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Modeling the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway

By Robert Chant

Traffice Levels:

Traffic on the modeled portion of the CB&CNS consist of three daily mainline freights in each direction, and two locals: the daily, except Sunday, Sydport Turn and the daily Northside Local. On Sundays, the Northside Local handles all local deliveries.

This was based on the traffic volume of the prototype Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway, plus allowances for the customers I added. On the real CB&CNS there is only one daily freight in each direction and one, as needed, local. The two mainline trains generally run about sixty cars long, the local usually consists of about five.

To reduce the prototype train length to something more manageable on the layout, I would need three trains of about twenty cars in each direction (actually a bonus). Since I also increased the number of on-line customers and the frequency of deliveries, there is also a need to increase local service levels (another bonus).

So what I end up with is about 75 cars in each direction, per day. This is equivalent to traffic levels of the CB&CNS, plus about 15 cars (allowances for increased traffic). Therefore, I will have three mainline train of about 25 car long and two locals of about 10 cars each. And since I plan to operate the layout by myself, this seems about the right amount of business to keep me occupied for quite a few hours.

Scheduling the Trains:

Once the number of trains was determined, I then had to figure out some kind of schedule. As I did with the traffic level, I looked to the prototype again for my answer. When the Canadian National owned this line, there were three schedule frieghts on the time table, although only one time slot was used. Under CN’s timetable, practices and train numbering, the three eastbound freights (940, 942, 944) operate as scheduled trains and all westbound trains operated as extras. The eastbound trains were dispatched from Havre Boucher (HR) at about the same time each day and traveled eastward according to the following:

cbcns02.gif (5931 bytes)

At Sydney, the yard crew usually had the westbound trains waiting for the arrival of the eastbound. Once in Sydney, the eastbound crew turn their train over to the yard crew and boarded the lead engine of the westbound. The westbound train generally departed Sydney within an hour of the eastbound’s arrival and would then head to Havre Bouchre as an extra.

The Modeled Timetable:

So this gave me the starting point for my modeled timetable. I used (stole?) CN’s numbering scheme and times for my eastbound trains. But instead of operating the westbounds as extras, I preferred for these trains to be on the timetable as well. So what I finally ended up with was the following schedule for the mainline trains on the modeled portion of the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway:

ttcbcns.gif (16694 bytes)

The Modeled Roster:

The prototype CB&CNS uses only ALCO/MLW (C-630M’s and RS-18’s). To run the six mainline trains on my layout, four sets of the 630’s will be required. Since each mainline train will be assigned three units, I will need 12 C-630M’s. The real CB&CNS only has eight of these beasts on its roster, so I had to add a few. Yard and local chores are performed by RS-18’s on the real road and as well as on my version. But, I will only need to model two of these work horses, since that's all I nedd to handle these operations on the layout. So the final roster is as follows: (the 630's without names are the ones I added to the roster.)

cbcns03.gif (8919 bytes)

Detailed Daily Operations (Modeled Portion Only):

Once I had this back ground information, it was time to plan the daily operations of the layout. I did this to see if the timetable was "workable" and if I could in fact handled all required work myself. This would be a typical day of operations:

00:01 The first yard crew reports for duty at Muggah (Sydney) Yard. Breaks down 944 from previous day. Delivers any cars to the SYSCO interchange tracks, removes any outbounds. Begins to make-up 941, the next westbound frieght, for departure at about 06:00. Once complete will make any local deliveries, pull any outbounds, add them to 941 and then start making the Sydport Turn.
04:00 Yard crew adds three units from engine the lay-over track to consist of 941, pumps up air, then goes to beans.
04:25 Eastbound 940 with three C-630s at the point, hits Gannon at about 40 MPH and begins to brake.
04:40 940 has slowed to 30 MPH as it enters Sydney Mines.
05:05 940 through North Sydney at 10 MPH
05:15 940 passes Leitches Creek doing about 30 MPH
05:30 940 by Jefferson, has sped up to about 40 MPH
05:50 940 stops at the Sydney Yard, road crew breaks train down over three tracks
06:00 Crew of 940 turn eastbound locos over to yard crew and boards lead unit of 941.
06:05 Yard crew takes eastbound locos for fuel and inspection, then to engine ready track when completed.
06:10 Westbound 941 departs Muggah Yard right on schedule.
06:25 Westbound 941 through Jefferson
06:35 Westbound 941 through Leitch’s Creek
06:45 Westbound 941 through North Sydney
06:55 Westbound 941 through Sydney Mines
07:00 Westbound 941 through Gannon
07:00 Yard crew finishes making Sydport Turn.
07:59 First Yard crew goes off duty, second reports to work.
08:05 Second yard crew departs Sydney with Sydport Turn, works Sydney River, Gibbon, Jefferson and Sydport Industrial Park and returns about noon.
12:00 Second yard crew goes to beans, DEVCO makes transfer to Sydney yard drops loaded hoppers and leaves with empties.
12:30 Second yard crew readies consist of next westbound, 943, and starts the Northside Local.
13:15 Second yard crew adds three locos to 943 and pumps up air.
13:25 Eastbound 942, enters Gannon
14:50 942 at Sydney Yard, train broken down over three tracks
15:00 Road crew of 942 turn locos over to yard crew and hop aboard 943.
15:05 Second Yard crew services locos, moves them to ready track
15:10 Westbound 943 leaves Sydney Yard
16:00 Westbound 943 through Gannon
16:00 Second yard crew goes off duty, third yard crew reports
16:10 Third crew finishes Nortside Local, delivers inbounds to SYSCO, pulls outbounds
16:15 DEVCO makes another tranfers run to Sydney Yard, leaves with empties.
17:00 Yard crew makes next westbound, 945, adds power from ready track and pumps up the air.
17:15 Yard crew leaves Sydney with Northside Local.
17:50 Northside Local enters North Sydney, performs any local work
18:45 Third yard crew goes to beans.
19:00 Eastbound 944 enters Gannon
19:30 944 meets Northside Local at North Sydney
20:15 944 at Sydney Yard, train broken down over three tracks
20:30 Road crew of 944 leaves locos on shop track and hops aboard 945
20:35 945 departs Sydney.
21:25 945 Westbound through Gannon
21:30 Northside Local finishes work in North Sydney, Sydney Mines and Gannon and then returns to Sydney
23:00 Yard crew move locos to service track, then to ready track
23:59 Third yard crew goes off duty.

Track Plan of the Two Level Layout:

Level One - On The CB&CNS Railway

level1lo.jpg (32537 bytes)

 

Level Two - On The CB&CNS Railway

level2lo.jpg (31477 bytes)

©1998 Robert A. Chant, all rights reserved.


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Copyright 2011, Robert A. Chant, all rights reserved.
Last updated on 19 December 2011.