UP - COAL FOR THE STEEL MILL
THE WEEKLY COAL DELIVERY TO THE PACIFIC STEEL MILL AT PORT ROSS
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Coal was a major feature of the early railways. Both for fueling the engines and
fueling the expanding industrial age.
The Pacific Steel mill uses a large quantity of the coal in its furnaces. Also,
at Picton and Port Ross, steam powered ships require the good Deneston coal.
Today's task is the weekly coal train delivery to these three places.
- Picton wharf coal yard
- Pacific Steel coal yard
- Port Ross coal yard
At Deneston there are major mainline sidings as the mine itself is not easily
accessible by more than small shunters.
- Collect the Comalco switcher from the Deneston mine yard.
- Drive up to the mainline siding to collect the consist of empty coal cars (try
using the Driver Assitant Couple command)
*** Couple ...... BNSF Green Coke Hopper 2
- Couple up the empty coal cars to the switcher and shunt them back to the loading tracks at Deneston for loading.
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Deneston Mine
- Shunt the wagons slowly under the loading hood to fill.
- Return the loaded coal cars to the mainline siding.
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Deneston Outer Siding
- Uncouple the switcher engine and send it back to the mine. (Once its on its
way you can leave it to return on its own while you take charge of the two Union
Pacific SD40)
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Deneston Mine
-
- Take control of engine #215 (because you are double heading you may need to select #309 to control the train) and couple up to the front coal wagon.
*** Couple ...... BNSF Green Coke Hopper 2
- Your first stop is the Picton wharf.
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Picton-Pt Ross Main 1
- Uncouple the last two coal cars (you can leave the caboose attached) and drive
the main train clear. (You can now use the wharf switcher to shunt the two
coal cars down to the Wharf Coal Yard)
- Collect the shunter from the Picton Wharf and couple
up the two coal cars.
- Shunt the coal cars down to the wharf coal yard and unload.
- Return the coal cars to the main line clear of the main train and return the shunter to the wharf.
- Reassemble your train.
- Drive to the Pacific Steel Mill.
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Pacific Steel Main
- Uncouple the engines (along with two full coal wagons) from the train and run them just
clear of the rest of the train
- Now couple up the switcher (#1049) to take the main rake of coal cars to unload at the coal dump house. (you can leave the caboose and empty cars attached)
... (be patient - it may take a little time for
the driver assistant to work out its way through all the points)
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Pacific Steel Coal Unload
- Return the empty coal cars to the main yard siding (leave the track with the two SD40 and the two full coal cars clear)
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Pacific Steel
Siding
- Uncouple the two remaining loaded coal cars and pull the two SD40 clear.
- Couple #1049 to the two full coal cars and shunt them down to the coal dump at Port Ross.
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Port Ross Coal
- Empty the two coal cars and return them to the to the Pacific Steel mill siding.
- Take the two SD40 to the Port Ross yard.
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Port Ross through
- Uncouple the engines and turn one of them on the Port
Ross turntable for the return trip.
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Port Ross turntable 1
- Reassemble your engines facing back towards Deneston.
- Before you return to the Pacific Steel Yard use the switcher to reassemble your train. (making sure the
caboose as at the rear.)
- Once the train is reassembled return the two SD40 engines to the Pacific Steel yards
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Pacific Steel Main
- Couple up the engines to the train.
- To finish you need to return the empty wagons to the Deneston siding outer loop.
*** Navigate Via Trackmark ... Picton Falls Bridge
*** Navigate To Trackmark ... Deneston Outer Siding
- End