Freight types: all

Operators: 1 station manager, 2 assistants

If the computer system running TrainController software is the brains behind McKinley smooth operation, then Sheffield is its beating heart.

It stands alone among McKinley’s various locations as the only one dedicated to freight. And we’re talking freight on an industrial scale. Sheffield forms the keystone of the railway’s new extension, and is where three operators work around the clock to classify goods traffic coming from and going to every part of the country. And while that’s happening McKinley’s signature passenger and freight scenic trains trundle past in the background, so there’s always something happening.

Sheffield is also an important waypoint for locomotive changes, with extensive storage and refuelling facilities, as well as a turntable, plus access to the Doncaster Works where locos are taken off the layout when they go ‘out of era’. The two main yards at Sheffield are Victoria and Albert which are run independently to cover east and westbound traffic. Make sure you know the difference if you get to operate at Sheffield, or the station manager will not be amused!