Richville Western Railnet (RWR)

[David Collins]

The Richville Western Railnet is a fictional shortline based in rural Manitoba, serving numerous logging and grain industries.

Customers are:

CC Lumbermill in Richville (centerbeams and woodchip cars, 10-15 cars per switch)
Valero in Richville (12-14 cars per switch, tank cars)
Allison Plastics in Richville (1-2 cars per switch, boxcars)
Fox Grain Transload in Ridgeway (1-2 cars per switch, covered hoppers)
Abbots Fuels transload in Ridge way (6-7 cars per switch, tank cars)
Manitoba Paper in Ridgeway (4 cars per switch, boxcars)
An yet to be named plastics company in Ridgeway (2-4 cars per switch, boxcars)
Clearwater Lumber in Aiken (3-4 cars per switch, centerbeams)
Calvin Screw in Aiken (2 cars per switch, boxcars)
Canadian Builders in Aiken (3-4 cars per switch, boxcars)
Coldwater Steel in Aiken (2-3 cars per switch, coil cars)
Trent Landscaping in Aiken (10-15 cars per switch, it has it’s own train)


This railroad is popular by railfan standards in terms of motive power used:

RWR SD40-2 (high hood) #1626 (nee NS 1626, nee N&W 1626)
RWR SD40-2 (high hood) #1627 (nee NS 1627, nee N&W 1627)
RWR SD40-2 (high hood) #1628 (nee NS 1628, nee N&W 1628)
RWR GP38-2 (high hood) #5230 (nee NS 5230, nee SOU 5230)
RWR SW1 #718

The RWR has a few yard slugs used for classification and occasionally assisting with local work:

RWR RPU6 #868 (nee NS 868, nee NS ????, nee N&W ????)
RWR RPE4U #876 (nee NS 1591, nee N&W 1591)

SD40-2’s #1626 and #1628 are used on the Foxton and Aiken Locals, as well as the unit woodchip train that runs between Aiken and Richville Yard.

#1627 is semi-permanently paired with RPE4U #876 for classification duty. Most cuts of cars interchanged by CN exceed 60 cars and more power is needed. When it’s bot being used for classification, it fills in when needed on jobs that may need it.

SW1 #718 is normally used by itself at the CC Lumbermill, but will occasionally be paired up with RPU6 #868 if needed for big trains. 718 is permanently assigned to the CC Lumbermill, switching cars and bringing them to and from CC and Richville Yard.

GP38-2 #5230 is used for the Richville local.

The line is former CN trackage, and is fitted with continous welded rail on the mainlines between Richville and Aiken Junction, where the line splits to go north toward Foxton. Trains going to Aiken have to pull into a run around track, run around their train then run south to Aiken. The track speed from Aiken Junction to Aiken is 35mph, as well as the track speed between Aiken Junction and Foxton.

Maximum track speed is 10 mph in the industrial switching limits in the Richville, Aiken and Foxton industrial switching limits.

Operations and some photography from the line next.