Deseret Power Railway

Starting in 2005, I spent several years living in Utah while I was in college. One evening, as I was surfing the internet, I came across a reference to a "Deseret Western Railway" being the only electric railroad in the state of Utah. Up to that point, I had always assumed that Utah had no electric railroads. Union Pacific and Utah Railway are the two major railroad presences in that state, and both maintain fleets of diesel locomotives. Since it was located several hours away and I did not own a car at the time, I filed it away in the back of my brain as something I would like to go check out in the future.

Photo by "Chip" of www.coloradorailfan.com

A couple of years later, I decided to go check out this electric railroad in eastern Utah. A roommate and I were bored one afternoon, and he had just bought a new car a few weeks earlier and wanted to drive. However, he complained to me that he did not know where to go. I suggested we go check out the Deseret Power Railroad and gave him a brief explanation of what exactly it is. He agreed, and off we went.

The Deseret Power Railroad was built in 1984 as the Deseret Western Railway. It is the only electric railroad in the state of Utah, and is not connected to the rest of the North American rail network. The 35-mile railroad is owned by the Deseret Generation and Transmission Co-operative. Coal is moved from the Deserado Mine, near Dinosaur, CO, to the Bonanza Power Unit, a 400-megawatt power plant located near Bonanza, UT. There is a loop on either end of the railroad, and no sidings or stations in between.

All trains operating on the Deseret Power Railroad are electric, using power generated by the coal it hauls. The Bonanza Power Unit generates electricity to operate the railroad and the coal mine, all of which are owned by the same company. The railroad uses seven General Electric E60C locomotives, which draw power from a 50,000 volt overhead catenary.

Our little road trip out to see the Deseret Power Railroad was fun. It was quite something to find this electric railroad line out in the middle of the desert. It does not run directly through any towns, and even the nearby ones are pretty small and isolated. It goes through an area many would call "the middle of nowhere." I took pictures at several locations online. Despite driving to several locations on the railroad, we did not see any trains.

The following photos are some that I took on that trip, the entire bunch of them can be found at the Ogden Brothers Trains Facebook page. You do not need to be a Facebook user to see the photos.

Looking east down the tracks, near the Deserado Mine.

One of the only grade crossings on the railroad, just outside the Deserado Mine.

A rural crossing near the Colorado-Utah border.

There sure is a lot of open land around this railroad!

Catenary support.

Identifying Rail

Railroad rail comes in all types and sizes. The basic design is the same, but there are different weights, which have different loading capabilities. There are also different types of steel and various types of treatment processes. These different types of steel and steel treatment processes all contribute to the strength and durability of the rail. At first it may seem that the best rail would simply be the hardest and strongest, but depending on the conditions which the rail must stand up against, that may not always be ideal. Sometimes, particularly when laid in tight curves, rail needs to be more flexible. It also must be able to expand and contract with temperature changes. In some switches, it needs to be able to withstand being flexed countless times, as it will be moved every time someone lines the switch. Of course, the most important task is that the rail be able to withstand being rolled over millions of times by wheels each carrying many tons.

Since rail comes in many varieties, it is important that there be a way to identify the various types. This is particularly important for Maintenance of Way personnel, who are responsible for track maintenance and repairs. In the United States, basic rail information is stamped on the web, or side, of the rail at least every sixteen feet. The information is standardized, so rail from any manufacturer can be identified easily and in the same format. Since many companies have manufactured rail over the years, this standardization of information is important. The information stamped on the rail is known as the "Rail Brand," and is formatted like this:

115 RE HH VT Nippon 1999 1111111

This is just an example, but let's look at each part.

The first number can be either two or three digits. It identifies the weight of the rail in pounds for each three foot section. Most modern rail weighs at least 115 pounds per three foot section, and in many areas, main line rail can easily exceed 135 pounds per yard.

The second pair of letters is called the section. The section identifies the engineering association that established the design specifications for that particular rail. While the specifications from one engineering association to another would be similar, there are subtle differences and it is important to know what specifications are being used. The most common section in North America is "RE," which is the identification for the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association, or AREMA.

The second pair of letters, an "HH" in this example, is the grade of the rail. There are numerous grades of rail, divided into two groups. Rail is classified first as either standard grade or premium grade, and each category has about a dozen subcategories. The grade identification can be any number of letters or combination of numbers and letters, but is usually at least two characters. This example would be head hardened rail.

The third pair or letters indicates the method of hydrogen elimination. In the steel making process, any gases that enter the liquid steel can cause voids, cracks, and other potential weaknesses in the final, solidified steel. Hydrogen has been identified as one particularly harmful gas, however steel makers have several methods to cool the liquid steel in such a way that purges it of gases. In this example, the "VT' indicates that this steel was vacuum treated.

Next the manufacturer is identified. Sometimes the entire name of the manufacturer is used, and other times an abbreviation is used. Rail is manufactured all over the world for North America, and each manufacturer has a unique name or abbreviation they stamp on the rail brand. In some cases, a symbol may be used instead of a name or abbreviation. Nippon identifies Nippon Steel, in Japan.

The last bunch of numbers identify when the rail was rolled in the steel mill. The first four numbers identify the year, and the last series of 1's identify the month, by Roman numeral. The example would have been manufactured in July 1999.

In addition to the rail brand, the manufacturer also places other information called the "Rail Stamp," which has specific manufacturing information. The rail stamp is on the opposite side of the rail from the brand, and includes information such as the heat number, position in the cast, and ingot or strand number. Sometimes a strand may be referred to as a "bloom," which is essentially a blank piece of steel which is then heated and rolled into the shape of a rail.

Because the list of all the possibilities for each piece of information is extensive, I will not post them here. I will post them as a page in our "Other Resources" area. Check there within the next day or two if you are curious about a specific identification you have seen recently.

Seward Depot

There are two passenger depots in Seward, AK, but the original depot is no longer used by the Alaska Railroad. The original depot was built at milepost 0, the southernmost point on the Alaska Railroad. It was built before Anchorage had even been founded, and Seward was the location where people began their trip to Fairbanks and the interior of Alaska. When the railroad was completed, a trip to Fairbanks took two days by train, with an overnight layover in Curry. Curry no longer exists as anything more than a spur track, but that is a story for another day. The current Seward depot is pretty nondescript. It is a small wood frame building next to an asphalt platform at the end of the track. The current end of the track is at milepost 1.6.

At 5:36pm, on March 27, 1964, south central Alaska experienced a major earthquake. At the time, it was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, measuring at 9.2 on the Richter scale, and lasting around four minutes. The epicenter was east of Anchorage, so while there were effects statewide, the majority of the damage was at the south end of the railroad. One of the consequences of the earthquake was major elevation changes in areas near the ocean, including in Seward. Prior to the earthquake, the railroad continued south from the location of today's depot, along the shore line, and then around to the location of the original depot. Along the way there was a yard, some oil storage facilities, and numerous docks and piers.When the earthquake occurred, the soft silt and mud beneath all that gave way and slipped into Resurrection Bay, taking the railroad, piers, and oil facility with it. In addition, the earthquake generated tsunamis that affected Alaska, but also traveled out into the Pacific Ocean, reaching places as far away as California, Hawaii, and even New Zealand. The tsunamis reached Seward shortly after the earthquake and washed many buildings and facilities near the shore into the ocean. In addition to all this, the destroyed remains of the oil facility caught fire, and the fire was then spread throughout the town by the tsunami.

Despite all the destruction in Seward, and the fact that the old depot is located right next to the shore, it still stands. The mile and a half of track between it and the new depot were never rebuilt, which is why the railroad no longer goes to milepost 0. Today the old depot houses some of the offices of the Alaska Sea Life Center, but they have left the exterior almost exactly as it would have been while serving the railroad. There are some exhibits in there, and visitors to the Alaska Sea Life Center can usually visit those exhibits during normal business hours. Anyway, several days ago I was in Seward on a coal train and the hotel we stayed in was right around the corner from the old depot. It was a gorgeous day, so I decided to go for a little walk and take some pictures while I was at it.

The front of the old depot.

North end of the old depot. The concrete building in the background is the main part of the Alaska Sea Life Center.

South end of the old depot, the concrete porch is newer.

Former track side of the old depot.

Track side of the old depot. The parking lot is where the south end of the yard would have been located.

With the exception of a dock missing in the foreground, the view from the old platform is unchanged.

What I've Learned as an Engineer

Taking the Engineer program has, if nothing else, made me much more aware of certain things, even as a Conductor. It has also changed my attitude on getting freight over the road. So, I thought I would put together an informal list of some of the things I have learned. Not all are entirely related to railroading, and not all are entirely related to taking the Engineer program. Without further delay, here is the list, in no particular order at all. It is by no means a comprehensive list.

• Slow is not always bad. When running with a heavy or unresponsive train, it is a whole lot less stressful to take your time, especially when coming to a stop. It is much better to take up two or three miles for a nice, controlled stop, than to come flying up to a stop and then try to come screeching to a halt in the last half mile. And most trains are running so far behind their "scheduled" time anyway that there is no hope to ever make it up.
• Skunks eat skunks. When skunks, or raccoons for that matter, become railroadkill, it seems that other skunks and raccoons come along to snack on the carcasses  and we end up killing more of them. I would call it the circle of life, but it seems more like a dead end to me. Seriously, if you want a coonskin hat, or entire rug, there are about a dozen lying between the rails at MP 40.
• Patience is not a widespread virtue in the human race. I laughed pretty hard back in December as I was coming through Miles City with a train that was only about 1,200 feet long. We got to the first crossing, near the tank car clean out place, and saw a vehicle making about a five point turn, to get away from the crossing and go somewhere else to cross. As we continued west, we saw the very same vehicle at the next crossing, by the grocery store, again trying to turn around. Presumably after two failed attempts at beating the train, the driver chose the underpass. However, had they just waited at the first crossing, we would have been out of their way in less time than it took for them to get to the second crossing. We see something like this almost every time we go to work. In Forsyth one night, we saw someone turn around at the east crossing, and start heading into town to cross at 10th Street. The street is parallel to the tracks there, and about halfway into town, there is a big dip in the road, where a drainage ditch crosses the road. Apparently the driver forgot about that, because we saw a shower of sparks spray out from under the vehicle. They got to the 10th Street crossing just as the gates lit up, and surprisingly, they stopped. Of course, we got a one fingered wave as we went by.
• You run a train by the seat of your pants. Before I took the Engineer program, I really had no idea how the Engineers knew where all the hills and valleys were on the railroad. I could not see them, the track all looked flat to me, and I certainly could not feel them. I figured the Engineers I worked with must have just been around so long that they knew. Turns out the train tells you everything it is doing, you just have to pay attention to how the seat feels on your rear end. If the train is going downhill, it responds a bit differently than when going uphill, and that can be felt if you are paying attention. The seat also tells you if the couplers are bunched or stretched, if the brakes have released throughout the train, or if they are applying throughout. All the information that the seat conveys to your pants affects how you run. If you're not paying attention, sooner or later the train will give you a good whack, to wake you up. Strangely, when I am not running, I cannot feel most of the subtle changes in the seat.
• Don't rush the signal. I used to hate it when Engineers would creep up to a stop signal, especially at night. At night, when I am tired, I want to get stopped as soon as possible, so I can take a nap, which is why I hated creeping to signals--it was cutting into my nap time! Now I have exactly the opposite attitude. I would rather creep up to a signal and know I will not go by it. This is especially true when I am tired, because when I am exhausted I am not necessarily operating at peak performance.
• If you don't hear the dispatcher, they'll call again. I used to worry that if I did not respond right away when the dispatcher called, I might get in trouble. While it might annoy the dispatcher a bit, ultimately they will call back again, because they have to get the train moving. Likewise, in Centralized Traffic Control, where the dispatcher directly controls the signals, if you do not respond to a signal right away, the dispatcher will eventually call to find out why. And if you do happen to fall into a deep sleep for like four hours, because you have been at work all night, the dispatcher might be a bit annoyed, but they will learn to deal with it.
• Running a train is a brain game. Running a train is 99% a mental activity. You spend most of the day planning ahead several miles, and very little of it actually performing any physical work. You can tell if you were successful or not by how the train responds to your plans as you put them into action. It is a lot more of a mental task than I could have imagined before I took the program. But for now at least, all that extra thinking helps me stay awake on long nights.

I have learned a lot more as an Engineer, and working for the railroad, but these are just some of the highlights. Most importantly though, I still enjoy my job on most days, which is good because I still have more than three decades until I can retire! Regardless of the pay or benefits, railroading is hard to do if you do not like it at least a little, because the schedule is unpredictable, and the lifestyle is a little crazy.

Prototype Railroading: How Air Brakes Work

A few days ago, we talked about how the air brakes on trains came to be.  To many people, they are complicated systems with air flowing back and forth, which by some miracle brings thousands of tons of train to a controlled stop.  Hopefully by the end of the day, they'll be understood a little better.  First of all, let's go over the basics again.

The air brakes on a train operate on the principle that unequal pressures will equalize.  That is to say, if a higher and a lower pressure meet, the lower pressure will increase and the higher pressure decrease until the two are equal.  The brakes in most trains worldwide operate by forcing compressed air through a pipe the length of the train.  The pressure inside that pipe puts air into the system, as well as engages the system when the pressure is changed.  As pressure drops, or when it is lost completely, the brakes apply.  When pressure is added to the system, the brakes release.  They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so enjoy them.  They're not to any scale, they are simply for reference.

On each locomotive, there is an air compressor, which compresses air for the brakes, as well as other air powered functions on the locomotives, such as the sander, horn, and the wipers.  The air leaves the compressor and goes to the main reservoir, which consists of two large air tanks on the locomotive, used to store air.  From the main reservoir, where the pressure is typically between 120 and 140 pounds per square inch (psi), the air passes through a regulating valve and into the brake system.  The regulating valve can be adjusted to higher and lower settings, but it controls what pressure the brakes will operate at.  For most freight trains, it is 90 psi.  Passenger trains vary, depending on who operates them, but they are usually between 90 and 105 psi.  Think of the main reservoir as a lake, with the regulating valve acting as a dam.  When more water is needed out or the lake, the dam can be opened more, but when the water level downstream of the lake is high enough, the dam can be closed, to allow less water to pass through.

Once air leaves the main reservoir and passes through the regulating valve, it enters the brake system.  The air pipe that goes the length of the train is called, not surprisingly, the brake pipe.  As air enters the system at the locomotive, it flows back, until it has filled the brake pipe in every car, ad the diagram above illustrates.  Now, we are going to take a look at an individual car for a minute.  Looking at the small picture will help understand the big picture.

On each car, there are a few components of the brake system.  The brake pipe runs the length of the car, with a hose on each end for coupling it to the next car.  At each end of the car, there is a valve, called an angle cock, which allows the hose to be closed off if no cars are coupled.  This prevents the pressure from simply escaping out the end of the train.  Connected to the brake pipe on each car are two air reservoirs.  One is for normal braking, and the second one is for emergency braking.  There is a control valve, which actually translates the change in air pressure into a brake application or release, and there is a brake cylinder, which actually provides the braking force.  Braking force is transferred to the wheels by the means of a brake shoe, a composite pad that the brake cylinder pushes against the wheel tread.  (Note: On passenger trains, typically a disc and caliper system is used instead of a shoe against the wheel system.)  Let's look at a single car for a minute.  The following diagram is very basically what the brake system looks like.

The control valve is what allows everything to happen.  In a minute, we will talk about how that works.  The control valve operates solely on air pressure.  There are no electronics that make the control valve work.  It is simple changes in pressure that make it do everything.  When the brakes are released, it allows air to flow from the brake pipe, into the air reservoirs, keeping them full of air, or charge up.  When pressure drops in the brake pipe, the control valve transfers air from the reservoirs to the brake cylinder, thereby applying a braking force to the wheels on the car.  The pressure transferred to the brake cylinder is equal to the pressure change in the brake pipe.  So, if the engineer makes a ten pound reduction, that is to say if the engineer lets 10 psi out of the brake pipe, the control valve will transfer 10 psi to the brake cylinder.  If the engineer then makes another five pound reduction, 5 psi will be added to the air already in the brake cylinder, generating more braking force, and stopping the train sooner.  When the pressure in the brake pipe goes up, the control valve lets the air out of the brake cylinder into the atmosphere, and it then lets the air reservoirs refill from the brake pipe.

Inside the control valve are actually a series of piston driven valves.  The pistons move based on differences in pressures, and when they move, the change the position of valves, which control air flow within the brake system on the car.  As complicated as it sounds, it is actually surprisingly simple, and quite ingenious.  One piston controls air movements under normal braking.  A second piston is to allow an emergency brake application to happen very quickly.  Below are two diagrams of the inside of a control valve.  First we will look at the control valve in the released position.

When the control valve is in the released position, the pressure on either sides of the piston is equal.  The pressure on the left side of the piston is always the same as the brake pipe, and the pressure on the right side is the same as the air reservoir.  When the brakes are released, the increasing pressure of the brake pipe pushes the piston into the above position.  This slides the valve assembly into position to release all pressure from the brake cylinder, releasing the brakes.  It also pushes the piston against a choke valve.  Once that choke valve opens, air pressure can build up inside the air reservoirs, so that there will be pressure ready when the brakes are needed again.  When the engineer lowers the air pressure to apply the brakes, the piston moves, as shown below, which in turn moves the valve assembly.

When the brakes are applied, the pressure on the left side of the piston is lower than the pressure on the right, forcing the piston to the left.  When the piston moves to the left, the valve assembly moves and directs air from the reservoir into the brake cylinder.  The brake cylinder transfers that pressure to the brake shoe, and generates braking force.  Because the pressures on either side of the piston are attempting to equalize, the pressure on the right side, and in the air reservoir, will never drop below the pressure on the left side.  It is simply not possible.  If the engineer reduces the pressure in the brake pipe, on the left side of the cylinder, by ten pounds, then the pressure in the reservoir, connected to the right side of the piston, will also drop by ten pounds.  Those ten pounds of air can only possibly go to the brake cylinder, and so ten pounds of air are used to generate braking force.  Should the engineer reduce the pressure further, then the pressures will again equalize, sending more air to the brake cylinder, and applying the brakes harder.  When the engineer needs to release the brakes, he moves the brake valve in the locomotive to release, and air from the main reservoir flows into the brake pipe.  When that happens, the pressure on the left side of the piston is higher than on the right, forcing the piston to the right, and releasing the brakes.

The diagrams above only cover normal service brake applications.  Above is the basic system developed by George Westinghouse, in the 19th century.  Because the system works on balancing pressures, having 90 pounds of air available does not actually mean you have 90 pounds of braking force.  The pressures will only equalize, and therefore the pressure that will go to the brake cylinder is considerably less than actual pressure in the reservoir or in the brake pipe.  It would be impossible for the reservoir to completely empty under these braking conditions, unless the engineer emptied the brake pipe.  That is how an emergency application is made.  However, as this system developed, it was realized that the engineer would only usually empty the brake pipe when an emergency arose, and he needed to stop as quickly as possible.  So, an additional system was developed, which is designed to work only when the brake pipe pressure is lost quickly.  Inside the control valve, there is another piston to control that system.  The emergency brake system, just as the normal service brake, is charged when the air is released.  When the choke valve is open, as shown in the first diagram, air can flow into the two air reservoirs.  That builds up a pressure in both the normal service reservoir and in the emergency reservoir, so the air is there when needed.

In the diagram above, we can see that the emergency brake system operates in a similar manner as the service brake.  Again, a piston moves back and forth and controls what the emergency brake does.  However you will notice a few key differences.  There is no choke valve on this piston, because the emergency reservoir is filled only when all brakes are released.  There is no exhaust port on this control valve, because otherwise pressure would be able to escape from the brake cylinder anytime the emergency brakes had not been applied.  This is the same brake cylinder as the service brake uses.  All air exhausted from the brake cylinder goes through the other valve.  Also, this piston has a hole in it.  The hole actually allows air to flow slowly from one side of the piston to the other.  This is what prevents the emergency brake from applying every time pressure drops on the left side, which is whenever the engineer makes a normal brake application.  In normal brake applications, air pressure changes slowly enough that the air can flow through the hole.  When the engineer needs the emergency brake, he empties the brake pipe, and all the air pressure is lost suddenly.  When that happens, the change is too rapid for the air to flow through the hole, so the piston moves, triggering the emergency brake application, shown in the diagram below.

Just as in the service brake, the piston moves to the left, moving the valve into position to allow air to flow from the emergency reservoir to the brake cylinder.  When the emergency brake is applied, the service brake is also fully applied, so the air from both cylinders is directed into the the brake cylinder, which allows for maximum braking force.

Everything described above takes place on each and every single car in a train.  The emergency valve and the service valve are both located in the same unit, and together they are known as the control valve, because they control the flow of air on the individual rail cars.  The flow through the brake pipe is established by the engineer, who has a valve in the locomotive.  He can exhaust air into the atmosphere, resulting in a drop in pressure on the brake pipe, and a brake application.  He can place the brake valve in release, allowing compressed air to flow into the brake pipe, increasing the pressure, and releasing the brakes.  The way the system works allows the pressure to be used to generate braking force, but also allows for any sudden loss in pressure to bring the train to a safe stop, rather than lose the brakes.  The basics of the system have remained relatively unchanged since its invention in the 19th century, however other features have been added to the system.  Features exist now which to help speed up the release of the brakes from car to car, so that the rear end of the train is not still braking while the front is released, as air flows back to the rear.  An emergency application is also expedited by more advanced features, so that an entire train, over a mile long, can have the emergency brakes apply almost simultaneously from end to end.  The entire system is purely pneumatic, and does not rely on any electronics.  Electronics have been added, primarily to passenger cars, to achieve non slip braking, basically anti-lock brakes for a train, but the brake systems even on those cars will function as intended if the electronics fail or are disconnected.  Despite being an old system, it is an extremely reliable system, and there has simply been no need or reason to develop a new brake system.

Note:  All diagrams in this post were created by James Ogden and are copyrighted.  They may be used for informational, educational, personal, or other nonprofit purposes, with proper citation.  Any commercial reproduction or publication outside of these terms is forbidden without written permission.

Prototype Railroading: History of Air Brakes

First of all, I apologize for missing this post on Wednesday.  I was in Forsyth, and normally I would have written a post before leaving, but on Tuesday I got busy with some household projects and completely forgot about it.  Actually, it is okay though, because I really had nothing to write about then anyway.

Today I thought I would talk about air brakes on trains, because I get asked a bit how they work, and trying to explain it makes them sound way more complicated than they really are.  Today we will talk about how they came to be, and in a future post, we will talk about exactly how they work.

Air brakes have not always existed on trains.  Over a century ago, in the middle of the 1800's, trains were stopped by turning a hand brake wheel on each car.  This is where the job of the Brakeman was invented.  Typically there would be two brakemen on a train, one on the engine and one on the caboose.  When the engineer needed to slow a train down or stop it, he would communicate his intentions using whistle signals.  When they brakemen heard the signal indicating that the engineer wanted brakes, the brakemen would go to work, starting at each end of the train and working towards each other.  They would walk on the roofs of cars, and turn each brake wheel as they went along.  When the train was slowed sufficiently and the brakes needed to be released, the engineer would sound a different whistle signal, and the brakemen would walk across the tops of the cars and release the brakes they had applied.  It was a simple system, but it was obviously lacking a few safety features!  At one time, a brakeman was considered the deadliest occupation in the United States.

George Westinghouse is the man who invented the railroad air brake.  Besides the development of the air brake, he is also well known for his pioneering work in the electrical industry.  He recognized that relying on brakemen to stop a train was a very primitive and dangerous system, and he began to work on a system that would allow the engineer to directly control the brakes on the train.  Doing so would eliminate for people to be walking on the roofs of train cars while moving, and it would allow the train to stop faster, if the engineer could control all the brakes on the train at the same time.

The very first air brake system was a little different than the air brakes of today.  The basic operation of air brakes requires that compressed air be forced against a piston, which in turn transmits that pressure to a brake shoe, generating friction and stopping a train.  Early air brake systems worked on that system, known as a straight air system.  A pipe ran the length of the train, and on each car there was a brake cylinder.  When compressed air was applied to that pipe, it put pressure on each brake cylinder in the train, applying the brakes on every car.  When the pressure was released, the brakes released.  This offered a huge advancement over the hand operated brakes, but there were still some pretty critical flaws.  The biggest flaw with the straight air system is that if cars somehow separate, the pressure is lost in the brake pipe, and brakes release.  When cars are not coupled, or a train splits in two, there would be no air brakes available.

A few solutions were offered to fix the problem of losing brakes when uncoupled.  In some countries, vacuum brakes were introduced.  Vacuum brakes required that a negative pressure be maintained to release brakes.  If the brake pipe became separated, due to the train splitting in two, pressure would be restored in the pipe and the brakes would all fully apply.  Vacuum brakes had the disadvantages of requiring much larger equipment to generate enough braking force, and being very slow to apply and release.  A more popular option was the train air brakes, or automatic brake, which is still in use today on almost every railroad in the world.  Automatic brakes work by requiring each car on the train to have a compressed air reservoir, which is filled up by an air compressor on the engine.  The brakes are still applied by air pressure acting on the brake cylinder, but that air comes from the reservoir on the car.  The brake pipe has constant pressure in it, and a valve ensures that the pressure in the reservoir and the pipe always stay equal.  When the engineer needs to make a brake application, he lets some air out of the brake pipe, making the pressure less than that of the reservoir.  Air is let out of the reservoir and into the brake cylinder, applying the brakes, until the pressures again reach equilibrium.  When the engineer wants to release the brakes, air is added to the brake pipe, making the pressure higher than the reservoir.  The brakes release, and the reservoir pressure increases until equilibrium is reached again.  Whenever the pressures are at equilibrium, the brakes continue doing what they are doing, but when brake pipe pressure is higher, they release, and when brake pipe pressure is lower, the apply.  Next week we will cover in detail exactly how this happens.

As with the other systems, there are advantages and disadvantages to the automatic brake system.  One of the biggest advantages is if a train splits in two, or the brake pipe becomes separated, the brakes fully apply and the entire train comes to a stop.  There are two major disadvantages, although with proper training one can be eliminated.  One disadvantage, which is simply unavoidable, is that having an air reservoir on each car means it takes a considerable time to fully pressurize the brake system.  On a long train it can take eight to ten minutes, even on a good day.  In extreme cold weather, it can literally take hours.  Also, pressure can only be restored to the system when the brakes are released.  Consequently, if an application is made, and then released, it takes a minute for the pressure to restore throughout the system.  If another application is made before pressure is fully restores, there is less pressure available, and therefore less braking ability available.  This is called fanning the brakes, and if done repeatedly it can lead to a complete loss of pressure, and a loss of brakes.  With proper training, fanning of the brakes can be avoided, as can any serious consequences of this disadvantage.

Next week we will talk about how exactly the brakes work.  How exactly they work is actually considerably simpler than it sounds so far.  Basically the thing to remember is that the pressures constantly try to equalize.  When the pressure in the brake pipe is higher than the reservoir, then the brakes release.  When the brake pipe pressure is lower than the air reservoir, then the brakes apply.

Prototype Information: Amtrak Equipment

Today I am going to stray from the ordinary Wednesday posts a bit and talk about Amtrak equipment.  As some of you may have noticed, yesterday we launched our new series profiling Amtrak routes, and we thought it would be a good idea to talk about the different equipment Amtrak uses and the amenities offered by each.  We will not be talking about the specifics of every piece of equipment here, because there are some cars that are very route specific, such as the Pacific Parlour.  For such route specific cars, we will talk about them when we profile their route.  Today we just want to talk about the different equipment, and the differences between a cafe car and a dining car, for example.

Amfleet cars in Huntington, WV, on the Cardinal.
Photos by James Ogden, unless otherwise noted.

Amtrak has two general types of equipment they use, depending on the route.  Typically eastern routes, which serve New York, use single level equipment.  This is due to restrictions imposed by the tunnels leading into Penn Station in New York.  Most of these single level cars are called Amfleet cars, and are easily distinguishable by their tube shape.  Amfleet cars include coaches and cafe cars.  For single level sleepers, Amtrak uses newer cars, called Viewliners.  On long distance trains, these can usually be found with Amfleet cars, and are distinguishable by their boxy shape and two rows of windows.  Single level dining cars are typically much older than Amtrak, and are known as Heritage equipment.  Some Amtrak diners were built as long ago as 1948.

Superliners in Glenwood Springs, CO, on the California Zephyr.

On western routes, where the New York tunnel restrictions have no influence, Amtrak typically uses bilevel equipment, called Superliners.  Superliners come in coaches, sleepers, cafe/lounge cars, and dining cars, and a transition sleeper, which is typically used as the crew quarters.  From the exterior, Superliners are easily distinguished because they have two levels, and just one center door, in the lower level of the car.  Some California routes use bilevel cars modeled after the Superliners, which look very similar.  Those can be distinguished from Superliners by the paint scheme usually, and because they typically have two sets of doors, at either end of the lower level.

On the Northeast Corridor, which runs from Boston to Washington, DC, Amtrak has electric trains.  The regional trains on that route use Amfleet cars, hauled by electric locomotives.  The high speed trains, known as the Acela trains, are trainsets with an aerodynamic locomotive at each end and single level high speed rail cars between them.  We will talk more about the specifics of the Acela equipment when we talk about the northeast corridor routes.  Outside of the electrified Northeast Corridor, Amtrak pulls the trains with diesel locomotives.

Interior of an Amfleet coach, on the Cardinal.

On Northeast Corridor regional trains, and on long distance trains that serve New York, Amtrak uses single level equipment, because of restrictions imposed by the tunnels under the Hudson River and the East River, which allow for access to Penn Station, in Manhattan.  Amfleet cars can be found on all the Amtrak trains that serve New York.  Typically shorter distance, regional trains, including the Northeast Regional service, Empire Service, and Keystone Service, will all have several Amfleet coaches, an Amfleet cafe, and very often an Amfleet business class car.  The layout in a coach or business class car is similar.  There are rows of seats for the length of the car.  There are overhead luggage racks running the length of either side of the car, above the seats.  At one end there are a couple of restrooms and a larger luggage rack.  Doors at either end of the car allow for access to cars ahead and behind.  The doors to exit the cars at stations are located at either end of the car as well.  Coaches have two seats on either side of the aisle, while business class cars typically have two seats on one side of the aisle, and just one seat on the other side.  In both coach and business class, the seats are roomy.  They are wide and offer considerably more leg room than someone may be accustomed to if they fly a lot.  On coaches that are used on long distance routes, there is even more leg room available, as there are fewer seats in each coach.

Amfleet cafe car exterior.
Photo by Jeffery Tritthart.
Available on www.railworksamerica.com

On all single level trains, Amtrak also operates an Amfleet cafe car.  The cafe cars are distinguishable from the outside because they look like typical Amfleet cars, but they are missing a pair of windows on either side, right in the center of the car.  On the inside, this is where the food service counter is located.  There are a few configurations for cafe cars, but they all have a food service counter at the center of the car.  This is where you go to get your food.  They have hot and cold snacks and beverages available.  This food is what you might compare to airplane food.  The hot stuff is all frozen and the microwaved to order.  While the food is good, it would not be considered gourmet by most.  Also, on long distance trains, with a dining car, it is more expensive to eat an entire meal in the cafe car than in the dining car.

Food serving area in an Amfleet cafe car.
Photo from www.nationalcorridors.org.

Also inside the cafe car is a dining area.  Usually, on either end of the serving area there are tables, with seats that face each other across the table.  Each table can accommodate up to four people.  The tables are available to anybody, and a walk through the cafe car will often reveal that people also use the tables to play card games, write, or just socialize with other passengers, besides eating of course.  It is also not uncommon for the Conductor to make an office out of one table.  On some trains, where there are not enough business class passengers to necessitate an entire car, the cafe car will have a small business class section on one end.  Other cars, typically used on long distance routes, will have a small lounge, with an informal seating area and some smaller tables, in one end of the cafe car.  Of course, passengers do not have to stay in the cafe to eat and can bring food back to their coach seat or sleeper room as well.

Amfleet cafe and Viewliner sleeper, in Huntington, WV, on the Cardinal.

On long distance trains serving New York, you will also find sleeping cars and dining cars.  Single level sleeping cars are almost always Viewliner cars, which were built for Amtrak in 1995 and 1996.  The original intention was to build Viewliner coaches, sleepers, diners, and lounges, but due to limited funding, Amtrak was only able to order 50 sleeping cars.  They replaced many older, Heritage sleepers.  Viewliners are recognizable for their boxy shape and for having two rows of windows.  The two rows of windows allows passengers in the upper and lower berths in each room to have a window.  On every sleeping car there is a shower.  It is a community shower, so long, hot showers are usually frowned upon, as it wastes the water carried on the car, and it means fewer people get to use the shower.  There is also an attendant on each sleeper, who will configure the rooms for sleeping or for sitting, and who keeps the shower tidy and the snacks stocked.  As you might have guessed, there is also a small, self serve, snack counter on each sleeper.  Usually this is stocked with fresh fruit, cookies or crackers, juice, coffee, and tea.  In all sleeping car accommodations, meal service in the dining car is included in the ticket price.

Viewliner Roomette, in the night tine configuration,
seen from above, on the Lake Shore Limited.

Inside a Viewliner sleeping car, there are several room options available.  The smallest, and usually the cheapest, is called a roomette.  A roomette can accommodate up to two people.  The room is very small, but it is adequate for two people.  The daytime configuration has two wide seats which face each other.  At night, the two seats fold down to become the lower berth, and the upper berth pulls down, out of the ceiling.  Inside the room, there is also a toilet, sink, and luggage rack and wastebasket.  In the roomette, the toilet and sink are not in a separate room, so someone may have to leave the room if you are travelling with someone.

If you are looking for larger accommodations, a Viewliner Bedroom might be the way to go.  This is larger than a roomette, and usually costs a little more.  A bedroom can also accommodate two people, but gives everyone a little more space.  During the day, a bedroom has two seats next to each other.  These convert to the lower berth at night, and again, the upper berth pulls out of the wall.  The bedroom has the same features as a roomette, but also includes an in room shower.  A Bedroom Suite, which can accommodate up to four people, is created by combining two Bedrooms.  Since it is a combination, it has four berths, two upper and two lower, and two sinks, toilets, and showers.  An handicapped accessible bedroom is also available, which accommodates two people, and features the same amenities as a Viewliner Bedroom.  An accessible bedroom  is designed for easier access and more space inside, for easier mobility.  All rooms have 120 volt electrical outlets.

Amtrak Heritage dining car, with an Amfleet cafe on the left and a
Viewliner sleeper on the right.
Photo from www.railroadfan.com

Single level dining cars are some of the oldest passenger cars still running on the Amtrak system, and as such are known as Heritage cars.  They all date back to before Amtrak, some built as long ago as 1948.  They were all built in a time when passenger trains were operated by what we now know as freight railroads.  At one time, private railroad companies ran all the trains in the country, whether they were freight or passenger. Many Amtrak trains take their names from their previous, privately operated counterparts.  Amtrak serves three meals a day in the dining cars, provided that the train is running for all the meals.  The dining car offers sit down meal service, similar to a restaurant.  Due to limited seating, dinners are served by reservations.  Breakfast and lunch are served on a first come, first served basis, but if the dining car gets crowded, the attendants may take your name and call you when a table becomes available.  The tables each seat four people, and because of this limited seating, passengers travelling alone or in a group of less than four may be required to sit with other passengers on the train.  This is a great opportunity to meet and talk to some fellow travelers.  Meal service in the dining car is included in the ticket price for sleeping car passengers.  For coach passengers, meals are available at an additional cost, although it is typically cheaper to eat a full meal in the dining car than in the cafe car.

Superliner coach, during a snowstorm, in
Denver, CO, on the California Zephyr.

On western routes, and a few eastern routes that do not go to New York, Amtrak uses Superliner equipment.  Superliners are all bilevel cars, with the majority of the accommodations on the upper level of each car.  The functions of coaches, diners, sleepers, and cafe cars is basically the same, although the interior arrangements are a little different.  Boarding and disembarking the Superliner equipment is handled through a door at the center of the car, on the lower level.  Bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, and a luggage rack can also be found on the lower level of each Superliner.  There is a set of stairs in the center of the car for access to the upper level.  The upper level is where the majority of the accommodations are found. On the upper level there are doors on each end of the car for access to other cars on the train.

Superliner coaches have seating on a small part of the lower level, and on the entirety of the upper level.  Just like with the Amfleets, the coaches feature wide seats with ample legroom.  Coaches have two seats on each side of the aisle that runs the length of the car.  There are overhead luggage racks above the seats on either side, and a larger luggage rack at the bottom of the stairs, on the lower level.

Superliner dining car interior, on the California Zephyr.

Superliner dining cars have all the dining seating on the upper level.  This is the only car which passengers cannot access the lower level, as it is where the kitchen is located, and it is only accessible to crew members.  For passengers who cannot make it up the stairs to the upper level, the car attendant will bring meals from the dining car back to their seat or sleeper accommodation.  Just like on the Heritage diners, breakfast and lunch are served on a first come, first served basis, and dinner is served by reservation.  The dining car attendant will announce when he or she will be coming through the train to take reservations, and passengers should speak to him or her as they walk through if they want to have dinner in the dining car.  Just like on the Heritage diners, if the dining car fills up during breakfast or lunch, one of the attendants will take down names and call people back to the dining car as tables open up.  Again, due to limited seating, passengers traveling alone or in groups of less than four may be asked to share the table with other passengers.

Superliner lounge, on the California Zephyr.  On the lower
level is the cafe area.

Superliner cafe cars are a bit different than their Amfleet counterparts.  They have the same menu as the Amfleet cafe cars, but they are also the lounge cars, and as such, are easily recognizable by their large windows.  The lower level of the car is where the food service area is located.  Also on the lower level, there are tables and seats, similar to the dining car and Amfleet cafe cars.  Each table can seat four people, in seats that face each other across the table.  On the upper level of the cafe car is the lounge area.  The lounge features large windows, which curve up onto the roof of the car.  On the upper level, there are more tables at one end of the car.  The rest of the car is lounge seats, which face the windows, and small tables between them.  Some of the seats swivel, while others are fixed in place.  This is the car to be in on most western routes, as it affords the best views of the scenery.  Of course, as the train gets closer to scenic areas, the lounge car fills up, so it is best to get there early to grab a seat, if possible.

A Superliner Roomette, in the daytime configuration, on the Empire
Builder.

Sleeping car accommodations on Superliner equipment is similar to those of Viewliner sleepers.  The smallest room available, and usually the cheapest, is a roomette.  On Superliners, roomettes can accommodate two people.  Their daytime configuration has two wide seats that face each other.  At night, the seats fold down to make the lower berth, and the upper berth pulls out of the ceiling.  Superliner roomettes feature a small closet, wastebasket, and a small luggage rack.  There is a community bathroom on the upper level, and bathrooms and showers on the lower level of the car.

A little more space can be found by booking a Superliner Bedroom, which also accommodates two people. In addition to the features of a roomette, a bedroom also features an in room bathroom and shower.  The daytime configuration is two seats, side by side, and a chair across the room.  The seats fold down to become the lower berth at night, and the upper berth pulls out of the ceiling.  A Bedroom Suite is made by combining two Superliner Bedrooms, and can accommodate up to four people.  A bedroom suite features two bathrooms and two showers, as well as two upper and two lower berths.  It allows for a little more space for those travelling in a larger group together.

Superliner sleepers also have a Family Bedroom, which can accommodate up to four people, although two berths are smaller and designed for use by children.  A family bedroom does not have a bathroom or shower in the room, but they are available just down the hall, on the lower level.

Superliners also have a handicapped accessible bedroom, which can accommodate two people.  It has an entrance placed for easier access and a little more space inside for moving around.  The accessible bedroom is on the lower level, and it features an in room toilet, but the shower is located just down the hall from the room.

Each sleeper has an attendant who can reconfigure the rooms for daytime or night time use.  There is a community shower on the lower level of each Superliner sleeper, and bathrooms on both the upper and lower level.  Additionally, in the center of the upper level, there is a small, self serve snack bar, which usually has fresh fruit, cookies or crackers, juice, coffee and tea.  End doors on the upper level allow passage into adjoining cars on the train, and the center doors on the lower level allow boarding and disembarking.

For more information on Amtrak accommodations, visit www.amtrak.com.  They have a a "Plan" tab on their website, which has virtual tours of all the sleeping car accommodations, and other important travel planning information.  If you are thinking about travelling, try the train.  It is a quiet and relaxing way to go, and a pleasant change from the fast paced way of life so many of are so accustomed to.

Superliners getting ready to depart on a snowy morning in Salt Lake City, UT, before heading east, towards Chicago, on Amtrak's California Zephyr.

Prototype Information: Interlockings

Interlockings are an important part of railroad operations.  They control areas where tracks come together.  They are also interesting areas to model, because they give the impression that the railroad is not limited to what is modeled.  Interlockings vary widely in size.  They can be as small as a siding switch, or large and extensive, such as the approaches to New York's Pennsylvania Station.

Interlockings get their names from what they do.  An interlocking is a system of switches and signal apparatus interlocked together in such a way that they must be operated in a certain order, and they prevent the operator from allowing conflicting movements through the interlocking.

"Armstrong" levers at Wilson Tower, on the Chicago Elevated.  Image
from www.chicago-l.org.

Many years ago, before electronics were used to control many railroad movements, interlockings were controlled by a person called the control operator.  He worked in an interlocking tower, from which point he could see most of the interlocking and any approaching trains.  In those towers, there was a series of levers, which directly controlled switch positions and signal aspects.  He would move the levers to line trains on a specific route through the interlocking.  In the bottom of the interlocking tower, there was a piece of equipment called a locking bed.  The locking bed is what made the interlocking work properly.  When the control operator moved a lever, it moved a rod in the locking bed.  The movement of that rod would lock out any levers whose movement would create a conflict.  For example, if the control operator moved a lever to give a train a proceed signal, the movement of that lever would lock out the levers for opposing signals.  This made it impossible for the control operator to create a situation in which trains would be able to run into each other.

A locking bed.  Levers were connected to the vertical
parts in the locking bed.  The notches pushed "dogs"
horizontally to lock out other levers and appliances.  Image
from www.wikipedia.org.

Each piece of the interlocking had a normal position.  For signals, the normal position was to show a stop indication.  For switches, the normal position was defined in the timetable, but it was always for the main track, and usually the through route.  This was not always the case, as it did depend on traffic levels, and which railroad controlled the interlocking when more than one railroad was involved.  When no trains were in the interlocking, or cleared through it, all the appliances would be in their normal position.  When appliances were reversed, or changed from their normal position, they would lock out other appliances and prevent any conflicting movement.

In order to make the interlocking to work properly, the control operator had to operate the various appliances in the proper order.  The first thing he would line would be switches.  Once the switches were lined, he would operate the switch locks, which not only locked the actual switch points, but also locked out the switch lever.  Next he would clear the appropriate signal into the interlocking.  Doing so would lock out any opposing of conflicting signals.  In some cases, the last thing he would do is clear the appropriate distant signal.  All of these appliances were interlocked in such a way that if the control operator lined a switch, he then could not clear a signal against that switch.  Likewise, once a signal was cleared, he could not clear any signal that would conflict.  Once a signal was cleared, he could not clear an opposing distant signal, and he could not line the switch.  Once a distant signal was cleared, the signal protecting the interlocking could not be changed.  While interlockings still exist today, most of them are controlled electronically.  Rather than move levers, the control operator changes something on a computer screen.  A set of physically interlocked levers and controls are gone too.  The computer interlocks all the interlocking apparatus electronically.

Now, the big question is how do you go about incorporating this into a model railroad.  The first thing you will need to do is design the interlocking.  The physical track plan is the first step.  You will need to decide where each switch and signal will go.  Once that is complete, you need to look over the track plan and figure out what all the opposing and conflicting routes are.  Some are easy.  If a signal is cleared for one direction, you cannot have one cleared for the opposite direction on the same track.  Others are more complicated.  You have to figure out every possible scenario for the interlocking, and in each scenario, you need to figure out every appliance that must be locked out.  This is usually the most time consuming part of the process.  Next, you have to decide if it will be an electronically controlled interlocking or an old fashioned, physically locking type.  For an electronic interlocking, you will want to program all the interlocks.  Exactly  how to do this goes beyond the depth of this post, but it is done through a series of if... then... statements.  If you choose to go the old fashioned way, you will need to make a locking bed, and then connect it to some sort of control levers (Some are available from www.humpyard.com).  Again, this goes beyond the depth of this post, but it is something we plan on talking more about in the future.

Not all interlockings are controlled.  Manual interlockings are the only type that have a person operating them (An easy way to remember this is a man controls a manual interlocking.).  Automatic interlockings are activated by the train crew, and then they operate automatically (For this remember that at an automatic interlocking, the train crew automatically gets off their butt and does something.).  This is often found where two railroads cross, but neither one is particularly busy.  At the crossing, there will be a box that houses the interlocking apparatus, and mounted on the outside will be a pair of buttons.  When a train approaches the interlocking, it stops, the Conductor gets out, and pushes the button for the intended route.  The interlocking apparatus will take a minute to search for any other trains, and if none are found, and no conflicting route is found, it will display a proceed signal indication for the crew that pushed the button.  In some places, trains enter and exit sidings this way.  They stop short of the switch, the Conductor pushes a button  mounted on the signal mast, and then the switch lines and the signal indicates proceed.  At automatic interlockings, if another train is already present within the limits of the interlocking when the button is pushed, it will wait until the intended route is clear before it tries to line any switches or change any signals.

A gate protecting an interlocking.  Photo from forums
at www.trains.com.

Some interlockings are even less complicated than that.  In areas of very low rail traffic, sometimes the only thing controlling an interlocking is a gate or stop sign.  Typically these are only used where lightly traveled rail lines cross.  In the case of a gate, one route will normally have the gate across it.  When a train approaches on the other route, they may proceed without stopping.  If a train approaches on the gated route, they must stop, and move the gate so that is blocks the other route.  The train then proceeds through the interlocking, and once the entire train is clear, the gate is put back in its normal position.  Some crossings are simply a four way stop.  There is a stop sign on each track approaching the interlocking.  When a train arrives at the interlocking, it stops, the crew looks both ways, and if there is no opposing traffic, they proceed.  In the event that more than one train arrives at the stop sign at one time, the crews communicate with each other to decide who will go first.

Prototype Railroading: Timetables

Railroad timetables are very important documents.  In many ways, they are the Bible of a division or subdivision.  They contain loads of valuable information about the subdivision and operations across it.  For passenger railroads, you can get a timetable, which is simply a schedule of the trains.  A full timetable is much much more than simply a schedule.  It covers nearly every aspect of operations across an area, and usually is several pages long, depending on the area it covers.  We will look at an example today, but for the purpose of simplifying things, we will look at an example of a small subdivision, called the Circle Subdivision, which is located in the Montana Division of the BNSF Railway.

The Circle Subdivision is a relatively short subdivision on BNSF's Montana Division.  It is just over 40 miles from Glendive, MT, where it begins, to Circle, MT, where it ends.  The reason I chose this is because the timetable occupies just one page and does not contain a ton of elaborate and complicated information, which will make explaining it a bit easier.  At the moment, the subdivision is out of service almost completely, so all the information is irrelevant.  If it is put back into service, or if a dispatcher instructs a train to use it anyway, the information will still be valid and important.

First, let's take a look at the timetable page for the Circle Subdivision:

(You can click to make this bigger and readable!)

Now, I have chosen this particular subdivision simply because it is not a complicated or long timetable.  The entire subdivision is on just this one page.  And yes, I did block out information such as the dispatcher's phone number.  I figured he or she would not appreciate calls from rail fans all over the world!

Well, let's go over this, starting with Item 1.  Before we even get to Item 1, there is a table with general information.  This varies in size by the size of the subdivision.  In this table, there are just two stations, Glendive and Circle.  On other subdivisions, there could be more than two stations.  In this case, a station is any named point along the railroad, not necessarily where passengers could board a train.  To the left of the station names, you have the mileposts they are located at.  Milepost zero is located right out the back door of the depot in Glendive, and from there, the mileposts count up to 50.0, at Circle.  To the far left is the length of the siding in Circle, in feet.  Again, if there were more stations, or more sidings, more would be listed in that column.  Glendive has a yard, which, for the purposes of the timetable, is not considered a siding, although technically a yard is made up of several sidings.  To the right of the station names is more information.  The letters "BJT" in the Glendive row, indicate that (B) Glendive is a place where track bulletins and circulars may be acquired, (J) Glendive is a junction, and (T) Glendive has a turning facility, such as a turntable or wye.  In the case of Glendive, it actually has both.

Moving down the left column, we get to Item 1, which is labelled "Speed Regulations."  The first regulation, in part A, is always the maximum speed.  On the Circle Sub, that is pretty simple.  The whole thing is 10 mph.  If this were a Main Line, instead of a Branch Line (see above the table), chances are the speed limit would be higher, and it would likely have several maximum speed limits, and possibly a passenger maximum and freight maximum.  Below that, in part B is permanent speed restrictions.  Speed restrictions are any location where the speed is less than the maximum speed.  Permanent restrictions are often in places where there is a curve, which will always be there, and always require trains to slow down.  Seeing as the Circle Sub has a maximum of only 10 mph, there is nowhere that any trains would have to go any slower.  Temporary speed restrictions, which would not be listed on the timetable, are areas where there is an unusual track condition, requiring a lower speed, such as track work.  Those are listed in the track bulletins, and they change as track conditions change.  Part C lists switch and turnout speeds.  This is the speed a train must pass over a switch if it is taking the diverging route.  Trains do not usually need to slow down for the straight route through a switch.  Part D is any other speed restrictions.  Sometimes there will be a bridge with tight clearances that requires high or wide loads to slow down, just to prevent them from swaying into the bridge.  That sort of restriction would be found in part D.  Again, since the maximum speed limit is so low on the Circle Sub, there really are no other restrictions.

Item 2 on the timetable is the weight limits.  Bridges and track have different weight limits, depending on the construction and maintenance.  In this case, the maximum car weight is 143 tons.  Restriction G is additional restrictions based on car length.  Very often, sorter cars are required to be lighter than 143 tons, but how much lighter varies by the restriction letter.  The specifics of each restriction letter can be found in another document called the System Special Instructions.  An additional restriction, specific to this subdivision, is listed below the weight restriction.  It states that six axle locomotives and derricks are not permitted past milepost 20.0 on the Circle Sub, which means if you had to go out to Circle, you would want to make sure all your locomotives had four axles and you had no six axle derricks in the train.

Item 3 goes over the type of operation.  This varies by subdivision, and even varies within a subdivision.  For the Circle Sub, it simply says "TWC," which stands for Track Warrant Control.  To operate on the Circle Sub, a train must receive a track warrant from the dispatcher, which gives them authority to operate between defined limits that the dispatcher chooses.  There are no signals on the Circle Sub, or that would also be noted on the timetable.  An example would be ABS, which stands for Absolute Block Signals.  Those would protect trains as they operated, but they would not give the train any authority.  Other possibilities for type of operation are CTC, 2MT CTC, DT-ABS TWC, among others.  (Check the glossary if any of these are unfamiliar to you.)  One of these days I will go over the various types of operation, but that is a rather in depth and technical topic.

Item 4 is rules-specific items.  In this case it talks about whistle usage and laws in the state of Montana, flagging protection, and rule 6.28, which covers speed again.  Flag protection would be required on the Circle Sub if the train had to make an unexpected stop.  This is to protect the train from having another train run into it.  The timetable states that the Conductor would have to go back to a mile and a half behind the train to protect it from any other potentially approaching trains.  Now in reality, if anyone were out there, chances are they would be the only train out there for months, but flagging is still required.  On a line with signal protection, flagging is not required because the signals would protect the train instead of the flagger.  Rule 6.28 adds to the 10 mph speed limit.  It adds that the crew should be prepared to stop in half their range of vision, short of trains, engines, railroad cars, men or equipment fouling the track, a stop signal, or an improperly lined switch or a derail.  This means, depending on the weight of the train and the visibility, the crew may actually  have to move slower than 10 mph.  They can only go 10 mph if the visibility and conditions allow them to stop according to the items listed above, and in rule 6.28.

Item 5 is track side warning detectors.  Track side warning detectors warn trains of overheated wheel bearings, dragging equipment, rock slides, high water, and shifted loads.  The Circle Sub does not have any detectors.  Other subdivisions do.  Some have just a few, and others have quite a lot of them.  They would all be listed in this section, with their location and what type of detector they are.  If they protected a bridge, tunnel, or structure, that would also be noted in this section.

Item 6 is where and FRA excepted track would be noted.  FRA excepted track is where trains are required to travel less than 10 mph, and passenger trains are not allowed to travel at all.  While this track has a low speed limit, is in poor repair, and almost never sees a train, it is not an FRA exception, and therefore is not FRA excepted track.  Some subdivisions will have sidings or industrial tracks which are considered FRA excpted, and they would be listed, with their location, in this section.

Item 7 is for special conditions.  These special conditions can be just about anything, unique to the subdivision, which will affect train operations.  In this case, the Circle Sub lists a special condition for when the temperature is above 80 degrees.  If it gets to or above 80 degrees, no trains are supposed to operate past milepost 7.0, except with the permission of the listed people.  Also under special conditions, it is listed that the west switch in Circle is supposed to be lined for the grain elevator, because they actually own that track.  It also lists how track warrants are to be addressed and the potential for a flash flood.  Interestingly, the entire line is considered a flash flood hazard!

Item 8 is where line segments are listed.  This really does not concern operations, but it is how billing is done when maintenance is performed on the subdivision.

Item 9 is simply general information about other locations.  It will almost always give a location name, car capacity, and which direction you an switch into that location.  Some locations will only have one switch, and so the train must be going a certain direction to have access to those locations.  On the Circle Sub, all the other locations are accessible from both directions.

Item 10 is just a profile of the line.  It is a grade chart, with the elevation on either end in feet above sea level.  The numbers above the chart which say, "1.00E 1.02W" indicate the grade percentage.  Eastbound trains face a downhill grade of 1%, while westbound trains face an uphill grade of 1.02%.  I am not sure what accounts for the 0.02% difference of grade for the different directions, because this is all on the same track.  That is actually a small margin though, I have seen some indicated farther apart on the same piece of track.  Either way, those numbers indicate the ruling grade.

When you read a timetable, the west or south directions are always indicated as westward, and you read the tables and grade charts from top to bottom.  East and north are always indicated as eastward, and you read charts and tables from bottom to top.

I hope all that makes sense.  It tends to come together a bit after you have looked at several of them.  I did edit some of the information off of the timetable, such as phone and fax numbers for the dispatcher, but that would only be a concern if you were in a station with a phone and had to call the dispatcher.  Other than that you would simply contact them on the radio.  I also left out the system numbers for sidings and stations, but that really does not effect the ability to read through this.  I just figured that BNSF would appreciate not having all their information published, even if it is not really a big secret.  The radio channel, as some of you may have notices is 76.  Feel free to listen in if you are in the area.  I will warn you though, if you are looking for activity on the Circle Sub, you might be disappointed.  The last time a train went down there was about three weeks ago, and it went to milepost 6.0, because Glendive Yard was full and the dispatcher was desperate for a place to put the train.  Before that it has probably been several years since anything went down the Circle Sub!