Canadian Railroads > Millview Control Point

After Hurricane Juan hit the Halifax, NS area in September of 2003, washing out some track along Bedford Basin, CN made some changes to the Bedford Sub.  East of Windsor Jct. (mile 16) had been 2 track, directional ABS for decades, until the signals were removed in 2000.  The track was still used as it had been for the previous 10 or 15 years, with freights generally on the north track (former westbound main), and passenger trains on the south track.  It was still OCS territory, it just didn't have the ABS signals any longer.  It may have been CN's intention all along, but when parts of the north track were washed out during the hurricane, the double track from mile 15.7 to 8 was removed, and a new power switch and signals were installed at a new control point called Millview.  CTC was extended from 15.7, where it had previously ended, to mile 5, on the old south track only.  The repaired north track became the Halifax Transfer track, all the was down to mile 4.3, where it rejoined the main line and now single track, through the cut to HOT and the VIA station.

The transfer track is almost always used as the entrance to Rockingham Yard, and in the photos below, train 120 has a restricting signal and is taking the switch on April 17, 2017.  Passenger trains will get a clear signal here and stay on the main line all the way to the end of CTC at Fairview Jct (mile 5).  From there, it's OCS to mile 1.8 where it becomes yard limits at HOT.

Trains departing Rockingham could take the transfer track too, but they generally find that it makes more sense to use the manual crossover in front of the yard office (mile 6.05) to get on the main line, and then get a good run on Bedford Hill, rather than having to wait until the whole train is through the 15 mph switch before throttling up.

GTD

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