The Railroad
The Northern Lights Subdivision runs single-track, north–south, from Williamsport (WP) — the south terminus and yard — to Hemlock Crest (HC) at the north end. Seven stations control all movement along the line; see the full track plans for the scale layout these stations sit on.
| ID | Station | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WP | Williamsport | South terminus & yard, C&O interchange |
| XP | Xina Pass | Register station |
| BB | Becs Bend | Switchback |
| JC | Jacks Creek | 16-car passing siding |
| MC | Michelles Cove | Switchback |
| SK | Stans Knob | Switchback |
| HC | Hemlock Crest | North terminus, register station |
Every station except WP and HC carries a TO (train order) signal that the dispatcher can lower to flag down a crew. WP and HC, as the two ends of the line, work on clearances instead. A block signal pair at WP and XP additionally protects the WP–XP section, independent of the TO signals.
Trains run to a published timetable under 1905-style operating rules — superiority by class and direction, meets arranged by train order, register stations at each end of the line. The control system's job is to carry out exactly this paper-era workflow electronically: nothing about how a dispatcher or crew member thinks about the railroad changes.