Birmingham New St

North Panel

Soho Depot

Arriving Trains

Trains arriving from Birmingham New Street should be signalled from NS312 at Soho South Junction to signal SB1. When the depot is clear to enter, signal the train into the reversing siding and then back into the depot.

Trains arriving from Soho East Junction will need to be signalled to signal NS333 before reversing via the Down Through Siding and into the depot. Ensure that no train has been signalled out of the depot and on to the Down Through Siding as there are no track circuit indications to show this!

Departing Trains

The depot shunter will telephone you when a train is ready to depart from signal NS318. In the 2000s era, and where the train is due to go via Soho East Junction, the train will need to be signalled via the Down Through Siding and down to signal NS333.

In the 1970s era trains may use the reversing siding to get to New Street if timetabled that way. When the train has reversed in the siding, route can be set from signal NS319 to NS310 and then signalled as per normal into New Street.

When going via the Down Through Siding to New Street, set route from NS328 to NS310 first, then from NS331 to NS328. This is good practice as the train will have a cleared route right up to a main signal rather than risk overshooting a shunt signal.

Similarly, going towards Soho East Junction involves setting from NS328 to NS317, and then from NS331 to NS328.

In all cases, there are no TD berths on the depot lines. The first location that can be interposed in each direction is as follows:

New Street: NS310
Soho East Jn: NS317
Galton Jn: NS339

Soho Goods

(Only available in the 1970s era).

This single track line operates on a "one train in section" principle. A train entering the line will first take the train staff out of the instrument cabinet and keep it with him/her whilst on the line. When the staff has been taken out, the indicator on screen will show this fact by showing a solid white roundel. When the train returns off the single line, the staff will be replaced in the cabinet and the indicator will no longer light. When the indicator is lit it is not possible to signal a train onto the line.

Galton Jn

The overlap of signal 342 extends over Galton Jn. Similarly, the overlap of SJ21 fouls Smethwick Jn, on the line to Rowley Regis. Therefore, the New St and Stourbridge Jn signallers must request permission to route a train towards each other.

Trains to Rowley Regis

Request the slot towards Rowley Regis; when it has been granted, you may set the route as usual.

Trains from Rowley Regis

When a train is approaching, the 'Up Stourbridge Advance Slot Request' will flash. Grant the slot by setting a route from SJ20 to 342. When the track circuit approaching SJ20 is shown as occupied, cancelling the slot will result in an adverse change of aspect for the approaching train.

Gulf Oil Siding

There is no route from 351 on the Down Stour to the siding; trains from Smethwick to Gulf Oil must perform a double reverse at signals 363 and 361.

Dudley Port

Wolverhampton can route trains into either the Goods Loop or via the main line. Depending on the route set by Wolverhampton, either the Goods loop track will light, or the main line track will light when the train passes the last green signal before either signals NS366 or NS367. The approach TD berth will show the approaching train whatever the route.

Hamstead

The approach berth will indicate a train two signal sections before stepping into the TD berth at Hamstead. The approach track at Hamstead will light when a train has passed the last green signal before NS272 signal. This means that when this track is lit, a train will receive an adverse change of aspect if signal 272 is cancelled if it has already cleared to a proceed aspect.

Lever Frames

All lever frames under the control of New Street have a release timer of between 120 and 180 seconds (2-3 minutes). Release the frame using the F circle as usual, but the release lever cannot be pulled until that timer expires.

New Street Contents

Last edited by GeoffM on 26/09/2022 at 16:56