Burney, Redding & Western

Concept: The Burney, Redding & Western (BR&W) is a freelanced-prototype railroad set in Northern California in 1947. The BR&W is loosely based on the McCloud River Railroad. The BR&W has its main hub in Redding, with mainline spokes that interchange with the Great Northern and Western Pacific in Nubieber (and beyond to Alturas), the Northwestern Pacific in Eureka and the Western Pacific in Sacramento. The primary commodities originating on the BR&W are lumber, livestock and copper ore. The modeled section of the line represents the main BR&W yard in Redding through to another major yard in Bieber. The BR&W has yet to dieselize and is still all steam.

Layout Description: The layout is built in a 10 x 12 foot spare room. The BR&W is HO scale, point to point, with a 4 track stub end staging yard representing Sacramento, a 3 track staging yard representing Eureka, and a 4 track removable staging yard representing the GN interchange in Nubieber and the Northeast terminus of the BR&W in Alturas. The layout is a walk around style, full double deck, around the walls, with a center peninsula. The 100 foot mainline has three towns, with three passing sidings between Redding and Bieber. The BR&W includes both an on layout branch line & one terminating in staging. A 3% grade around the room “nolix” connects the two levels. There is a nod-under to enter the layout. Aisle width is on the narrow side. Control is by Digitrax wired & wireless throttles. There are a several sound equipped locomotives on the layout.

Operations Overview:
• All BR&W lettered locomotives are steam
– Run through GN & ATSF passenger diesels and GN & WP diesel switchers from Nubieber “tolerated”
• CC/WB (Prototype influenced style)
• 1:1 real time clock, 24 hr timetable
• TT&TO dispatching
• Ops sessions ~ 4 hrs (mid session break); hosted 87 sessions
• Guest crew size 3 (Redding YM, Bieber YM, Road Crew #1)
• Layout owner is typically the Dispatcher, Road Crew #2 & “Mole”
• Ops feature bridge traffic among GN, WP, SP & NWP
• Limited local industries ( mining, lumber, livestock)
• LCL / small freight house ops, passenger & mail service

Yard Jobs:
• The BR&W has two yardmaster jobs
– Redding (the larger & busier yard) and Bieber
– Redding is on the lower lever; Bieber on the upper
– Being a “yardmaster” is only part of the “ReddingJob” and the “Bieber Job”
• Many yardmaster jobs only include sorting cars and switching local industries
• The BR&W yard jobs include engine hostling, clerking (e.g. Freight House in Redding; Stock Pens in Bieber) passenger / mail ops and various Special Actions & Instructions (SA&Is)

Road Crews
• The BR&W has two road crew jobs
• Road Crew 1 (typically a full time job filled by a guest)
• Road Crew 2 (part-time job usually filled by host on an as needed basis)
• Trains which Road Crews typically run in a session
– Turn to either Helper or Burney (short, 4 car train with industry switching)
– 1st Class Passenger or Mail train to or from Alturas/Bieber to Redding/Eureka
– 1st Class Psgr or Mail train to or from Sac to Eureka
– 2nd Class expedited LCL, Livestock or Reefer train to or from Alturas/Bieber to Redding/Eureka
– 2nd Class expedited LCL, Livestock or Reefer train to or from Sacramento to Eureka
– Drag / Empty Extra train from Redding to Bieber with work at Goose Valley
– Drag / Empty Extra train from Bieber to Redding with work at Goose Valley

• Road Crew 1 (guest) runs the vast majority of the above; Road Crew 2 (host) runs trains only when more than one train is running

Dispatcher Job
• The BR&W dispatcher job is basic TT&TO
– Dispatcher is also the “Operator” for all stations
– Usually only one train running on the main at a time
– When 2 trains are running, often a regular train and an extra train (no dispatcher intervention req’d)
– Most regular trains run on time so no “run late” orders are typically issued
– Dispatcher writes clearances (and orders as req’d) first in the dispatcher log book, then copies clearance and orders to slips for crews
– Dispatcher works off a “Dispatcher’s Lineup” (run right trains in order)
– Dispatcher receives verbal “OS” reports; logs and maintains “train sheet”
• 1st challenge is managing the typically once per session meet between opposing extras from Redding Yd & Bieber Yd
• 2nd challenge is managing the typically once per session “out & back” turn from Redding or Bieber Yds w/out tying up the main

   BR&W Dispatcher Lineup 2020-02-07 Session Final.pdf

   BR&W_Timetable_9_Final_R1_2019-06-01_2_Pages.pdf

   BR&W Yardmasters Lineup 2020-02-07 Session Final.pdf

Layout Owner

Al Daumann

Location

Simi Valley, CA

Scale

HO

Layout Size

10 ft x 12 ft

Mainline Size

105 ft

Era

Steam / Diesel 1947

Crew Complement

3 - 5

Completion

Track: 100%
Scenery: 20%
Electrical: 100%

Control System

Digitrax - Simplex only

Dispatching Method

Timetable and Train Order

Car Forwarding

Car Cards/Waybills

Pets

Yes - Dogs & cats inside; horses outside.