

    Why TSLRRA membership is important

    We believe in supporting an organization like TSLRRA because of its ongoing outreach to assist “mom and pop” railroads in numerous ways. The annual meeting is part of this outreach and gives these smaller railroad owners a perfect chance to meet and get to know other rail-industry professionals and gain access to helpful talks presented by knowledgeable speakers.

    Short line railroads get overlooked too often, but the fact is, they’re very important for the factories and farms that link to major shippers and exporters.

    TSLRRA Annual Meetings always bring us plenty of critical information such as details about heavy regulatory initiatives. These initiatives can hinder growth and Austin short line tax credit.

    The TSLRRA and other short line associations are encouraging Congress to institute an ongoing tax credit that will help short line railroads enhance their infrastructure.

    Want to know more about TSLRRA membership? Go to their LinkedIn page.

    About TSLRRA

    The Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association is a nonprofit professional organization representing the interests of the more than 40 short line railroads and industry related businesses in Texas.

    Established in 2003, TSLRRA’s purpose has been to promote the state’s economy, champion public safety issues and partner with local governments and organizations to enhance the transportation infrastructure and bring new jobs and prosperity to Texas communities. Learn more about the Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association.

    Benefits of TSLRRA membership
    1. Industry expertise

    TSLRRA provides members with countless resources to keep them informed about ever-changing regulatory and legal issues pertaining to short line and regional railroads. Members can call or meet with in-house experts to discuss inquiries and get guidance. Bi-weekly newsletters, as well as ASLRRA’s exclusive data publication Industry Fact Book, summarize market trends and opportunities for railway operators, so members will never miss an opportunity or be caught unaware of changing tides in the industry. Members also have access to a library of webinars from trade experts and see speakers at regional meetings and seminars.

    1. Networking opportunities

    Through annual conventions, events, and regional meetings, members have a wide range of opportunities to meet with like-minded individuals, learn emerging trends and make important, lasting business connections. To get even more involved, members can serve on a number of committees or participate in mentorship programs.

    1. Advocacy programs

    ASLRRA represents small railroad operators in Washington D.C. In doing so, their team of lobbyists works with lawmakers to prevent unfair taxation and regulation. Through this advocacy, railroad owners have the ability to voice their concerns and provide recommendations directly to the government.

     

  • BBB Gold Star Certificate from Houston Better Business Bureau

    BBB Gold Star Certificate from Houston Better Business Bureau

    The BBB is one of the many ways we connect with our community

    TGB Group has received a 2020 BBB Gold Star Certificate from the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas.  We learned about this honor in April 2020.

    BBB membership is one of the many ways we stay connected with our community and is an opportunity for our community to stay connected with us.  There are Better Business Bureaus throughout the United States, and each one is in place to showcase businesses and companies in its area that perform to the highest ethical and professional standards.

    We’re proud to be recognized with the BBB Gold Star Certificate.  While our membership with the Houston BBB is just one of many memberships we hold, it’s important to us, because many consumers (including our future customers) consider it important that a company be in good standing with their local bureau.

    Along with the BBB Gold Star Certificate, we maintain an A+ rating with the Houston BBB and have received 5 stars on each of our customer reviews through the bureau.

    More important than a BBB Gold Star Certificate and other awards

    It’s always nice to be recognized by organizations and agencies for a job well done.  But at TGB Group, the most important recognition comes from our customers, the people we serve and help to grow and expand their operations.  Without satisfied customers on your side, you really don’t have a business.

    Since we launched our company three years ago, certain elements have been in place to guide us in all our work.  They include:

    • Integrity
    • Honesty
    • Hard work
    • Industry expertise
    • Clear communication
    • Customer-first approach
    • On-time delivery of services

    The way we see it, when the owners of a business set the standard for everyone in the company, when they hold employees – and themselves – to these standards, things just run more smoothly and client satisfaction is guaranteed to be high.

    If you’re interested in hiring the TGB team for your next engineering or design project, give us a call at (866) 217-7794 and tell us what you want to accomplish.

  • TGB Group Again Named a Top 10 Railroad Engineering Services Company

    TGB Group Again Named a Top 10 Railroad Engineering Services Company

    Honor given for second consecutive year by Commtrex, managers of a leading rail services company directory

    Commtrex, creators of a popular online Rail Services Directory, has for the second year in a row named TGB Group as a top-10 railroad engineering services company.  The announcement was formally made in September 2019 on Commtrex.com.

    Our entire team is proud of this honor, because it tells us we’re doing things right and providing the quality railroad engineering services that help our clients meet and exceed their construction and expansion goals.

    This year’s Top 10 Railroad Engineering Services Company award went to leading engineering firms across the USA in places like Matthews, N.C., Brentwood, Tenn., Louisville, Ken., Greely, Colo., and Beaumont and Houston, Texas.

    We thought it was interesting that three Texas-based railroad engineering services companies made the list – the most from any state.  But it’s not surprising: Texans have always been known for doing jobs right.

    About Commtrex

    railroad engineering services company award 2018

    Commtrex is the only open online marketplace serving the U.S. and Canadian rail industries.  The company provides its extensive directory as well as a forum where rail cars can be bought, sold and leased.

    The Commtrex directory is a central place where project managers and business developers throughout the country can search for just the right railroad engineering services company for their project.

    Winning this award and being aligned with Commtrex will only be a step in the right direction for TGB Group as we continue to streamline our services and add to our expertise.  Our listing on Commtrex.com notes our affiliation with BNSF and Union Pacific railroads and our expertise in engineering track design, track construction services and track design services.  We consider that excellent publicity!

    We’re proud to be a railroad engineering services company right here in Texas

    As a Texas-based railroad engineering services company, we strive to bring positive benefits to all the neighboring communities where we work.  We believe that positive business dealings and exceptional results can help communities grow and prosper.  We’re committed to doing our part to serve the great state of Texas and other great states throughout the country.

  • Isomeric Industries, Inc. Selects TGB Group for Track Expansion Project

    Two of Big Spring Rail’s locomotives working in the new Tarmac Yard.

    Isomeric Industries, Inc. Selects TGB Group for Track Expansion Project

    Work started in December at McMahon Wrinkle Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas

    TGB Group has been selected to design and build Isomeric’s track expansion project at the McMahon Wrinkle Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas.  We began working with Isomeric to identify locations for a track expansion to support the growth in their business.  Our team provided consulting and conceptual design services to help determine the best location.  Isomeric then selected us to manage the entire process. 

    We’re providing survey, design, bidding services, construction management and on-site construction observation services for the project, which entered the design phase this month.  We expect construction of the track expansion project to be completed early in the second quarter of 2019.

    Track expansion project and other work in Big Spring

    TGB Group has been the civil engineer of choice for rail projects in Big Spring for many years.  We recently completed a large expansion for the Big Spring Railroad’s (BSR) Tarmac Yard and the design of Alor Trucking’s new transloading facility.  Several other rail expansion projects are slated for 2019 that will further expand the Big Spring Railroad’s ability to store railcars for customers as well as transload railcars for customers in need of these services.

    Big Spring Rail Systems, Inc. maintains and operates approximately six miles of rail line in Howard County, Texas, over trackage owned by the City of Big Spring.

    BSR was established in August 2012 as part of an economic development project by the Big Spring Economic Development Corporation.  It was created to initiate opportunities to transport and distribute product for customers, promoting the accessibility and utilization of existing rail service that was not previously possible.  BSR is headquartered in West Chester, Pa.  The firm interchanges traffic with Union Pacific railroad and is located just west of its Big Spring yard.

    Texas state and local officials have recognized the economic growth that coincides with improving transportation infrastructure.  These investments put a focus on transportation projects while benefiting the community and stimulating economic growth.  Big Spring has been referred to as the “crossroads of west Texas” due to it’s being the only city in the western portion of the state with access to interstate highways going north, south, east and west.  In addition to existing highways and an airpark, BSR is building on this with the inclusion of rail service.

    To learn more about this track expansion project, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603

  • Wolf Basin Logistics Facility Project Underway

    Wolf Basin Logistics Facility Project Underway

    TGB Group has begun the first phase of construction for the Wolf Basin Logistics transloading facility project in Big Spring, TX.  We’re scheduled to finish this phase in February 2019, with three other phases to follow. Alor will hire approximately 50 local residents to work at the facility after all phases are complete. This is a great employment opportunity for folks in and around Big Spring.

    The first phase consists of constructing two railroad tracks that will be used for the rail-to-truck transloading of barite and brine for local oilfield needs. Wolf Basin Logistics is helping the Big Spring Railroad by replacing the mainline switch and upgrading the curves that continue onto their (Alor’s) property to ensure safety and longevity.


    Phase I focuses on railroad track construction to receive barite and brine for oil fields

    Brine

    Brine is the term for dissolved salt/salt mixtures and is used in oil drilling. Preferred over water in drilling applications, brines are high-density but don’t contain particles that could cause damage in a drilling operation. Brine classes include bromides, formates and calcium and sodium chloride brines.

    Drone Footage

    TGB Group’s Business Development Manager, Jake Cooper, has been busy taking drone footage of pre-construction areas for the Wolf Basin Logistics transloading facility project. The goal is to provide a visual comparison when phase I is complete. Additional drone footage will be available following the completion of future phases.

    This video footage starts from the Big Spring Railroad and shows Wolf Basin Logistics’s property before any construction was started. You can see the rail curve that leads to the switch that is going to be replaced.

    To learn more about our work on the Wolf Basin Logistics transloading facility project, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603

  • Industrial Park Expansion Makes News in Big Spring

    Industrial Park Expansion Makes News in Big Spring

    TGB Group provided engineering design and construction management for the project

    TGB Group is in the news again – this time in Big Spring, Texas, where the company is providing design and construction management services for a major rail industrial park expansion.

    The project, launched by the Big Spring Economic Development Corporation (BSEDC), is big news in this city of approximately 27,000. A July 9, 2018 article on NewsWest9.com based in Midland, Texas, pointed out that the “[railroad] track is the road to expansion for the City of Big Spring.”

    The McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park expansion will involve laying an additional 8,000 feet of track and extending the main line track to allow access to properties near the park.

    In a video and accompanying news article, BSEDC Executive Director Terry Wegman said, “This is a continuation of almost six miles of track that we’ve done over the last several years to accommodate existing business and help attract new business to the airport.”

    Video of Big Spring Railroad Project

    Services TGB has been responsible for during the expansion at the former WWII airfield include topographic survey and construction staking; complete engineering design; preparation of necessary forms to obtain FAA, air park and railroad approvals; and construction administration. You can read more about this project in an article we wrote in October of last year.

    TGB President Mike Murphy, who is overseeing his company’s work on the project, told NewsWest9, “The idea is to bring more customers to Big Spring and make them feel comfortable that we have everybody in the room they need to build their project.”

    This is just one of many TGB projects focused on enhancing the economic climate in cities throughout Texas and in nearby states.

  • News on Our Big Spring McMahon Industrial Park Transload Yard Project

    News on Our Big Spring McMahon Industrial Park Transload Yard Project

    Where we are in this multifaceted project

    TGB Group has completed surveying and engineering work for the Big Spring Mahon-Wrinkle Industrial Park Transload Yard, a project that began earlier in the year.

    We are currently working on the construction of the transload yard with Big Spring Economic Development Corporation. Railworks Track Systems and DIFFCO, LLC were the selected rail and civil contractors for the project for which TGB Group is providing construction management services. So far, we have completed the ditching and surfacing and are beginning to fill the ditches with riprap. TGB team member Logan Ortiz P.E. is performing construction observation duties for the project. He is on-site at the industrial park every week, ensuring that the contractors build everything according to client-approved engineering documents.

    Riprap

    Riprap is essentially chunks of rock approximately one to two feet in diameter that are used to prevent erosion. Rocks typically used as riprap include granite, limestone and sometimes concrete. Riprap is particularly important to fill ditches near railroad yards to prevent water from eventually eroding the dirt beneath the track. If erosion is allowed to happen, a void will develop within the dirt under the track. As trains pass over this void, the railroad track will bend and “pump” into the dirt. The only way to fix this void is to have a railroad contractor come and fill in the void, which is an expensive and time-consuming process.

    Drone Footage

    Jake Cooper, TGB’s business development manager, took some drone footage of the construction in the transload yard. The first video is footage for the entire project from the south end, to the north end.

    This second video is closer footage from about the middle, to the north end.

    To learn more about our work with the Big Spring McMahon Industrial Park Transload Yard, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603

  • TGB Group to Design Transload Facility

    TGB Group to Design Transload Facility

    Wolf Basin Logistics

    Project for Wolf Basin Logistics in Big Spring, Texas, Is Underway

    TGB Group has finalized a contract with Alor Trucking of Big Spring, Texas, to design and develop a new transload facility in that city. The facility will employ a rail-to-truck transloading process that will be used primarily for the transport of barite, pipe and diesel fuel. TGB engineers are currently working through the design phase of the transload facility. As with many other projects we undertake, this one will require a very quick turnaround to allow construction to begin in 2018.

    Scope of the transload facility project

    Wolf Basin Logistics in 2017 purchased the 17-acre site, which will be dedicated to the new transload facility. When the project is finished, the company will have the capacity to transload up to 53 railcars on eight separate tracks. Plans also call for a warehouse adjacent to the transloading facility. The warehouse will encompass approximately 37,000 square feet and have its own rail spur capable of unloading from boxcars into the building.

    Services TGB Group will provide

    Survey

    • Provide topographic and boundary survey of lots.
    • Site/civil design for the new rail car transload including site grading, dimension plan, pavements, rail layout, truck scale design (includes truck-turning movements), stormwater drainage.
    • Design review with Big Spring Railroad and the City of Big Spring for approval.

    Bidding and contractor selection

    • Prepare bid documents and solicit pricing for construction from qualified site and rail contractors for the proposed rail car transload development.
    • Tabulation of bids and recommendation to client on contractor selection.

    Stormwater pollution prevention plan

    • Prepare the erosion control plan and SWPPP in accordance with TCEQ for the proposed rail car transload facility site development.
    • Prepare Notice of Intent for client signature.

    Construction Administration

    • Review shop drawings and submittals; answer contractor questions regarding site work during construction.
    • Provide onsite construction observer during key phases of construction to ensure construction is being completed as planned.

    Other work in Big Spring

    Earlier this year, TGB Group was hired by the Big Spring Economic Development Corporation to design and manage the construction of a large project at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring. This project, which was approved for construction in March 2018, included numerous elements within an industrial park rail expansion for the Big Spring Railroad.

    To learn more about this transloading facility design project in Big Spring, Texas, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (866) 217-7794

  • Industrial Park Rail Expansion in Big Spring, Texas

    Industrial park rail expansion scheduled at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas.

    Industrial Park Rail Expansion in Big Spring, Texas

    TGB Group will provide design plans and construction management at this historic airpark

    TGB Group has been retained by the Big Spring Economic Development Corporation to design and manage construction of an industrial park rail expansion for the Big Spring Railroad at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas.

    The project at this city-owned, public-use airfield and industrial park will include the laying of more than 8,000 feet of track to allow for the expansion of storage and switching capacity of the Big Spring Rail System.  Plans also call for extending the main line track so that properties adjacent to the park can be accessed.

    Key services TGB is providing for the industrial park rail expansion include:

    • Topographic survey and construction staking
    • Complete engineering design
    • Preparation of necessary forms to obtain FAA, air park and railroad approvals
    • Construction administration
    industrial park rail expansion
    Industrial park rail expansion scheduled at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park in Big Spring, Texas.

    A former WWII airfield

    Operated as Big Spring Army Airfield by the U.S. Army during World War II, the Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport occupies about 2,200 acres of land and features two runways and a 4,000-square-foot air terminal.  Primary activities at the airport include recreational flying, agricultural spraying, corporate aviation and flight instruction.  The facility manages the Hangar 25 Air Museum, hosts various air shows and was the location of the 2007 Hang Gliding World Championships.

    Bidding, contractor selection and our new drone

    After our design plans are completed and approved, the TGB team will provide bidding and contractor selection services for the project.  We will also engage in comprehensive management of construction activities to ensure that all specifications are adhered to and that the project is completed according to time schedules.

    Assisting us in construction management will be our new Phantom 4 drone that will provide high-definition photos and video of work activities during various building phases and at the completion of the project.  The addition of this drone to our arsenal of tools allows us to bring unmatched accuracy of visual data to all survey activities.

    Construction for the project is slated to begin March 1 and last approximately four months.

    To learn more about the industrial park rail expansion at the McMahon-Wrinkle Air and Industrial Park or to get further specs on this project, please contact:

    Mike Murphy, president, TGB Group: (832) 748-7603