Volume 14
Number 16
Dec. 5, 1984
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Alyth Yard Recognized as One of the
Best
By Dennis
Lanthier
Under Control: Yard
Co-ordinator Bill Ticknor takes a look out over Alyth Yard. He co-ordinates hump
operators and train movements within the yard.
Calgary - With the recent interface of two computer systems, CP
Rail's Alyth marshalling yard in Calgary is being recognized as one of Canada's most sophisticated and advanced
yards.
The YARDS (Yard Activity Reporting and Decision System) computer, developed by CP Rail and Canadian Pacific
Information Systems, first made its appearance in 1982.
Its purpose is to record and deliver complete information concerning location, origin, destination, contents, and
handling instructions for each of almost 2,000 freight cars moved each day at Alyth.
The GRS (General Railway Signals Data General Eclipse Process Control) systems, combined with the YARDS computer
in September 1983, ensures that each freight car reaches the assigned track from which it will eventually be
departing for various destinations.
GENTLE SLOPE
GRS controls virtually every aspect of Alyth's humping operation.
The hump is a gentle hill or ramp adjacent to Alyth's control tower. When trains roll into Calgary, the road
locomotives and cabooses are removed for servicing and yard switcher locomotives take over the process of sorting
the cars.
Using a combination of mini-computers and dedicated microprocessors, the GRS computer acts as a
total monitoring system, providing precise control from the hump to the classification yard.
RADAR DETECTORS
As each car begins to roll down the hump, radar and other electronic detectors give it a complete scan. Other
sensitive equipment determines a car's roll ability by collecting a variety of data including the type of wheel
bearing on the car as well as wind speed and direction and other weather conditions.
The information is automatically fed to GRS and stored. All the while, GRS is electronically linked to the YARDS
computer to ensure an uninterrupted flow of data to yard co-ordinators and other CP Rail employees.
Calgary Division Superintendent M.M. Stroick says that the computerized system is equipped to handle almost 30
main line trains.
The system recently attracted the attention of the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) Review
magazine, which featured the system in its July-August issue.
The Alyth Yard covers 69 hectares (170 acres) with about 120 kilometers (75 miles) of track within its limits. It
has nominal standing capacity of more than 3,700 railway cars.
It also serves as a holding and classification area for arriving and departing trains, which can originate from
as great a distance as 518 kilometers (322 miles).
Control Tower: Tower operators Vern Adams (left) and
Harold Frewin have a lot to oversee as they control the hump operations and train movements in a yard area
covering 120 kilometers (75 miles) of track.
This CP Rail News article is copyright
1984 by Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and
trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
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