(All screenshots taken on 2200-01-01 unless otherwise specified)
The two coal lines in the previous parts did not grow as expected, and eventually a line spanning across it became much more prominent, having extensive branches and arguably the only quadruple-track railway on Pattenia. However, its traffic is so extensive that its original service route have to be detached.
There were two main iron ore reserves in the south-east, one to the east of Finfingley Market and the other between Neningbury and Chonfingley Market. Iron ore was transported to the north, reaching a steel mill in a valley northwest of Finfingey Market, but named after a town further north -- Fondston. The southern mine opened in 1940 while the eastern one opened before 1947. Steel service was also provided, connecting a factory further north, west of the coastal town Little Redingstone.
Meanwhile, livestock was also transported to that factory, and branches to and from farms were connected to the mainline. Unfortunately, that means the line between the iron ore mines and the steel mill became increasing crowded. For years the steel mill station became a transfer point of livestock too.
The derailment of rail technology advance in Pattenia late in the 20th century proved fatal to steel transport, as livestock and iron ore trains now travel 30% faster, and having trains of different speed working on the same tracks became a big nuisance. Therefore, the livestock feeder service was replaced by a second pair of tracks between the steel mill and the factory in the early 21st century, enabling trains from the farm running all the way to the factory. Meanwhile, the long-ignored grain transport was also introduced, but that made traffic even more intense, so the steel trains were "temporarily" withdrawn in the 2040's, anticipated to be returned once the traffic on the main line stablized. This "temporary" closure has been lasting for over 150 years.
By 2050, the main line had been extended to the west and south, serving three more farms and one more iron ore mine. As branches merge on the stretch between the iron old ore mines and the steel mill, traffic relief became increasing challenging. The most convuluted part was the loop around Finfingley Market and Dedhead Cross proper -- Iron ore trains and milk trains each taking one of the two-track loop, rendering expansion difficult. The re-instatement of the old coal line in 2090 clearly didn't help either.
Finally, a complete re-build was carried out in 2107 -- The iron ore line became a giant loop, encircling not only Finfingley Market and Dedhead Cross but also Neningbury. The loop is two track, filled with 15-car electric trains, and each track serves one mine site. To maximize efficiency, the depot facilities are shared between the two lines, located west of Neningbury and close to the historical power plant, effectively enabling convenient utilization of electricity -- Due to the financial crisis in the late 21-century, this line became the only all-electric frieght line, necessitated by the immense power required to pull hundreds of tonnes per run. Meanwhile, the branch to Finfingley Market Farm was simplified as more efficient station design was deployed, letting thousands of tonnes be robustly transported every year.
This part of screenshots would focus on the iron ore loop. More on the mainline in the coming parts -- stay tuned
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Screen 01: Overview of the loop, with labels indicating key locations. Trains traverse anti-clockwise around the loop.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6JIm7 ... mRtZWpxVXM
Screen 02: The southern ore seam. Chonfingley Market first probed the area but Neningbury later dug their own shafts in 1959. We treated the two mines as one (in fact the later shaft was constructed within the station catchment), but after two and a half century the original mine still outputs more. The area around the station exit was originally a hill, but dug into a trough to reduce railway gradient.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6JIm7 ... kljOXkxV1U
Screen 03: The Finfingley Market mine is doing maximum production, but with the powerful 15-car trains things are not too difficult.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6JIm7 ... DdDRTFYMzQ
Screen 04: The steel mill. Originally the station complex spanned all over the area of this picture, especially on the mount that reduced to the rectangular bump in the middle. Some 3600 tonnes of steel was proudly produced last month but steel had not been transported for 150 years.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6JIm7 ... Fl1dFZVc2c