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Alyth Yard-pivotal point for AlbertaMr. M.M. (Mike) Stroick, Super-intendent of CP Rail's CalgaryDivision, is in charge of AlythYard. The yard has a pivotal func-tion for the railway's Albertaoperations, and is the majormarshalling centre for westboundbulk trains carrying commoditiessuch as grain, sulphur and potash.

Alberta North Division766.1 miles of track

'III Calgary Division496.0 miles of trackAlberta South Division1,585.0 miles of track

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Computers streamlinesorting of freight carsTransporting freight by railway isa complex and demanding job.A million and a half carloads

move by CP Rail in one year.More than 3,000 different com-modities, and about as manydestinations. Thirty thousandcustomers who need transpor-tation for 78 million metric tonsof freight ...

Keeping all that traffic sortedout is an important part of thetask performed at CP Rail trainyards across the country.

CP Rail's largest and mostmodern hump yard in WesternCanada is at Alyth in southeastCalgary. It covers 170 acres (69ha). About 75 miles (120 km) oftrack lie within its limits, and ithas a nominal standing capacityof more than 3,700 railway cars.

But keeping freight on the moveis what Alyth Yard was designedto do, and today, after a $5.7-million modernization program,it does that job better than ever.

The fully computerized freiqht-car classification system at theyard has a maximum through-put capacity of 3,000 cars perday. That's equivalent to almost30 main-line trains, each haulingfreight from dozens of differentorigins, bound for dozens ofdifferent destinations, all overNorth America.Yet the principle on which the

classification system is based isone of the oldest and simplestknown to man-gravity.

Freight cars are pushed bylocomotives to the crest of asmall hill called a hump. Therethey are uncoupled to roll downthe other side through switchesand into anyone of 48 classifi-cation tracks at the bottom of thehill. As they come gently to astop, they couple with other carsand eventually form part of anew train.

In a hump yard such as theone at Alyth, gravity is still thedominant force in the sorting offreight cars.

But CP Rail has added a hostof computerized refinements toassist nature's ancient law.Though there has been a

CP Rail yard at Alyth since 1914,a $14-million reconstruction andcomputerization program in 1968-70 ushered in a new era of opera-tions using the latest in computertechnology adapted for railwayuse. In the 15 years that followed,both the computer and railwayindustries have come a long way.Today, smaller, more powerful

computers based on micro-chipsare used to manage many aspects

of the railway business. Whenthe recent updating program atAlyth Yard began, the challengewas to make several computer-based systems work with eachother, without destroying thesimplicity of anyone system.After five years of design,

integration and testing, Alyth Yardhas been virtually re-born, witha fully computerized processcontrol system, a computerizedinventory of cars, and a com-munications system that is theenvy of the railway industry.

The Alyth process control system automaticallyweighs and humps more than 1500 cars per day to 48different classification tracks.

Finding freight cars quicklyYARDS is one of those littlecomputer-age words that mean alot. On paper, it stands for YardActivity Reporting and DecisionSystem. In the workaday worldof rai Iway transportation, it standsfor progress.YARDS is a computerized, on-

line car inventory and manage-ment system that cuts down onpaperwork and gives railwayemployees what they need most-fast information. Computerizedtracing means cars can be quicklylocated anywhere in Alyth Yard,or anywhere in the Calgarydivision for that matter. Contents,car type, mechanical conditionand final destination of loads can

be determined easily and uni-formly through any computerterminal linked to YARDS.

Faster is betterFaster turnaround is a transpor-tation industry phrase which hasspecial meaning for CP Railemployees at Alyth Yard. To putit as simply as possible, fasterturnaround is what the railwaygets by reducing the amount oftime it must spend on the handlingof freight cars when they arenot travelling somewhere on themain line.The faster turnaround achieved

through the modernization pro-gram at Alyth Yard means freight

Above: From the Alyth control tower the train yard coordinator controls and monitors the entire humping operationsand internal yard movements. Below: The retarder operator adds an extra measure of safety by being ableto override potentially undesirable humping conditions.

cars spend more time trans-porting things and less time beingsorted and classified. Lookingat it from the point of view of thetotal railway system, faster turn-around is a way of achievinghigher capacity in the railwayfleet without adding to thenumber of freight cars.To the Canadian public, it all

adds up to more dependable rail-way service, as time saved atAlyth Yard works its way throughto greater car availability atcustomer and railway-ownedloading facilities, and earlierdelivery at final destinations.

Process control systems analysts and techniciansmonitor the computerized humping process andprovide on-site software and hardware maintenance.

Diesel shopvital to train operationsStrategically located near the westend of Alyth Yard, the Alythdiesel shop plays a vital role inkeeping trains moving. Some330 pieces of motive powerequipment, including more than300 diesel locomotives are basedat Alyth, which has a staff ofmore than 350. On average, 525to 550 locomotives a week are.serviced and supplied to movetrains out of Calgary This includesfueling and sanding as well aslubrication oil and cooling systemanalysis, datal inspections, tripinspections and communicationssystem checks.

Alyth diesel shop"="~~-=Fu.eling and sanding operations

A fully-modern terminalCP Rail's Intermodal ServicesTerminal in Calgary is locatedjust west of Alyth Yard. Situatedon about 18 acres of land, therecently expanded facility is atotal top-lift operation with storagecapacity of 800 TEU for con-tainers, plus 150 trailers. It hasseven working tracks with capacityfor 80 67-foot rail cars.

~ Intermodal Services Terminal A total top-lift operation

Bulk train facilityKeith Yard, located on Calgary'snorthwestern outskirts and onCP Rail's main line, is used as aholding yard for bulk commodities.Future plans include constructionof a bulk terminal facility at Keith

~~ ..I to handle the operation of west-bound bulk trains as well as trainsof returning empty cars.

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Glenmore Reservoir

9th Avenue -~ PalliserujSquare

17th Avenue S.E.

Alyth Yard Office, 30th Avenue & 16th Street S.E., Calgary, Alberta T2P 2M7 Telephone (403) 266-9315 Telex 038-24672