Railfreight Operations Manager- Cornish China Clay

Railfreight Operations Manager- Cornish China Clay © 1991 Greenup, Ashley.

The main Railfreight activity in Cornwall is associated with the movement of industrial china clay from the mining area north of St Austell for both export from the local deepwater port of Fowey and for distribution to outlets in the Midlands and Scotland.

The simulation here is set in the mid-1980s when the Fowey traffic was still carried in the famous tented 'clay hood' wagons prior to the introduction in 1987 of modern CDA hoppers. Long-haul traffic had already gone over to high capacity air-braked stock, which meant that local Speedlink trip workings between china clay dries and the main assembly yard at St. Blazey had to be operated completely independently from the trains of vacuum-braked hoods.

Your task here is to control china clay operations on two successive days, dealing with both hood and Speedlink traffic demands notified to you by the English China Clay company and Regional Control as best you can.