Moving the Sturgis Railroad Depot (Photos and Project Details)

A small basement is tunneled through and a large brick chimney is supported.

Excavation begins.

Holes are jack-hammered through the stone foundation walls.

Openings have been made through the foundation where all of the lifting steel will be installed.

There was a 12 inch dirt crawlspace under most of the Depot.

Tunneling begins to install the 90’ Main Beams.

Two 100' Long Tunnels are made.

Wolfe begins excavation work on site in mid-June.

A 90' Main Beam is guided into place under the structure.

Mains are leveled on oak cribbing.

The Main Beams are carefully maneuvered into place. Each beam weighs approximately 10 tons.

Two 90' Main Beams are placed under the Depot.

A 35 foot long 14 inch wide Steel Crosser is carried and set into place on top of the Mains.

The majority of the crossers are installed. Short “Needle Beams” are placed between crossers to support the end walls.

Futher oak wedge shimming.

Note the oak wedges supporting the stone wherever the foundation has been “perforated” by Steel.

As the building is lifted, at every 6 inch interval all of the crib piles are built up.

Hydraulic PSI gauges show the exact weight.

Lifting begins with a Unified Jacking Machine

Note the oak wedges supporting the stone wherever the foundation has been “perforated” by Steel.

One of many 60-Ton Jacks used to lift the building.

The building is lifted 7' and supported on 12 crib piles. The height is necessary to install the Buckingham Dolly System.

Clean fill dirt is compacted under the building.

Futher backfilling

The basement, crawlspace and surrounding areas are filled and brought up to the level of the surrounding grade.

A 173hp Hydraulic Power Unit controls the System.

Dollies are unloaded and installed.

Each dolly is individually connected with hoses for jacking, driving, braking and steering. Setup takes most of a day.

Loaded and ready to go as morning dawns on June 25th. An overnight storm has left the site wet and muddy, but 1/2 inch thick steel plate has been laid down to ensure a solid move surface.

Ten Power & Coaster Dollies distribute the 300 Ton Load to 30 Tons per Dolly.

Bridge Beams are shimmed to the cribbing.

Crib piles are built and steel beams are placed as bridges out over the new foundation.

Meanwhile, the last Michigan Southern train rolls past the Depot where it has stood for the last 147 years.

The approach is graded and compacted and Bridge Beams are completed.

A gathered crowd enjoys watching as the load is secured for the night partially on and off of the railroad tracks.

Approaching the highway, the load begins to move off of the railroad right-of-way.

It’s not every day that you experience the sight of a masonry Depot moving down the railroad tracks!

Oak Cribbing protects the rails and creates a solid move road.

The Depot begins the first phase of the move at 4:00 PM. It travels at a snail’s pace so workers can place cribbing as it rolls.

The labor-intensive process of building the move road and traveling on the railroad tracks takes several hours.

A couple of firefighters have the best view from their ladder truck.

A height stick is set up at 32 feet, 9 inches on the front escort truck—the actual height of the Depot.

A row of Dolly wheels rolls past one of many beautifully landscaped islands on US 12.

An MDOT engineer watches as the SmartSteer system moves the Depot around the corner.

Approaching the new lot. The Chamber of Commerce has set up hundreds of chairs in their parking lot.

At 6:00 AM the main roads through town are closed and traffic is rerouted. The streets are quiet except for the MDOT crews getting an early start preparing their traffic signals for the move.

At 8:00 AM the Depot begins the 3/4 Mile Journey to its new home. The SmartSteer system expertly makes the first turn.

Each Dolly automatically steers and turns as needed to maneuver the Depot between the buildings and around the corner.

Hundreds turn out to watch and the city is abuzz with excitement as the Depot rolls through downtown Sturgis.

MDOT sets up at the final intersection and begins moving Signals out of the way.

MDOT sets up two Cranes to handle the traffic signals. Five different utility companies worked together at one intersection.

Moving past the old Strand Theater.

Moving South on M66 / Nottawa Street. Once the turn is complete, the self-propelled Dollies move the Depot at 2-3 mph.

Now heading South on M66. Sturgis Police provide traffic and crowd control throughout the move.

Now on US 12, the Depot moves West the four blocks to its new location.

Photo by Sturgis Fire Department (Facebook)

Preparing for the turn from M66 South onto US 12 West. MDOT and Utility crews lift and move the lines.

The Buckingham Power Dolly System with SmartSteer brilliantly maneuvers through a complex turn in minutes.

The operator controls the building move with a wireless, radio remote control system.

With lines and signals safely lifted out of the way, the Depot begins the turn onto US 12.

20 Minutes later, the lines are lifted and the Depot begins the last block of the journey.

At 12:00 Noon the Depot stops along side of the new foundation, aligned with the end walls.

Pulling up along side of the new foundation.

Residents, visitors, city officials and project leaders look on as the move nears completion.

Ten Dollies steer simultaneously as the Depot moves off of the road and onto the relocation site.

The Depot beginning the final turn into the relocation site. Remote control allows the operator to move around as needed.

After breaking for lunch, each Dolly is rotated 90 degrees in preparation to move the Depot across the new foundation.

Constant measurements and adjustments are made as the depot moves at a crawl of only a few inches per minute.

Final measurements are taken and the Depot is aligned with the new foundation.

The Depot goes back on cribbing. Dollies are removed and the Jacking System will lower it to the permanent elevation.

The final alignment is virtually perfect. Lasers show the new foundation lines up within 1/4" all the way around.

The SmartSteer System is a tremendous advantage when doing the final alignment of the building. The

Sturgis Railroad Depot

Sturgis, Michigan • June 2014

– SPECS –

Sturgis Railroad Excavating

Sturgis Railroad Setting Mains

Sturgis Railroad Crossers

Sturgis Railroad Shimming

Sturgis Railroad Jacking

Sturgis Railroad Backfilling

Sturgis Railroad Dollies

Sturgis Railroad Building Bridges

Sturgis Railroad Moving on the Railroad

Sturgis Railroad Moving on the Streets

Sturgis Railroad Turning into Lot

Sturgis Railroad Rolling Across