Brightline, on March 27, showcased Basecamp, the private-sector passenger railroad’s 135,805-square-foot train maintenance facility in Orlando, Florida. Step inside Basecamp.
Wharton-Smith provided Construction Manager at Risk services for the $100 million facility, which sits on 62 acres south of Orlando International Airport.
Basecamp will ramp up to a 24/7 operation when the railroad opens its Orlando Station this year, employing 175 highly skilled engineers, conductors, technicians, and inspectors.
According to Brightline’s press release, Basecamp is a world-class facility featuring cutting-edge technology, including:
- Truck Shop: where coach and locomotive trucks can be disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt for additional use
- Drop-Table: a 25-foot-deep drop table that operates between the heavy maintenance track and the truck shop and can swap out trucks quickly to get grains back into service
- Parts Warehouse: an 11,000-square-foot, three-story parts shop
- Wheel True Facility: where wheels are cut or “trued” back to their original profile allowing for maximum ride quality and performance
- Two Fueling Islands and a Sand Island: an 80,000-gallon biodiesel fuel farm
- Train Wash Facility: can wash a four-coach train and two locomotives in 15 minutes, using 75% recycled water
The facility will be able to service up to 16 trains at one time in its undercarriage pits and has multiple overhead cranes, including a 30-ton crane capable of removing 10,000-pound engines and storage tracks that extend the length of more than two football fields.
Wharton-Smith also provided site improvements, including rail lines, a parking lot and circulation roadways, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, domestic water, and fire services.
Congratulations to the Central Florida Commercial project team!
