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| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 17/06/2022 at 20:02 #146867 | |
DaveHarries
1285 posts |
Those new mock-ups look good. Nice one. Dave Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 19/06/2022 at 05:31 #146878 | |
andyallen4014
371 posts |
elltrain3 in post 146820 said:Should be Hemel Hempstead,not "Hampstead". User | Multiplayer Host | Timetable Writer Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 19/06/2022 at 11:57 #146879 | |
elltrain3
369 posts |
Yep! Thanks Andy! I'll get that changed
Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 27/06/2022 at 13:05 #146995 | |
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elltrain3
369 posts |
Hello All! Time for another Mock, and today we head back to the Eastern Region To Cover the remaining portion of the ECML Between Morpeth and Berwick. We Start as usual at the London (Left) end, where we see the TD for Tyneside IECC, the first box we come to is Newsham South (Plated 'N'.), The box here contains 20 Levers and is the start of the 'Blythe and Tyne' a small section of railway avoiding Morpeth and the busy ECML, often used by freight to avoid it clogging up the busy ECML. The box has 1 remaining distant and a simple layout, the D.C.E. Siding was taken out of use some time back, though is left in as it's the only change the layout's seen in a fair while. The Lever Frames also make a comeback here, as the small-ish nature of the boxes can warrant them! The box works AB to Bedlington South. Back on the Mainline we now pass over to Morpeth PSB, and we see the continued Bi-Di working which stays with us for the full length of the sim. Morpeth (Plated 'M'.) Opened in 1978 replacing the original box. and although small the crossings and traffic make it a very interesting box to operate, after we see the slotting with Tyneside for bi-di running we reach Morpeth itself where the other end of the B&T Joins back into the Mainline via a triangle. there is also a Reversing siding and plenty of sidings. We pass North CCTV Crossing where the layout is now 4-tracks with all but the Up-Loop being Bi-Di. At North Jn is where most freight leaves/joins the mainline from the B&T. Jumping over to cover the B&T Boxes First is Bedlington South (Plated 'BS'.) and it opened with the B&T, it contains a sizeable 41 levers, though all the sidings and crossovers are largely out of use. The crossing is the main reason for the box's survival. It Works AB both ways. Next is Bedlington North (Plated 'BN'.) Which opened in 1912 with 63 levers, the biggest on the B&T though only 17 are in use. Here the B&T continues towards Morpeth via a single line with direction levers. The 'Branch' then continues towards the various industries in the area. West Sleekburn Jn closed in 1973 and was absorbed remotely by Bedlington north, though AB was retained to both boxes unusually. Winning (Plated 'WG'.) was another original 1895 cabin with a small 12 lever frame, for the simple 2-way Jn worked though AB it is also 1 of 2 boxes in the area to retain a worked distant (1), the other being Newsham South 14. the box here doesn't see too much regular traffic. Next is Freemans (Plated 'F'.), opened in 1956 by the LNER to control the extensive dock railways. though nowadays long gone is the lever frame, a small IFS Panel now suffices. Simply protecting the crossing and AB section to Winning. The line to the docks is worked through an annets key, which releases the 2 in-section ground frames. The box on a weekday in 2022 sees 9 trains a day between 0800 and 2100 so far from busy, but a vital freight route despite its small nature. The Final Box is Marcheys's House (Plates 'MH'.) which opened with most in the area in 1895, and it is fitted with 15 levers. it works the 3rd (little used) corner of the triangle and also works the section through to Ashington, though has 2 in section gate boxes at North Seaton (Became GB In 1971 Plated 'NS'), and Hirst Lane. Until 2010 there was a box at Ashington Jn (beyond Hirst Lane) which controlled the junction to Ulgham (Morpeth 1 Panel), though it was closed after general dereliction and lack of use. the line now being worked by hand-points. Back on the ECML we now pass Ulgham Jn where the aforementioned line to Ashington Jn re-joins, before passing Felton sdgs, made for the opencast colliery though now mostly OOU. we then reach Chevington Loops where Morpeth's control ends hence all the slotting for Bi-Di moves. Morpeth as a box supervises 8 CCTV crossings. Now we pass to Alnmouth, (Plated 'AH' Till 1977, then Just 'A'.), which has to be one of the oldest boxes still open on the ECML, opening in 1905 as Alnouth North, becoming Plain Alnmouth in 1957 when all the surrounding boxes closed and North became the sole box here. The box only has 1 main point of interest and that's Wooden Gate Loops. Though the box does have 8 CCTV Crossings to raise and lower for every train! The next and final box is Tweedmouth (Plated 'TW'.) Which opened in 1961, replacing the sole remaining box at Tweedmouth South. The box is also fairly old and has a similar layout to that of Alnmouth, with just 1 main set of loops at Belford marking the border of BiDi working between the 2 boxes. The box also has Tweedmouth Yard and the former extensive layout at Berwick to oversee. The 2 signals at the Scottish end of Berwick also mark the end of Bi-Di working, as it goes back to Uni-Directional working for passage onto Edinburgh IECC/SCC. Tweedmouth has a total of 8 CCTV crossings to oversee plus a gated crossing at Spital, which if I recall is only 1 of 2 left on the ECML, the 2nd being at Woodcroft in Peterborough. It's also worth noting the code of 'T' was used when the box opened in 1961, though was amended to 'TW' in 1990 with the opening of Tyneside IECC which also became 'T' this must have been very confusing in the period when both boxes bore 'T' The use of Auto's over all the crossings is something new to me after making this, presumably, this is so if multiple trains are going to pass one after another you can keep the auto-raise on but just enable the auto on the signal to stop the barriers raising? If anyone knows why this is done I'd love to know! The area is to see some major changes in the upcoming future, with the B&T being warranted as a line to be re-opened for passengers meaning we'll lose Newsham South, Marcheys House and the Bedlington Boxes, though I belive Bedlington South is to be retained as a gate box due to the complex nature of the crossing. the code for the new area is 'BA' - Benton - Ashington, though Winning and Freemans will remain unaffected. The rest of the route, through Morpeth, Alnmouth and Tweedmouth has no date for such changes, and Morpeth is reputed to survive as one of the last 'signal boxes' left on NR though whether this happens is anyone's guess! Enjoy and as always any tweaks I'll get changed! 
Post has attachments. Log in to view them. Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Last edited: 27/06/2022 at 13:08 by elltrain3 Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 27/06/2022 at 15:54 #146998 | |
postal
5264 posts 
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elltrain3 in post 146995 said:Next is Freemans (Plated 'F'.), opened in 1956 by the LNER to control the extensive dock railways. though nowadays long gone is the lever frame, a small IFS Panel now suffices. Simply protecting the crossing and AB section to Winning. The line to the docks is worked through an annets key, which releases the 2 in-section ground frames. The box on a weekday in 2022 sees 9 trains a day between 0800 and 2100 so far from busy, but a vital freight route despite its small nature.What's is in the TT and what actually runs are two different animals. I visited all of the B&T boxes one day in August 2019 and there was not one train booked all day. Talking to the signallers a couple of trains a day was about the norm. Of course this will all change with the addition of a half-hourly passenger service (hourly in the evening). The line from Ashington through Ulgham (pronounced Uffam) has now been partially lifted. The line ran to the Butterwell Opencast site then back to the ECML at Butterwell Jn. This was LN698 in the SA which has now been deleted and AFAIK is plain lined at the Ashington end. Google Earth and Open Street Map show the line as lifted from Ashington to the A1068 LC. The signals over the LCs on the ECML are normally left with the auto enabled so that the LCs drop when a train reaches the strike-in after which a bell or buzzer rings in the box and the signaller can check the CCTV. If OK (s)he presses the Crossing Clear button and the signalling automatically does the rest, followed by the auto raise or delayed raise if a train in the opposite direction is too close to its strike in point to allow a raise and drop to take place. Leads to a lengthy delay to road traffic at Wooden Gates when the barriers drop for Up trains booked to stop at Alnwick but it is not a busy crossing so I don't think they get many complaints. Finally, I have it in the back of my mind that all of the three ECML boxes (Tweedmouth, Alnmouth and Morpeth) were originally planned to go into Tyneside IECC when it opened in the early 1990s and space was left for the workstations. However, there would have been no staff savings as the number of LCs were up to the limit for IECC workstations so it would still have required three workstation operators. It was finally decided to leave things alone. Possibly a pragmatic rather then bean-counting decision at the end of the day.. @GeoffM may know a bit more about that from his professional work at the IECC. “In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe Last edited: 27/06/2022 at 16:58 by postal Reason: None given Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 27/06/2022 at 19:58 #147004 | |
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postal
5264 posts
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elltrain3 in post 146995 said:Tweedmouth has a total of 8 CCTV crossings to oversee plus a gated crossing at Spital, which if I recall is only 1 of 2 left on the ECML, the 2nd being at Woodcroft in Peterborough.For the record, Spittal is a small gate box (similar Portakabin style to Hirst Gate Box at Ashington). This is manned 24/7 and 364 days a year which makes it an expensive operation to run for a limited number of vehicles wishing to use the crossing. “In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 27/06/2022 at 20:49 #147005 | |
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elltrain3
369 posts |
postal in post 146998 said:elltrain3 in post 146995 said:Next is Freemans (Plated 'F'.), opened in 1956 by the LNER to control the extensive dock railways. though nowadays long gone is the lever frame, a small IFS Panel now suffices. Simply protecting the crossing and AB section to Winning. The line to the docks is worked through an annets key, which releases the 2 in-section ground frames. The box on a weekday in 2022 sees 9 trains a day between 0800 and 2100 so far from busy, but a vital freight route despite its small nature.What's is in the TT and what actually runs are two different animals. I visited all of the B&T boxes one day in August 2019 and there was not one train booked all day. Talking to the signallers a couple of trains a day was about the norm. Of course this will all change with the addition of a half-hourly passenger service (hourly in the evening). Must be quite a lonely day for Freemans and Winning then! But at least they are open and the space is there for traffic! and so they have an "auto-lower" function in effect and just require the signaller to check if it's clear, smart I guess as it saves the time of the signaller manually having to lower and raise the barriers and keep an eye on all 8 crossings. ah, that's make sense, but yeah as you say the staff savings would be minimal so leaving those 3 was the simplest option! and with Spittal (I missed the 2nd T on the first post!) I presume that like Crabley Creek there is some sort of land deed with a farmer etc that prevents it from being replaced? Or was it just a case of keeping it due to lack of funds? nowadays it's quite a rarity to have a manned gated crossing on a core Main Line with high speeds, especially on all days of the year too. Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Last edited: 27/06/2022 at 20:50 by elltrain3 Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 27/06/2022 at 23:50 #147009 | |
0D07
91 posts |
Evening, Nice mock up there Freemans was opened by BR NE in 1956 and not the LNER! Some very interesting methods of operation be nice to see a version that has Cambios TMD and WRD Along with Blyth 'A' & 'B' Power Stations. I sincerely the "Developers" give this mock up some serious thought and that if they have the layout so that you can run B&T and coal traffic mixed with regulating on the ECML. Regarding the area being controlled by Tyneside IECC I understand that it was the original plan to do this but the remodeling of Newcastle Central and issues with track circuit relays and various other cables and relays required blew the budget and it given that as stated there would be no real saving staff wise it was decided to Keep Tweedmouth, Alnmouth and Morpeth with a view to them eventually going into Tyneside IECC, like many other plans such as Doncaster PSB assuming control of the line to Selby and Gilberdyke, York IECC under the Leeds 1st Project to assume control of Gascogine Wood and Milford and Ulceby Jn should have assumed control of Brocklesby and Roxton Sidings in 1997 the funds and the budget being not being costed correctly prevented such things. Zero Delta Zero Seven Log in to reply The following users said thank you: postal, elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 02/07/2022 at 13:57 #147104 | |
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elltrain3
369 posts |
Hello all! Time for another mock, and this one has been a long time in the making (2 years!) Its time for Middlesborough! This sim is really my conclusion to the NE sims aside from re-makes, so we're going out with a large and complex one. The sim covers the line from Tees through Middlesborough to Saltburn, Crag Hall and the Esk Valley Line to Whitby Compromising 16 boxes in the biggest era. 3 era's are made, 1980-1982 showing the 'dying' days prior to major rationalisation Then we hop forward to 2014 - 2021 when little has changed after the rationalisation but the NYMR make an appearance then finally 2022 - present, with the latest changes when York ROC expanded its area of control. Starting with the 80s and going through the Panels. Tees Yard (Plated "TY".) Starting off we see easily the largest panel at Tees Opened in 1962, Once the beating heart of a maze of railways in this area. The Yard was re-built in the 1950s by BR and a new TMD was added at Thornaby so subsequently to handle the increase in rail traffic a new signal box was opened in 1962. The yard was an impressive sight to behold in it's heyday and dealt with plenty of Coal, Steel, Iron and Dock traffic that served the area. However, the era we see it here was the final hurrah for the yard as in 1980 Consett Steel Works closed and many other industries either were rationalised and closed or switched to road transport, in addition, Teesport a little way downstream became the main place for exports making Middlesborough docks and Tees Yard redundant so from 1985 was slowly wound down to little more than a small good yard. Though the layout here is complex with the main lines, and plenty of shutting the complex movements to handle the box would never be boring! Next is Middlesborough (Plated "MW" and Latterly "M".) Middlesborough West to give the box its original name opened in 1877 by the NER to control the west end of the station. in the 1960s East box closed and the box became plain Middlesborough and signals re-plated "M" a little later in 1978 a new IFS Panel was installed to control the remaining layout and TCB (with bells for train descriptions) was installed to Tees Prior to 1980 the box also worked AB to Guisborough Jn though after the box there was burnt out in 1980 it was replaced by a temporary structure which controlled the passenger lines only, Middlesborough taking over the goods lines to Whitehouse. Next, is Guisborough Jn (Plated "G".) opened with Middlesborough in 1877 to control a connection between the main and goods lines, as well as the junction to Nunthorpe, in June 1980 the box was burnt out and a temporary structure was installed adjacent to the down goods which had 10 levers to control the now basic layout. The temporary box closed in 1982 with Middlesborough taking control. Next is Whitehouse (Plated "W".) which opened in 1874 by the NER and by the 80s was a basic affair simply working the 4 tracks from Middlesborough into 2 tracks towards Grangetown. though a few private sidings survived. the 4 tracks originally would have gone right through here showing how busy the area once was. The line was dropped to 2 tracks in 1982 though due to a lack of evidence I wasn't able to include it. The B.S.C. Coke's works line was the remains of the Down Goods. Next is Grangetown (Plated "G".) Opened in 1954 by the LNER to their Type 15 the box here originally was known as Grangetown Junction though by 1974 had absorbed all the surrounding boxes, and was responsible for the bulk of the freight operations in the area, another busy box that also handles the passenger traffic flying through. we pass through one of the UK's least used stations at British Steel Redcar and arrive in Redcar (Central)(Plated "R".) the box here dates from 1937 to the LNER Type 13 design. The IFS Panel was added in 1970 in conjunction with the rationalisation of the area by BR, though the gates were replaced by Prototype 'Sliding Barriers' due to insufficient room for conventional ones, The box has a simple layout. 2 Crossings, a DGL, Bi-Di Platform and AB section to Longbeck. Next is Longbeck (Plated "L".) which opened in 1932 also by the LNER. The box was a small block post with 10 levers, supervising the crossing and the AB section to Redcar, though changes were afoot, as in 1970 Saltburn Station and Saltburn West Jn closed and to save costs a new IFS panel was installed in Longbeck to control the area making the box rather cramped! In 1980 BR decided to replace the 10 lever frame with 4 IFS Switches for signals 5,6,7 and 8. In addition, the section to Crag Hall was a single line and OTW worked by this stage, but when the area was re-controlled to Longbeck, Tokenless block was introduced between the 2 boxes. The area we see is that layout, with just 2 platforms left in Saltburn plus the Jubilee sidings for the occasional run-round move that visited the seaside resort. Finally is Crag Hall (Plated "CH".) The box here opened in 1878 with the line (making it the oldest so far), though it closed in the 1960s when traffic to the mines and collieries in the area closed. Though in 1970 Boulby Mine re-opened and Crag Hall...Reopened!!, working Tokenless Block to Longbeck and OTS to Boulby Mine. The box has 30 levers and very little traffic but is still opened when trains run to the mine. Now we hop back to Middlesborough and cover the Esk Valley North Ormesby (Plated "N".) Which opened in 1877, and simply survived in this era to operate the busy crossing. Next, is Nunthorpe (Also Plated "N".) opened in 1902 by the NER and is a listed building. It works the start of the single line to Battersby, and where we transition to Tokens. Battersby (Plated "B".) Also Opened in 1902 by the NER and was part of a 3-way Junction, to which 2 sides survive, the 3rd side (which headed left) which linked up with the Northallerton - Stockton Line at Picton, though this closed in the 60s with Beeching. Signalling wise the box retained 2 platforms and a loop, with tokens applying both ways. Next Castleton (Moor), the 'moor' added in 1965, opened with the line and was a simple passing loop. Glaisdale (Plated "G".) opened with the line and was a simple passing loop though retained a small siding for goods traffic. Next Sleights, which also opened with the line and was where the line now re-doubled for the final section. the single track was the result of BR Rationalisation in the 70s. Now we finally reach the town of Whitby, and the first box is Bog Hall, the box here was the place where most goods, fish and other non-passenger traffic left the mainline and headed for the docks and sidings, by 1980 these were mostly OOU though the odd train still used them. This was also the former junction to Whitby Westcliffe, where the line from Scarborough - Boulby (the line we left at Crag Hall Earlier^) passed over our line. Finally is Whitby Town. The small box (or 'cabin' to use the NER Terminaolgy) only survived to control the station area and remaining traffic. Once a busy box with summer holiday specials now by the 1980s just a small DMU terminus with the odd loco Hauled railtour visiting. So Now to pass a few years to 2014... so 34 years later, Tees has now largely closed, The Down Yard is now mostly lifted and overgrown, though the Down Staging sdgs and Up Yard remain open..and busy! Even the 42 staging sidings are 'useable' Freight traffic is not as good as it was but steel traffic and some small amounts of coal traffic still operate through the yard. Thornaby TMD didn't do as well, the TMD closed to all traffic in 2008 and was demolished in 2011, the site is mostly used for damaged wagon storage. The 'Disused' sections of the yard have been re-developed as a 42-acre nature reserve! The rest of the yard is destined for the same fate once traffic declines to such an extent. A sad tale really, a once-thriving industrial heartland and Yard built for masses of traffic in the 50s now being (quite literally) re-claimed by and for Nature, Ironic really... Back onto the Mainline we now see the full layout at Middlesborough and it's the sole box in the area, the line to Nunthirpe has been singled and a new CCTV crossing at Cargo Fleet Road installed. The Crossing at North Ormesby was replaced by a fly-over and no trace of the box or crossing now survives. The Esk valley was ravaged in the 80s, in 1985 Whitby, Bog Hall, Sleights, and Castleton Moor were closed and the line was made single between Glaisdale and Whitby with 2 sidings retained at Bog Hall for Run-Rounds. Glaisdale and Battersby Limped on till 1989, with the line now struggling to stay open and profitable. Eventually in 1989 Battersby and Gaisdale closed, and Nunthorpe took over the full line using the NSKT (No Signaller Token Remote) System, meaning Nunthorpe overseas the line but the Guard of the train operates the token machines under Nunthorpe's authority. In 2007 the NYMR managed to gain a connection to NR at Grosmont re-linking the line for the first time in 42 years the NYMR could now run trains over the Grosmont - Whitby Section, as a result, Platform 2 was re-built at Whitby and the centre run-round loop added back! the other boxes saw no change in this era The Most Modern era Only affects the 3 leftmost boxes. In 2021 The Boxes at Middlesborough and Whitehouse were closed and layouts re-signalled though as can be seen very little actually changed The line now comes under the York ROC "DS" (Darlington - Saltburn) and "MW" (Middlesborough - Whitby) sections, showing how all the boxes in this sim (bar Crag Hall) can see their fate approaching as York Roc slowly Absorbes. Both boxes were demolished almost ending 147 Years of mechanical signalling In Middlesbrough, though Thankfully Nunthorpe Survived and its listed status means it'll survive for a little while yet. Tees Yard box (somehow) survived the resignalling, though not in its entirety. the 'Main' lines were re-controlled but the box was retained to control the Goods and Yards ONLY, so now it's even quieter than before but hey at least it survived! Meaning once York ROC absorbs everything it plans too, Crag Hall (the oldest box surviving) will also remain as the only box in the area to survive! Another large (and exhausting) mock to make, I'll get any errors (as I'm sure there are plenty xD) fixed ASAP!   
Post has attachments. Log in to view them. Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Last edited: 02/07/2022 at 13:59 by elltrain3 Reason: None given Log in to reply The following users said thank you: jc92, DaveHarries, mask44 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 02/07/2022 at 20:58 #147110 | |
jc92
3685 posts |
amazing work! tees is certainly an area I'm looking forwards to as and when its done. While the yard is a shadow of itself, it still remains very busy throughout the day with trains recessing, wagon maintenance and loco fuel and inspection. The other main freight flows not mentioned are the Container flows to/from Tees Dock, and the Knowsley - Wilton Binliners. I'm not sure about it historically, but Crag Hall is reasonably busy with Potash traffic nowadays with about 4-5 round trips a day on average plus the Daily Tees - Skinningrove tripper. "We don't stop camborne wednesdays" Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 02/07/2022 at 22:26 #147111 | |
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DaveHarries
1285 posts |
Great work Ell. Not sure where you get your diagrams from but you clearly have access to a good source for them. Dave Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 02/07/2022 at 22:48 #147113 | |
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elltrain3
369 posts |
DaveHarries in post 147111 said:Great work Ell. Not sure where you get your diagrams from but you clearly have access to a good source for them.Mainly Signalling.Photo's for the 'modern' ones, the older ones are a mix of SRS, Signalbox.org, and ebay/social media photo's, plus various websites and odd personal sources. though they often require a lot of hard work to track down! This one was even trickier as I needed signal and point/FPL numbers as well as the layouts! But they make the mock look more detailed with signal numbers and frames added. Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Last edited: 02/07/2022 at 22:50 by elltrain3 Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 01/08/2022 at 21:16 #147433 | |
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TUT
532 posts |
Ron_J in post 146454 said:3) Nairn went onto a (very small) WestCAD workstation rather than a panel when the East & West boxes were abolished.Proof, if proof were needed: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31115621@N04/15994562023/in/album-72157646735642062/ Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 02/08/2022 at 18:04 #147447 | |
GeoffM
6376 posts |
TUT in post 147433 said:Ron_J in post 146454 said:With an indestructible mouse. Quite why it needed such a thing, I don't know, but when it was shown to me at Westinghouse Signals 22 (?) years ago, it was not terribly user friendly given the effort required to use it.3) Nairn went onto a (very small) WestCAD workstation rather than a panel when the East & West boxes were abolished.Proof, if proof were needed: SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 02/08/2022 at 19:42 #147451 | |
Edgemaster
332 posts |
TUT in post 147433 said:Ron_J in post 146454 said:Also notable as the first mainline use of a Westrace interlocking.3) Nairn went onto a (very small) WestCAD workstation rather than a panel when the East & West boxes were abolished.Proof, if proof were needed: Last edited: 02/08/2022 at 19:42 by Edgemaster Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 05/08/2022 at 14:07 #147478 | |
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elltrain3
369 posts |
Hello all! Summer is a busy time, and I've been away camping for 2 weeks and am off again next week! So in the meantime, I have another mock! This time it's a mock of an existing sim...Cambridge! The sim was an exe until they were withdrawn, and will eventually be on the loader following Euston and Sheffield..hoorah! But while we wait I've made a mock of the 3 major era changes the PSB has seen. Cambridge PSB Opened In October 1982 replacing a large number of boxes. It covered the area from Elsneham and Foxton right through to Ely. The 1st Panel is the south Panel (or 'A' panel) this sees no (major!) changes in all 3 era's as the layout just hasn't changed! The only change to occur was in 2022 when Kings Cross PSB closed and York ROC became the fringe. the 2nd Panel is the Station Panel (or 'B'.) and is by far the most hectic! 1990 - From the opening only 1 through platform was retained ableit split in 2 and the presence of goods lines gives a hint as to the core traffic flow through the area, the mass amount of sidings space and Coldham TMD make this panel a good challenge in the peaks. The Panel also overseas Chesteron Jn, and the largely OOU St Ives branch. 2012 - From 2011 the station had an intensive re-model and the upturn in passenger traffic warranted 2 new platforms numbered 7 and 8 replacing the by then little used goods lines, little else changed. Finally, in 2018 - in the modern era the layout WE control changed little, but the sidings and yard were extensively rebuilt with Thameslink and GN upping their service frequency to/from London, and all the sidings were also re-numbered, Re-layed and electrified. Cambridge North station also opened on the site of Chesteron Jn meaning the yard and signalling there was rationalised and simplified meaning the panel was even busier than before! The Ely/North Panel: The final panel is the quietest but equally good fun! seeing the flexible layout at Ely plus the Chippenham (Bury) lines joining. We traverse the impressive 3-way Ely North jn where we see the 3 fringe boxes, Manea (Originally Chettisham before it's closure in the 80s), Littleport and Shippea Hill showing the extent of the PSB's "Money" though in 2012 The Ely - Norwich line was re-signalled to Cambridge "EN" (Ely - Norwich) Workstation and Cambridge PSB now fringed with the SCC through slotting which we see from 2012 onwards the other 2 fringes (Littleport & Manea) are unchanged, and although the Ely - Peterborough section is proposed for ERTMS there is no sign of a change as of yet. the final 4 mechanical boxes, are added as they seemed too small for their own sim! Bury St Edmunds is a simple 'pull off straight through' box though has the biggest layout and fringes with the GEML at Stowmarket Kennet (closed 2011) was another VERY simple box, simply retained to split the long block section, it also worked the GF for the stone terminal. Finally Chippenham Jn, a tiny box and one retained following Kennett's closure it works tokenless block to Dullingham Dullingham, a simple passing loop with Gates and tokenless block! Post-2011 Bury absorbed Kennett's area through automatic signals and a switch for the GF, the TCB introduced between Bury and Chippenham ending AB in the area, making the only 'block' working left being the tokenless block to Dullingham! So just a quick one as I had the Data but good to see what a future Cambridge might look like! (also noticed I forgot to add Soham station in! Oops I'll get that added!) Enjoy! :D   
Post has attachments. Log in to view them. Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Last edited: 05/08/2022 at 14:15 by elltrain3 Reason: the 4 smaller boxes and Soham Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 06/08/2022 at 09:07 #147487 | |
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kbarber
1742 posts |
Good stuff Ell, as always! Couple of notes. elltrain3 in post 147478 said:
Not quite. Stansted Mountfitchet was on Cambridge until the Stansted Airport branch opened, when Stortford gained an extension to its hybrid panel. That will have been somewhere around 1990 - 91, I would think (the works were under way when I left Broxbourne in '89). Unfortunately I never got a look in Stortford box after the changes so I don't know whether Stansted was incorporated in the old (1960-ish) panel or given an entirely separate panel of its own. elltrain3 in post 147478 said: A friend who was responsible for such things tells me that Kennet had a set of SBSIs that read simply: 'The absolute block regulations are in use between this box and Dullingham and this box and Bury St Edmunds.' Nothing else at all. Perhaps the only box left on the National system to have such instructions. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 06/08/2022 at 09:16 #147488 | |
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elltrain3
369 posts |
kbarber in post 147487 said:Good stuff Ell, as always!Thanks! and ah okay, so the boundary changed a little but good to know! and yeah Nice box Kennett ableit as you say one of the simplest boxes out there! It was basically equivalent to a summer Saturday only style box just open all year, the last of it's kind :( At least the box has been saved! Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 06/08/2022 at 10:28 #147489 | |
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bill_gensheet
1413 posts |
elltrain3 in post 147488 said:[quote=kbarber;post=147487]Good stuff Ell, as always!Auchterarder and Greenloaning run it close, at least on day to day function. I think the loops are gone now and Auchterarder just has a trailing crossover. Greenloaning now open daily, not sure how many shifts / Sunday. Bill Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 06/08/2022 at 11:58 #147490 | |
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clive
2789 posts |
kbarber in post 147487 said:Kennet to Dullingham? Really? Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 06/08/2022 at 22:45 #147493 | |
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Entimix
16 posts |
One note I'd add is that by the 2010s I'm pretty sure the St. Ives branch from Chesterton Jn had been lifted and replaced by the guided busway - though amusingly some of the old level crossing warning road signs were still left up for several years! Unrelatedly, I once interviewed for Dullingham SB. Didn't work out, though. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 07/08/2022 at 13:42 #147497 | |
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kbarber
1742 posts |
clive in post 147490 said:kbarber in post 147487 said:Sorry, Chippenham. Must've been half asleep. (Who said as usual? :-) )Kennet to Dullingham? Really? Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 07/08/2022 at 18:35 #147501 | |
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DaveHarries
1285 posts |
kbarber in post 147497 said:clive in post 147490 said:kbarber in post 147487 said:Sorry, Chippenham. Must've been half asleep. (Who said as usual? :-) )Kennet to Dullingham? Really? Kennet closed (officially) 25-Mar-2012 and is now preserved. I managed to photo it shortly before closure. I believe the boxes at Cambridge Jcn and Dullingham are planned to follow suit fairly soon although I don't have a date for those. Dave Log in to reply |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 20/08/2022 at 16:36 #147637 | |
Tempest Malice
122 posts |
elltrain3 in post 146453 said:Another correction you might want to know about Ell ((or at least so the historical record about things can be kept right), the section from Keith to Inverness highland workstation is still worked by Scottish region tokenless block (albeit with an axle counter provided on the section to allow the workstation to give line clear without being able to physically see trains complete at the Elgin end). Log in to reply The following user said thank you: elltrain3 |
| A little Mock-SimSig Fun! 07/09/2022 at 18:24 #147866 | |
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elltrain3
369 posts |
Hello All, after a long and busy summer I'm returning with another Mock that's been a few years in the Making, and for my mocks (and released sims) at least, completes the WCML from London - Glasgow...It's time for Preston PSB! Opened in 1972, My mock has 5 Era's (though only 4 are modelled due to lack of data) 1994 - 2013 This is the oldest era I've made and shows the full layout from Hebden Bridge and Todmorden through to the fringe to Blackpool, the lines to Morecombe, Heysham, Carnforth and Oxenholme from between those 2 dates. The only change from the original opening is the removal of the goods loop at Accrington. 2013 - 2017 Now we move forward and things start to change, first, the 1907 box at Smithy Bridge, 1889 box at Rochdale and 1879 box at Blackrod Jn all closed the fringes changing to Rochdale West (TH), and Manchester Piccadilly SCC (MP) Respectively Bare Lane and Hest Bank boxes also closed, and the area transferred to the control of Preston PSB (PN) though a new level crossing Panel was installed to oversee (and slot) the 3 crossings in the area. 2017 - 2019 This era sees most of the change at the other end of the sim, though the Blackpool boxes (Salwick, Kirkham, Poulton No3, Carleton and Blackpool North No2) all closed in 2017, Manchester ROC Taking over control (BL) and the line was electrified too. The other changes happen on Panel A...The first significant change was the Todmorden Curve which was removed in 1972 when Preston PSB opened but in 2015 the line was re-laid and re-opened! as part of the 'upgrade', the 2 smaller crossing boxes at Brierfield (BD) and Huncoat (No Code) were closed (and demolished) and replaced by MCB-OD Crossings. (although the Todmorden curve opened in 2015 I've only added it from here onwards as it otherwise I'd have a gap 2015 - 2017!) 2019 - Present The final era is from 2019 onwards, and the major change (other than Hebden bridge closing and Mcr ROC becoming the new fringe) was the 'Bolton Corridor Electricaftion' which was a scheme to re-signal, electrify and speed up the route from Manchester To Preston Via Chorley. The changes to Preston PSB was very minimal a few extra banner repeaters and signals were added and Buckshaw parkway gained a turn-back facility to replace the previous EGF that existed. Euxton Jn was upgraded to a highspeed one and the entire line was electrified! Manchester Piccadilly SCC also lost the Windsor Bridge Panels to the ROC, though signals remain plated 'MP' the mock also includes 2 more boxes, Midge Hall (MH) & Rufford (RD) which are a simple affair but I've included them as they wouldn't work on their own sim! well then, this is another BIG sim and any error's I'll get corrected but hopefully, I've done some proper proof checking and not got many!   
Post has attachments. Log in to view them. Resident Mock Maker! / "The Out Of Control Host" Last edited: 07/09/2022 at 18:27 by elltrain3 Reason: None given Log in to reply |
