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| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 00:58 #117712 | |
VInce
579 posts |
HI all, Exeter Summer early 1980s has been uploaded and is awaiting approval. As ever, this timetable has been extensively tested and I hope all errors have been shaken out. However. there are so many variables that it is impossible to check for everything so if anyone finds any errors, please publish them in this thread and I will rectify and issue a new version if it is required. Here are the notes - somewhat long winded - to accompany the timetable.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exeter - early 1980s. This timetable is a 5-day (Mon-Fri) timetable, essentially a refurbishment of Ed Jeffery's Exeter Summer 1981 timetable which was issued a long time ago as a pre-loader timetable. First of all the thanks:- 1) First and most importantly, Ed Jeffery who wrote the original single day version. I haven't been able to contact Ed so I hope he is happy with what has been done with his original work. 2) To Peter Bennet who rectified a few minor issues with the sim which were in areas which do not see regular use in modern timetables. 3) To the correspondents of RMWeb, whose archives provided much data, both written and pictorial, on freight train loadings, wagon types, bank engines and trip working. 4) To the BR Stock Yahoo group who provided loco-hauled stock diagrams. 5) To the Simsig community who helped considerably during the early days of this project. Many thanks specifically to Pascal (58050) who provided all of the WR loco diagrams for 1981, which helped considerably with trip workings As Ed would no doubt have found, overlaying what is essentially a 1981 timetable onto a 1986 Exeter area infrastructure is not a straightforward exercise. This was an time of great change throughout BR and especially in the West Country and there was much rationalisation of this area between 1981 and when Exeter PSB was commissioned in 1986. This has, out of necessity, meant a number of compromises have had to be made. From East to West these are:- 1) Cogload - considerably remodelled during this period and the loss of the relief lines east of Taunton have meant odd minute retimings have been required for a small number of freight trains. 2) Taunton - Taunton Yard was still open and accessible from both ends in the early 80s. In this timetable Fairwater Yard and Dock Siding masquerade at different times as Taunton Yard. Platforms 3 & 4 were not in use at this time and thus are not used for passenger purposes in this timetable. 3) The relief lines extended as far as Wellington in this era - two trains have had odd minute retimings as a result. 4) Tiverton Junction Down Siding was an oil terminal in the early 80s. 5) There were goods lines at Hele, the loss of which required one train to be retimed slightly later from Riverside Yard. Hele Paper Mill also closed at this time, so the trip which serviced it cannot be replicated. 6) Cowley Bridge. Some timing conflicts between trains to and from the Barnstaple branch were apparent in the WTTs so it appears that the layout at Cowley Bridge probably altered in some way. 7) Exeter Area. a) Exeter New Yard was not connected to Platforms 1, 2 and 3 in this era, so this timetable makes no use of the yard here. All shunt movements have to use Exeter North. b) There was access to and from P4 from the incline which was not available after power signalling was introduced. c) Exeter Central sidings are used in this timetable as both the Coal Concentration Depot and Exeter Cement Sidings. d) Exeter CE Works is used in this timetable both as a wagon repair depot and stabling point for On-Track Machines. 8) Newton Abbot. After the traincrew depot and stabling point closed in 1980 much rationalisation was done in this area and although there is some very tight timetabling over Aller Jcn (Newton Abbot West in the sim) most trains seem to fit OK. Heavy use is made of Hackney Sidings both for freight and passenger stock workings. 9) The Stoneycombe branch (between Aller Junction and Dainton Tunnel) was closed sometime in the early 80s and thus the trip working here could not be simulated. Trains 1) Freight - a lot of work has gone into ensuring that freight trains and trips carry appropriate loadings. Every effort has been made to balance wagon working by ensuring wagons are worked to destination and also servicing of the return empties. This applies also on through trains to Plymouth Friary and Tavistock Junction. China Clay traffic from the far west is what everyone thinks of when freight in this area is considered, but freight was plentiful and varied in the early 80s. For example. Coal in HTVs to Exeter CCD, export steel to Barnstaple, palletised fertiliser to many destinations, MOD explosive traffic to Plymouth, Cars on Cartics to Marsh Barton from Dagenham, Regent Oil at City Basin took regular trains of oil and there were Bitumen trains from Ellesmere Port to another terminal in the City Basin complex. Incidentally Alphington Road Estate and City Basin were connected by a short branch running under the main line here and movements were controlled initially by two manual signalboxes, later reduced to one. Thus it was unnecessary for trains to block the main line while working these branches. One oddity is that there was a block train of empty presflos from Plymouth Friary to Aberthaw Cement Works but no corresponding loaded block working in the other direction. Once must assume loaded wagons ran as part of speedlink feeder services or on wagon load trains to and from Severn Tunnel or Barry Yard. The empties were presumably then tripped to Plymouth to form a block train on return. This is just a small list - please check out the Train Types tab on the timetable list to see just how varied the traffic was at this time. 2) Passenger. HSTs were the mainstay of the long distance passenger service with loco hauled stock supplementing it on both local stopping services to Paignton and some additional trains from Paddington. Plymouth Laira based first generation DMUs plied their trade up and down the the coast consisting mainly of Class 117 units supplemented with Class 116 and Class 118 both in double power car and three car formations. Traffic Working - Hints and Tips. 1) HST Working. Trains from Paddington to Plymouth and Penzance scheduled to be worked by HSTs will appear at Castle Cary or Bridgwater in one of four states. a) Two power cars working b) One power car working c) Substituted by a Class 47 and loco-hauled stock d) Substituted by a Class 50 and loco hauled stock This choice is heavily weighted in favour of normality (a) but the others do occur. Trains running on one power car have been limited to 75mph in timetable which was not strictly accurate as they could reach their normal operating speed but would take much longer to get there, this also depending on whether the defective power car was capable of supplying ETS to the train. When HSTs running on one power car reached Exeter an assessment was made and if all conditions could be met, and a form entitled "Authority to operate between Exeter and Plymouth with one power car shut down" was issued. So, in this timetable when a train running on one power car reaches Exeter one of three things happen. a) It goes forward on one power car without delay b) It suffers a 10 minutes delay but is rectified (usually just topped up with coolant) and goes forward on two power cars. c) The criteria cannot be met and the train terminates, blocking a platform for 25 minutes until a traincrew can be found to move it to a maintenance depot at Old Oak Common or Bristol. Should the last train of the day (1B58) fail at Exeter, a DMU will appear and work a special to Plymouth with passengers off it. This DMU will sometimes return empty to Exeter in the next day's timetable. HSTs running to and from Paignton will also have alternatives and even if one arrives there running on one power car, it does not necessarily mean it will leave in the same state. 2) Loco hauled passenger trains off the Southern Region will either run round in the platform and await their next working or run to the reception roads in Riverside Yard and the loco run round via Cowley Bridge and Exeter Station. This is consistent with the practice at the time. 3) Some freight trains are banked from St Davids to Central and it is essential they pass throught the platform shown at Exeter St Davids. The bank engine is detached at Central and returns to St Davids. 4) Some trains (including 1A07) are assisted over the Devon banks with an additional loco on the front - these locos are attached/detached at Newton Abbot. 5) Heavy use is made of Hackney Sidings so it would be unwise to block the entrance/exit with trains waiting a platform. It is best to hold them one signal back from there. 6) There was contradictory evidence as to whether trains proceeding north from Newton Abbot were worked by a shunt engine to and from Hackney Sidings or just propelled out. In this timetable all loco hauled trains to and from Hackney Sidings destined to work trains from Newton Abbot northwards are worked out of the sidings with a shunt engine which is detached in the station. This applies also to loco hauled trains from the north being cleared from the station to Hackney Sidings. 7) In this timetable only those trains shown in the working timetables and STNs are actually timed. Trips, light engine movements, on-track machine movements, ECS after working trains and control specials are all untimed, as they would have been back in the day. Most passenger and parcel trains will take their full station allowance. Excepting for passenger trains, all trains can leave stopping places early if Simsig allows it to happen. One exception is the SAGA holiday trains which ran on a charter basis and are allowed (as it is was then) to leave once the SAGA couriers were happy they had everyone on board and thus they are permitted to depart from stations early. 8) Trains for Fairwater PAD should enter the yard via the headshunt for realism, although either Fairwater Yard entrances can be used if required. 9) Single Locos shunting from Exeter West Yard 1 to 6 after fuelling can used the headshunt opposite. Anything longer than a single loco must use the reversal at E677 signal or Exeter South. 10) An attempt has been made to replicate the Barnstaple branch trip, 6B73. At the time it would have been shunted clear of the line to shunt the various sidings along the branch but in this timetable it will stand at these locations and block the single line for a short period, thus it will require careful handling in order not to delay the passenger service. 11) In the description of a train, some trains are shown ***SEE NOTES***. To do this, click on the train describer which will bring up the timetable window. On the left hand side at the top is a "Notes" button. Click this and it will give information which will help with the running of the train. 12) Most trains working between Exmouth and the Exeter stations carried the reporting number 2B84. It was common practice throughout the network at this time to assign the same reporting number to all trains running over a local branch but this was discontinued a few years later after an incident in which a signaller had two trains in his/her area with the same reporting number and he/she authorised the wrong train to pass a signal at danger with a resulting derailment. Ensure when clicking on a description that the correct train is shown. Sometimes it is necessary in Simsig to impose the full description i.e. 2B84-14 into berth in order for it to show the correct train. 13) Unfitted trains were not permitted on the incline for obvious reasons. Thus any train operating as Class 9 in this timetable will be running in Class 9b i.e. partially or fully fitted but limited in speed by virtue of the maximum speed of the vehicles in its train. In most cases this will be 15mph, dictated by the maximum speed of the shunt engine hauling the train. 14) On-track machines in this timetable - including track recording trolley "Neptune" - most probably could not be relied upon to operate track circuits but for ease of operation this is ignored. Enjoy! Vince Shirley I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me Last edited: 19/04/2019 at 08:26 by VInce Reason: None given Log in to reply The following users said thank you: norman B, tufty, d233 |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 08:40 #117714 | |
kbarber
1742 posts |
Hmm... 'contradictory evidence'... (trains, note 6). I suspect what an observer saw might depend who was the yard supervisor that day (the old freight men might play a bit fast & loose with authorities), who the driver of the outward working was (some would want to stick by the instructions and have the pilot drag them out, others would be more obliging - a lot quicker to set back clear of the points then go as soon as the board comes off), and whether the signalman had 'company' (of the black mac kind). But of course nothing like that ever went on during our shifts, did it Vince? Log in to reply |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 09:10 #117715 | |
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VInce
579 posts |
kbarber in post 117714 said:Hmm... 'contradictory evidence'... (trains, note 6). I suspect what an observer saw might depend who was the yard supervisor that day (the old freight men might play a bit fast & loose with authorities), who the driver of the outward working was (some would want to stick by the instructions and have the pilot drag them out, others would be more obliging - a lot quicker to set back clear of the points then go as soon as the board comes off), and whether the signalman had 'company' (of the black mac kind).Indeed, all straight up working on my shift... except when it suited to do otherwise, normally at 0300 in the morning when no-one was looking! I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me Log in to reply |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 09:26 #117717 | |
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RainbowNines
272 posts |
Once again your attention to detail just in the notes is astounding, Vince. I’m really looking forward to firing up Exeter and having a go!
Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 10:04 #117718 | |
Simdmuk
155 posts |
This was my home area in this period, so looking forward to this ! A couple of points to add .... "6) Cowley Bridge. Some timing conflicts between trains to and from the Barnstaple branch were apparent in the WTTs so it appears that the layout at Cowley Bridge probably altered in some way." The Barnstaple line at Cowley Bridge Jn, had , up to the late 70's/very early 80's , been double track through Newton St Cyres,hence the WTT conflicts. "a) Exeter New Yard was not connected to Platforms 1, 2 and 3 in this era," New Yard didn't really exist until re signalling, but there was the infrequently used Down loop, which was connected to the Down main. "b) There was access to and from P4 from the incline which was not available after power signalling was introduced. " Indeed, this was normally used as the Down Waterloo with Plat 3 being the usual Up Waterloo/Down Relief.There was also the now non exsistant Down Middle. "6) There was contradictory evidence as to whether trains proceeding north from Newton Abbot were worked by a shunt engine to and from Hackney Sidings or just propelled out." As others have stated,some were piloted,some propelled ! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 10:35 #117720 | |
bugsy
1766 posts |
Well done Vince. I look forward to playing this timetable I'm currently partway through the 4 day September 2014 tt and enjoying it immensely. I'm sure that your one will be most enjoyable too. Everything that you make will be useful - providing it's made of chocolate. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 15:12 #117732 | |
bossman
93 posts |
Yes I am as well, I love the "old timetables" so much more to do. Just downloaded it so I'll give it a go soon. Thank you Vince.
cliff cook Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 16:04 #117733 | |
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bugsy
1766 posts |
bossman in post 117732 said:Yes I am as well, I love the "old timetables" so much more to do. Just downloaded it so I'll give it a go soon. Thank you Vince.Hell's bells. That was made availble double quick! Just downloaded it. Must be patient though. Got to finish the current timetable first. Thanks Vince. Everything that you make will be useful - providing it's made of chocolate. Last edited: 19/04/2019 at 16:06 by bugsy Reason: None given Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 17:48 #117734 | |
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Phil-jmw
675 posts |
Thanks for this Vince. Up to 0320 Wed, plenty going on in the small hours to keep you busy, something very often missing in the modern era. I reckon this will be a belter as we go into the morning and it gets busier still. Regards, Phil. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 18:09 #117735 | |
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tufty
3 posts |
As much as I enjoyed the original '81 TT back in the day, this is shaping up to be an absolute belter. Good work, Vince. Cheers!!
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| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 19/04/2019 at 23:24 #117741 | |
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VInce
579 posts |
RainbowNines in post 117717 said:Once again your attention to detail just in the notes is astounding, Vince. I’m really looking forward to firing up Exeter and having a go!When I was Control Manager East my boss at EWS had a mantra which he kept repeating to me each time a somewhat knotty operating problem arose.. "The devil is in planning and the detail - don't plan to fail".. He wasn't wrong and each reunion we have he still reminds me of it! Vince I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me Log in to reply |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 20/04/2019 at 01:01 #117742 | |
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RainbowNines
272 posts |
VInce in post 117741 said:RainbowNines in post 117717 said:Pleased to report a similar dedication has been applied to the timetable! I'm up to 0400... There aren't huge numbers of movements, but they all keep you on your toes - not sure I've seen the same move twice so far!Once again your attention to detail just in the notes is astounding, Vince. I’m really looking forward to firing up Exeter and having a go!When I was Control Manager East my boss at EWS had a mantra which he kept repeating to me each time a somewhat knotty operating problem arose.. Great timetable - evokes visions of the real thing some 35-40 years ago, just like Pascal's Carlisle TT. Magic! Log in to reply |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 20/04/2019 at 01:13 #117743 | |
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VInce
579 posts |
RainbowNines in post 117742 said:VInce in post 117741 said:Yes, it has peaks and troughs but it is very busy most of the time during the day with movements requiring attention all over the sim. Over-night isn't the busiest but there's still enough to do to keep you occupied, I think.RainbowNines in post 117717 said:Pleased to report a similar dedication has been applied to the timetable! I'm up to 0400... There aren't huge numbers of movements, but they all keep you on your toes - not sure I've seen the same move twice so far!Once again your attention to detail just in the notes is astounding, Vince. I’m really looking forward to firing up Exeter and having a go!When I was Control Manager East my boss at EWS had a mantra which he kept repeating to me each time a somewhat knotty operating problem arose.. Monday is the quietest start but becomes the busiest day with all of the SAGA trains that ran on Mondays. Thursday is pretty hectic too. V I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me Log in to reply |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 20/04/2019 at 08:55 #117746 | |
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RainbowNines
272 posts |
Like Phil I’ve also landed on a Wednesday - I refuse to be lulled into a false sense of security as I know it’ll soon go a bit mad! It’s actually a good chance to reacquaint with Exeter again, and - because I hadn’t played Ed’s timetable - an opportunity to learn some of the routes you don’t see on a modern TT, which I know I’ll be grateful for later. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 - Hackney Yard trains entering early. 21/04/2019 at 17:24 #117781 | |
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VInce
579 posts |
Hi all, Many thanks for all of the nice comments - hope you are enjoying the TT. As if the notes weren't long enough, I've just thought of something I should have included. In the morning platforming at Newton Abbot is very tight. If you are running a disrupted timetable with delays and incidents, you will find that ECS/EDMU movements from Hackney Yard may enter VERY early without you having a choice to refuse - that is how it works at Hackney Sidings. Couple that with the issue that once a train has entered from Hackney Sidings then nothing else can be run into the sidings until the entered train has left means you can find yourself in all sorts of bother with platforming. The most critical are 5B05 06+40 ECS Hackney - Newton Abbot, 5B10 ECS 06+15 Laira - Newton Abbot (07+36 ex Hackney) and 5B15 08+36 ECS Hackney - Newton Abbot. I've just been running a disrupted timetable and found that 5B05 entered no less that 30 minutes early. I couldn't refuse it because of other trains in the station blocking platforms but I knew it would completely stop the job if I accepted it - which it did. If you find this irritating and you would like to make entry times from Hackney Yard a little more predictable than you can force an on-time entry (if all other entry rules are satisfied) by checking the "Enter On Time" box on the timetable editor for each of the trains shown above. Of course it would be a better solution if Peter could consider altering the entry conditions from Hackney so as the signaller has the option of refusing the train, telling the driver or shunter to wait 2, 5 or 10 minutes. Is that possible, Peter? Vince I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me Last edited: 21/04/2019 at 17:49 by VInce Reason: None given Log in to reply The following users said thank you: norman B, Jezalenko |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 29/04/2019 at 13:33 #117910 | |
lazzer
634 posts |
Just a quick question here ... "Trains for Fairwater PAD should enter the yard via the headshunt for realism, although either Fairwater Yard entrances can be used if required." What exactly do you mean by this? If I send a train into the headshunt, the only way to get it into the yard is to route it back the way it just came, behind E623, which seems a bit silly. Is that what you're saying should happen? Also, when you say "either yard entrance", surely there's only one (the grey arrow to the right of E628), or are you counting the one you can get to by routing a train from E628 to the grey arrow to the left? Or are you referring to something completely different? Log in to reply |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 29/04/2019 at 14:23 #117912 | |
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VInce
579 posts |
lazzer in post 117910 said:Just a quick question here ...One entrance, is, as you say just to the right of E628. The other is just to the right of E612 where the word "HEADSHUNT" is written which is the entrance to the PAD. See the attached image - 0Z00 is moving into the PAD through Fairwater Yard Headshunt. It is also an entry point for trains leaving the PAD and shunts in and out of the PAD. In the sim both are entrances to Fairwater Yard. If you are getting confused, the short stub just to the left of E625 is known as Fairwater West Headshunt Vince 
Post has attachments. Log in to view them. I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me Last edited: 29/04/2019 at 14:24 by VInce Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 29/04/2019 at 14:42 #117913 | |
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lazzer
634 posts |
VInce in post 117912 said:lazzer in post 117910 said:Thanks,Just a quick question here ...One entrance, is, as you say just to the right of E628. The other is just to the right of E612 where the word "HEADSHUNT" is written which is the entrance to the PAD. I can see where the confusion is now. I was assuming (reasonably, one could argue) that the headshunt is a dead end, and therefore a train going past E613 and into it would have to reverse to get anywhere. I didn't realise that it's also being used as a yard entrance in the sim. However, now I think about, given that I drive trains past Fairwater Yard on a very regular basis, I know exactly the area that trains entering the "headshunt" are going to, and it makes sense now. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 29/04/2019 at 15:09 #117914 | |
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VInce
579 posts |
Yes. I agree that headshunt would imply a dead end but not in this case. Dont know if this will work, but the last time I was in Fairwater Yard (must be 20 years ago now) beyond the word HEADSHUNT it looked like the attached image. There was a dead end, which was the headshunt and a road off it which lead to the PAD. Sorry for the amateurish attempt but my hands aren't too steady these days. Vince  Post has attachments. Log in to view them. I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me Log in to reply The following user said thank you: d233 |
| Exeter Summer 5-day - early 1980s Version 1.0 29/04/2019 at 15:13 #117916 | |
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lazzer
634 posts |
VInce in post 117914 said:Yes. I agree that headshunt would imply a dead end but not in this case.Well what you've drawn is very close what's left now. The line runs towards the station and splits into what I think is now just two dead-end roads running parallel to the old west end bay platform road. Obviously the connection "round the back" to the old east-end yard is long gone and is now a development of new flats and roads. They have, however, cleared away lots of vegetation there, so you can see old platform faces that weren't visible about three years ago. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: VInce |