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Halifax Area Rail Operations

Halifax Area Rail Operations

Halifax Consists of 2 CN Subdivisions. The Bedford Sub runs from the Halifax Ocean Terminals to Truro. The Dartmouth Sub runs from Windsor Junction to Autoport in Eastern Passage.

Dartmouth Sub

The Dartmouth Sub is unsignaled, and relies on an occupancy control system. the dispatcher issues a set of rules governing the allowed limits of a trains movement.

The Train geek has a 2 part post that explains OCS
Part 1: OCS Basics   Part 2: Finer Details

The Dartmouth Sub runs several trains.

Trains 407/408: runs Dartmouth to Moncton and back Daily. 408 arrives in the early predawn hours of the morning, and 407 returns mid morning.

Train 503  is the Burnside Industrial Park Switch Assignment. it is unscheduled. this is also the train assignment that takes autoracks to autoport.

Train 511 (above) is the Gypsum Train, running from Wrights Cove to Milford and back.  Runs Week Days.

Westbound Eastbound
Mile Station CN 407 CN 511 CN 408 CN511
16.25 End of Track
Autoport
15.1 Imperial Oil

Dartmouth

0710 0515
10.1 Wrights Cove
Wrights Cove Spur
National Gypsum
0700 1510
8.72 Burnside Industrial Spur “D”
1.2 Miles N
8.52 Burnside Industrial Spur “B”
0.5 Miles N
8.39 Burnside Industrial Spur “A”
1.5 Miles N
0.2 Windsor Junction……….
Connection to CN Bedford Sub
0739 0710 0444 1500

Standby CH 1 161.415mhz
RTC Call in CH 3 160.935mhz

Bedford Sub

The Bedford Sub Uses CTC – A dispatcher sets signals and remotely configure switches in preparation for the trains. Trains get their clearances from the signals.

Clear and Stop Are pretty easy to understand. The other signals, Limited, Medium, slow and restricted reffer to speed limits

  • Track speed. This means whatever the pre-approved speed limit for the track.
  • Limited speed. 45 mph.
  • Medium speed.  30 mph.
  • Slow speed.  20 mph
  • Restricting speed. This means an absolute maximum of 15 mph, and the crew must be extra cautious as well as being able to stop in half the distance of vision.

There is a 4 part Video Explanation of the Canadian Signalling System Available Part 1: The basic three light system
Part 2: One and Two Light Systems
Part 3: Diverging and Limited speeds, to and at signals
Part 4: Dwarf Signals

Trains 120/121 : These are the Inbound and outbound Container Trains. 120 Arrives in the morning – typically around 9 or 10 am. 121 assembles itself around 7pm, and departs between 8-9pm. Run Between Toronto BIT and Rockingham.

Train 501: CN Local from Rockingham to Kinsac, and Back. Runs Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. This serves Bedford Quarry, and likely picks up and delivers cars for 407/408 at Kinsac.

VIA Rail – The Ocean: train 15 Departs Halifax at 1200 Wed, Friday, Sunday. Train 14 Arrives at 1735 Monday, Thursday, Saturday.
Via publishes a Schedule in PDF  and allows for near realtime tracking by train number, but this third party site shows everything.

Eastbound Mile Station Westbound
 VIA 14
 CN 120
 CN 408
 CN 511
 CN 501
 CN 507
 VIA 15
 CN 121
 CN 407
 CN 511
 CN 501
 CN 507
17:35 0.0 Halifax Ocean Terminal
VIA Rail Station
12:00
5.0 Fairview
Deepwater Branch (HIT) 2.4 miles N
Fairview Maintenance Depot
0945 0500 1800 6.0 Rockingham
Yard
2000 2100 1000
7.96 Millview
10.6 Bedford
15.6 Junction with CN Dartmouth Sub
17:10 0930 0444 1500 1730 15.8 Windsor Junction………. 12:25 2025 0739 0710 1030
16.33 Hotbox detector
20.0 Kinsac
Siding 3553’
27.0 Sandy Cove
Siding 3800’
1649 0900 0415 1305 1700 30.3 Hotbox detector 1245 2125 0830 0800 1100
1300 36.6 Junction with National Gypsum 0805
1500 38.4 Milford 1430
44.3 Hotbox detector
51.2 Alton
Siding 6300’
56.0 Brookfield
Canada Cement Spur 2.8 miles S
61.3 Hotbox detector
61.5 Hyde
16:05 0820 0305 64.0 Truro East……….
Connection to CN Springhill Sub
13:31 2200 0940

Standby CH 1, 161.415mhz
RTC Call in CH 8, 161.025mhz

Other Trains
CN 308/305 is a Daily Run from Toronto Macmillian to Moncton (and Return) This is the main East/West General Freight.
CN Runs Local 515 from Truro to Brookfield (Canada Cement) weekdays. Also Train 534 runs Moncton to Amherst (no schedule)

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