I am reminded of a true story of a Northern Michigan RR ran by Cornelius "Con" Culhane in the late 1800s-1903 when he died under one of his logging trains. He waited till the ground had froze and moved his whole operation right across the cedar swamps by felling trees for stringers and ties, picking up track from the rear and moving it forward. East from the lake that bares his name, till he hit Superior again South of the point would be similar ground I think. Maybe worse; sandy too.
Not a flat out solution, but may inspire some.
(Always looking for "Con" info as it's mostly all "word of mouth" from the 60s. I'm thinking I might be among the few that heard his stories from those "kids" that were around back then. "A character" 
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