Despite a monsoon like month of May, the track at Bell is in place.
The eastern lead to the yard branches out into 5 tracks. Closest to the fence are the passenger station spur, the IPP&W railway mainline (passenger station track) and a passing siding. The remaining two tracks are long, switching sidings. This following picture illustrates how much longer the switching sidings are than the old dead end spurs. This should allow the larger volume of traffic to be handled more easily.
It appears that there is something planned to the left of the station. Perhaps a passenger canopy or express freight shed. Now we come to the heart of the yard, or perhaps the heart breaker. A spur (track 1) by the fence serves a large grain storage facility.
The tail end of the spur switch (A) is attached to the IPP&W Railway mainline which turns north to Fir Grove. The diverging route is attached to a switch (B) on the passenger station track (2). The station track (2) provides access from both the IPP&W and RP&M Railways’ mainlines to the passenger station and the station spur. The IPP&W passes through the diverging route of the farthest switch (B) on this track, and the RP&M through the non diverging route.
The diverging route of the closer switch © on the station track (2) leads to the ladder for the yard. The top rung of the ladder, accessed through switch D, is the passing siding (track 3). Tracks 4 and 5, accessed through switches E and F, are the two, long switching sidings. Beyond switch F, track 5 has three more switches. The RP&M Railway interchange track (6) is accessed through switches G and H. Two short spurs, tracks 7 and 8, are accessed though switches G, H and I. And finally, the RP&M turntable on track 9 is accessed through switches G and I.
At the western end of the yard, the IPP&W Railway mainline (track 1) curves north toward its western terminus Firgrove Yard. Next to it is the RP&M mainline ramping down towards Rat Portage, and beside it the railway’s the interchange track (6).
Now that this project is complete, work will begin re-building Nelson Yard and Glen Hammond which were damaged when a 70 foot spruce tree was toppled in a wind storm.
