Austiceian Freight Line

The Austiceian Freight Line or AFL is a major freight transportation railway route in Austiceia. Trains travel on it delivering cargo such as mail, food, contraptions and even minerals.

Background
When the Trans-Austiceian Railway Track (TART) was abandoned in 1995, the government of Austiceia started a new project called Project Football. It was created to continue building the TART. The line was renamed the "Football Line". Millions of Austiceian Currency were spent to complete the construction. The line was renamed "Austiceian Freight Line" or "AFL" for short. All this was done under complete secrecy so the unveiling would be more spectacular.

A company called PAR Domestic was created to operate the line, trains and stations. This happened in mid-1999 and rumors of the TART being completed arose. Eventually, the line was completed and unveiled to the public on Christmas Eve later that year as a present to the country. The first train that ran through the line carried testing equipment. Many of the bends on the track weren't perfect so the line was shut down for maintenance. The line was reopened again on December 29 (this temporary closure isn't counted as being closed and reopened).

The AFL had many trains travel on it, delivering cargo around southern Austiceia so in 2005, the railway line was expanded. A large branch line was constructed in New Glaceiceia. This branch line headed north towards Canborough, the capital city, Sniceia and to Paradiseand in the far north. Due to the line passing through the capital, top secret and classified cargo is sometimes delivered there. The train is then guarded by Ninja guards to prevent anyone looking at the cargo. This is now very rare as most of the secret cargo is transported via Ausbers, a series of underground caves and trenches.

Today, the Austiceian Freight Line delivers the most amount of cargo around the continent (save for the freight planes). The line was both an economic and an engineering success.

Track
The track is relatively straight as it passes through Austiceia's large expanse of land. The turns are tilted so the trains can reach faster speeds and in turn, deliver freight faster and earn more money. The TART section of the rail uses wooden sleepers but the AFL and Northern Line sections use the more modern concrete sleepers. The track uses fishplates to join the track. In the Northern Line, the rail is welded together.

When trains pass areas with titled rails or steep inclines, sand is released by a pipe near the tracks and by the locomotives. This helps improve traction and prevent wheel slip.

Engineering
When the train passes through dangerous track, precautions are taken. The railway tracks at Iceia Canyon, for instance, have 3-5 foot concrete barriers (similar to jersey barriers) to prevent falling down the canyon during a derailment. The barriers are attached to metal bars that are attached to an iron block near the tracks. The iron blocks are usually underground and sealed with concrete.

For bridges, steel barriers are set up on the sides. On wooden bridges (Iceian Gap Bridges, some Sniceian Bridges, Adelie Hills), plastic barriers are laid out and placed on the sides. To save weight, the barriers aren't filled with water. These barriers are hooked on to the main supports.

Trains
The trains that run on the track are always diesel trains. The number of locomotives and rolling stock varies from train to train. Due to safety reasons, the UPN Postal Service has issued requirements and limitations in assembling trains:


 * The train may only consist of (at maximum) 3 cargo types.
 * Cargo types include wood, food, coal, mail, gold, furniture and just cargo.
 * There must be at least 10 cargo cars.
 * There must be one locomotive for every 10 cars (including fuel and sleeping cars).
 * There must be at least one fuel car for every two locomotives.
 * For every five creatures on board, there must be one sleeping car.
 * Even if there are 1, 2, 3 or 4 creatures on board, there must be one sleeping car.
 * Sleeping cars contain five beds, a small bathroom and a very small kitchen (usually just a fridge).
 * There must be no more than 60 cargo cars.
 * To have the 3 cargo types evenly distributed in the cars, one cargo type goes into 20 cargo cars.
 * Cargo does not have to be even, though.
 * There must be no more than 8 locomotives and 4 fuel cars.
 * There must be no more than 5 sleeping cars and 25 creatures on board.

The maximum amount of cars a train can have (including locomotives, fuel cars and sleeping cars) with these restrictions is 77.

Route
Ledgend:
 * 1) -- Diesel fuel available.

& -- Danger from the environment (e.g., dangerous terrain/climate).

Eastern Main Line (EML)

 * Pole City # -- The start of the main line. There are several refueling and servicing depots located nearby.


 * Blizzard # -- Located in the west of Pole City, warehouses containing cargo are located here. This is where most trains get their cargo.

---Paradiseand/New Glaceiceia border---
 * Redball Mountains -- Here the track crosses the mountain range that separates Pole City from the mainland.
 * Goldburst -- Gold is a common export here. The mountains near it provide a great view for passengers (if there are any).


 * Northern Line Station # -- This station is built in the wilderness. The switch track to the Northern Line is located here.

---New Glaceiceia/Sounin border---
 * Snapped Mountain -- Getting it's name from the nearby mountains, Snapped Mountain is located in the forest area of Austiceia.
 * Sounin Falls -- The water from Canborough Lake runs through a waterfall. A small town is set up nearby and is a popular tourist attraction.


 * Lake Sounin -- A small line branches off from the mainline to this lake. There is a small depot located here.

TART Section

 * Aminade -- Aminade is famous for it's weather and history. Wood is usually exported here.


 * New Town # -- A large farming town that is famous for it's indoor farms. A train depot is located here.


 * New Town Junction -- About 15 miles from New Town is New Town Junction. There is a switching yard located here to change the three track line into a five track line.

---Sounin/Volesert border---
 * Coasurf -- This coastal city is famous for it's beaches and the yearly surfing competition.
 * Gravity Peak & --This tall mountain is so large, the trains have to climb up the steep inclines. At the top, the locomotive engines stop and gravity helps it fall down, hence the name.


 * Buhc's Canyon -- A large canyon that strikes across the landscape. It is named after famous ice hockey player, Buhc 777.


 * Chub's Plain -- This flat piece of land only has ice and snow. It is named after famous explorer and astronaut, Chub 777.


 * Adelie Hills & -- The town is located inside one of the hills. The station here is constructed from wood and so heavy trains have to bypass it via Meteor City.


 * Meteor City # -- A large city located in the middle of no where. The line branches off from Adelie Hills to offer a bypass.


 * Kosimulchco Mountain -- (KOHZ-ee-MUHLCH-coh) This mountain is actually an extinct volcano. Trains have to climb to the summit where the station is.


 * Lightning Canyon & -- This area is famous for it's many lightning strikes. When passing through here, TAKE CAUTION as trains are sometimes hit by lightning and fall down the canyon.


 * Snowfall Town -- This town is built on the side of a mountain. The snow here is very soft and is exported to movie sets and places without snow.


 * Snowfall Mine -- The mine is built inside the mountain that Snowfall Town resides on. It is very old and dates back to High Penguin times.


 * Happyminer Town -- This town marks the end of the large volcanic mountain range. The town has thrived thanks to the railway system and heavily depends on it.

Minal Main Line (MML)

 * Gust Town # -- Strong winds blow through this town since it's located at a high altitude. There is a depot and a servicing depot here.

---Volesert/Minal border---
 * Breeze Canyon & -- The track dips to a near vertical angle as it descends back down to near sea level. Because of this, the track is very dangerous.
 * Bluehill -- Bluehill is what you might call a railway town. There is a large switch yard to switch the track back to 3 tracks.


 * Cloud Mountain Town -- This town resides at the very bottom of a mountain range. The Cloud Mountains gets it's name from it's cloud shape.


 * Pickjuice Town -- A small town situated near a coal mine. The coal here is used to power Austiceia.


 * Iceblock -- Probably the smallest town on the line with a population of only 432. The railway helps it prosper.


 * Bessert # -- The last stop until Macaroni Plain. There is a fuel depot here.


 * Macaroni Plain -- Named after the favourite pasta in Bessert, Macaroni Plain is around 100 miles of flat, undisturbed railway.


 * Macaroni -- A new town founded in 2007. This is the only town you'll come across in Macaroni Plain.


 * Ninja's Pass -- This secluded area can be found at the end of Macaroni Plain. The main attraction here is the olden day Dojo.


 * Emerald Town # -- A famous digging site here is dedicated to finding the Energiald Crystals. Trains get fuel here after traveling through Macaroni Plain.


 * Feather -- This town is famous for it's calm weather. There are post offices here to receive and deliver mail.


 * Bloom Valley -- The valley contains many flowers that bloom and so it is called Bloom Valley.


 * Quest Hills -- Famous for it's history, Quest Hills are a group of several hills. There is a large forest here.


 * Quest Mine -- Quest Mine produces the most amount of silver and bronze in the whole country.


 * Quest Mountain -- At around 10,000 feet in height, the track ploughs through the mountain. You can see the support structures that hold up the old mine.


 * Quest Mine#Old Mine|Abandoned Quest Mine -- Near the exit of the tunnel is a small branch line. It leads up Quest Mountain to an old mine that was closed in 2003.


 * Quest City # -- After 250 km since Quest Hills is Quest City. Silver and bronze from the mine is usually delivered here.


 * Iceia # -- Located on the outskirts of Quest City, Iceia is a large farm area with it's main export being wheat and coffee.


 * Iceian Gap & -- A former open-cut mine. The mine was abandoned due to the coal running out. The railway now crosses the mine.


 * Iceia Canyon & -- Not far from the Gap is Iceia Canyon. The cliff faces here are nearly vertical so the area is dangerous.


 * Cometstar # -- A small city that has a large train yard with refuelling depots and servicing areas. An office here monitors all of the trains running on the track.


 * Pie Mountain -- If one looks closely at the summit, it it shaped like a pie. The tracks climb a short portion of the mountain before descending.


 * Stalagmite Cave & -- Dangerous stalagmites rise from the ground. The train tracks have to swerve around them so trains here travel at low speed.


 * Stalactite Cave & -- After passing out of Stalagmite Cave, the train immediately enters Stalactite Cave. Trains are advised to go slow and not use to horn because the stalactites might fall.


 * Bergice # -- A large cargo warehouse and post office is located here. This is also the last stop before the end of the line.


 * Aurora Peak -- If train climbs the peak, one might see an aurora. The engineers usually take their cameras out and snap photos so the track winds for a few miles before starting to descend.


 * Vertical Cliffs & -- The train descends at a near vertical angle towards the coast.


 * Windy Valley & -- Upon slowing down from the cliffs, the train crosses Windy Valley. The wind here is so strong that trains are forced to go on full throttle and if they don't, the train will be pushed back up the cliff.


 * Hurricane Plain & -- This place is constantly drenched in rain and it was thought that a hurricane passed. The rail here is very slippery so caution is taken.


 * Silverbar City#Forest|Silverbar Forest -- After reaching an area without rain again, a forest emerges. Trains are forced to go around the trees.


 * Silverbar City # -- After a journey of almost 4000 km and a few days, the train finally reaches it's destination. The cargo is unloaded, locomotives re-fueled and serviced and engineers and drivers switched. The train turns back and heads towards Pole City, again.

Northern Line Section (NLS)

 * Northern Line Station # -- This is the start of the Northern Line Section. The line branches off from the Eastern Main Line.


 * Jolt Valley & -- A valley located amidst a forest. Lightning is attracted to the tall trees so caution is taken.


 * Woodcutter # -- A small town that is famous for it's logging business. Wood is the primary export, here.


 * Woodcutter's Valley -- The track dips into the valley and rises up on the other side. The track isn't really dangerous as the inclines are not that steep.


 * Sword Cliffs -- A rock formation on the side of the cliffs looks like a sword jutting out, hence the name. The track flows past the cliff.


 * Sword Mountains -- The cliffs turn into large mountains. To navigate through it, trains cut through the bottom of the mountain via a tunnel. This mountain range is the border between New Glaceiceia and the capital.


 * Canborough River -- As the train passes out of the tunnel, a river crosses the path. This river contains fresh water that runs to the lake and towards Sounin Falls.


 * Canborough Lake -- The river leads to Canborough Lake. During the long winter night, the ice freezes and becomes so stable that trains can run on it.


 * Canborough # -- The capital city of Austiceia, Canborough is fairly large. There is a large post office here and a small warehouse that used to store classified cargo.

---Sniceia/New Glaceiceia/Paradiseand/Volesert border---
 * Border Station # -- North of Canborough is Border Station. The marker where Volesert, Sniceia, Paradiseand and New Glaceiceia borders meet is located here. Trains stop here to prepare for the upcoming mountain journey.
 * Glaceier & -- A small town that is often buffeted by blizzards. This location provides a great view since a glacier is nearby.


 * Panic Canyon & -- After passing Glacier, the track immediately dips to a vertical angle for around five minutes. The track then pulls up and winds around the canyon.


 * Panic Mountain & -- The track pulls up vertically until the train scales the cliff on the mountain. On the summit, the track goes down again and continues like a roller coaster.


 * Panic Bends & -- As the train falls down the mountain, the track swerves everywhere to avoid the holes that were dug by miners long ago. Derailments are regular here.


 * Panic Bridge & -- The train crosses another wide canyon. The bridge here is wooden and is very unstable. Caution is taken to avoid falling into the chasm below.


 * Blizz # -- After the long journey into the Panic region, the train arrives at Blizz. There is a depot and a switch yard that changes the three lane track into a two lane track located here.

Continuing soon!

Inhabitants
No one lives directly on the tracks. The inhabitants live in the towns and mines that the track passes. They range from old miners to young buisnesspenguins.

Villains
There are usually no villains on the tracks or trains. Sometimes, though, penguins sneak onto the cargo cars to reach the neighbouring state. These penguins are usually found when the train stops at the stations. They are either brought back to where they live or they are left in the town they were discovered in. The second case is very rare, nowadays.

Trivia
In real life, the acronym AFL stands for Australian Football League, a popular sporting league in Australia.

Internal Links

 * SABER
 * Austiceia
 * Railfan