Port Balaine State Railways

Port Balaine State Railways
Waalijneeske Nasjonale Spoardyktsjinst
Country	Port Balaine
Type	Railway troops, raillift
Role	Passenger, freight rail logistics
Garrison/HQ	Wellingdon
Nickname(s)	CommonRail (metonym)
Website	railways.pb

The Port Balaine National Railway Service (PBNRS; Balainese: Waalijneeske Nasjonale Spoardyktsjinst) is the uniformed, paramilitary organization responsible for railway engineering, logistics, and security in the Commonwealth of Port Balaine. In its civil functions, the service operates the national passenger rail system, CommonRail, as well as tourist lines and industrial freight. In its military functions, the PBNRS operates raillift for the armed forces, as the backbone of Port Balaine's transportation infrastructure. The core of the railway service is staffed by railway troops, as train crews, engineers and constructionmen.

Commonwealth (CommonRail)

The PBNRS operates the Commonwealth Railway (doing business as CommonRail; reporting mark CWRY) is the primary passenger and freight rail system in Port Balaine. CommonRail provides passenger connections to all but one city throughout the entire commonwealth, with a primary terminal in Wellingdon. Additional freight-only routes provide additional direct routes, access to coastal regions and military installations on the Isle of Wells. Two out-of-service lines access remote corners of the Isles of St. Peter and Wells in emergencies. CommonRail operates entirely on overhead-electrified locomotion, though additional diesel-electric locomotives sit in storage as wartime redundancies. CommonRail spans 885.7 km of rail on 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge throughout Port Balaine, 612.0 km of which are passenger services.

CommonRail passenger routes

CommonRail operates three passenger routes, all terminating at Wellingdon Grand Central Terminal. The Channel Corridor (train nos. 100 series) operates south, over the Isle of St. Peter, to the capital, The Promenade. The Arcadian Mountains (train nos. 200 series) operates across the western shores of the Isle of Wells, to the north coast at Bearum. The Jimland River (train nos. 300 series) operates to Eyot, servicing the final cities along the eastern shores of Wells.

Passenger routes service "stations" in towns and "stops" in villages. Express trains (e.g. the Jimland River Express) service only stations. In particular, the Channel Corridor Zephyr stops only in Wellingdon, St. Peter and The Promenade.

Wellingdon Terminal

The Wellingdon Terminal Railway (reporting mark WTRY) is a short-line switching and terminal railroad, and the sole subsidiary of the Commonwealth Railway. The railway provides freight transit in the Port of Wellingdon, transiting cargo between the port and CommonRail. WTRY operates 9.1 km of rail on entirely diesel-electric locomotion, to simplify infrastructure in the port.

Tourist railway system

As a benefit to the Port Balaine tourism industry, the PBNRS also manages four tourist railways, all on the Isle of Wells. Two are heritage railways and two were intended as tourist attractions.

Pretannia Coastal Scenic

The Pretannia Coastal Scenic Railway (reporting mark PCSRY) is a heritage railway operating on the northeast coast of Wells. The railway operates historic mainline heavy-oil-fired steam locomotion for excursion trains, with diesel-electric power for switching operations. A small fleet of petrol-powered railcars provide semiregular passenger services for hikers and campers. It previously serviced the coast of Wells as a regional passenger line. The Pretannia Coastal spans 82.7 km of rail on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge.

Excursion trains leave daily from Bearum, passing two halts before stopping for lunch in the hamlet of Carbon Springs. The outing takes 3.5–4 hours. Tourists may only board in Bearum, but tickets on railcars may be purchased for any part of the route.

Eyot & Saratoga Narrow Gauge

The Eyot & Saratoga Narrow Gauge Railway (reporting mark E&SNGRY) is a former mining and logging line operating as a heritage railway in the Arcadian Mountains of Wells. The railway operates historic geared coal-fired steam locomotion of the Ephraim class, with diesel-electric power for switching operations. The Eyot & Saratoga spans 66.0 km of rail on 891 mm (2 ft 11 3⁄32 in) gauge.

Excursion trains leave daily at 0830 and 1030 from Eyot, at the former freight interchange with CommonRail. Trains climb the Arcadians over Vista Pass, the highest pass in Port Balaine, before descending to the historic Virginia City, on the shores of Virgin Lake. After a few hours to enjoy the hamlet, the train returns to Eyot. The outing takes 8 hours.

Mt. Vadon Cog

The Mt. Vadon Cog Railway (reporting mark MVCRY) is a heritage tourist train operating in the Nome Basin of Wells. The railway spans 13.9 km of rail on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge, using the Rowles rack system for the 12.1% incline. Multiple excursion trains operate daily; an outing takes 2.5 hours. The Mt. Vadon Cog began in the late 1500s AN with steam locomotion, but was refurbished so both modern light-oil-fired steam locomotives and diesel-hydraulic multiple units are used. It brings visitors from the outskirts of St. Albert up 1,670 m to Lower Mt. Vadon Summit, a mountainside plateau.

National Railway Museum shortline

The Port Balaine National Railway Museum (reporting mark NRYM) is the Commonwealth of Port Balaine's premier institution for railway history. The museum's exhibit spaces provide numerous educational exhibitions, and host many old carriages, wagons and locomotives used in historical Balainese rail operations. The museum also serves as a recruiting center for the railway troops. Notable equipment includes:

• CWRY No. 1897, a prototype steam-electric locomotive.
• Multiple examples of early fireless steam locomotives, used for military ordinance hauling.
• E&SNGRY No. 1943, a prototype electric-fired steam locomotive.
• Multiple examples of early WTRY diesel-mechanical locomotives.

In addition, the museum also operates a shortline railway, where functional and refurbished antique trains are operated. The National Railway Museum uses 11.9 km of rail on dual 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge gauntlet track. Most train demonstrations occur within the main boundaries of the facilities. However, irregular excursion trains on the museum's unique equipment travel the entire shortline to a halt along Lake Valvert.