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Peterborough

Official Files

Title	Version	Released
Simulation (Donationware)	4.7.0.4	05/07/2021
Peterborough Summer 2003	1.0	22/03/2018
15/10/2009 WTT (Midnight and 0445 starts included)	5.1	19/07/2021

Additional user-written timetables are available to download here .

Introduction

Continuing on from the ever-popular King's Cross, Peterborough completes the next 60 miles of line. As you would expect, Peterborough is fully compatible with King's Cross, allowing over 100 miles of the East Coast Main Line to be directly controlled simultaneously!

But Peterborough is also great as a standalone simulation. Expresses from London to Leeds, York, and points north; local Spalding services which terminate and originate at Peterborough; through trains from Leicester to Cambridge; semi-fasts from London to Peterborough; and several freights. This is an ideal introduction to larger simulations- there are no unusual procedures, and ARS can be used to adjust your workload.

Timings are tight through the area, meaning that showing an up express running at 125mph a yellow aspect will cause several minutes of delay! Which, of course, then impacts on King's Cross...

Peterborough features Automatic Route Setting (ARS) for all the main line routes. This can, of course, be turned off at will on a per-area or per-train basis. This is especially useful for there are twelve level crossings to deal with as well!

Start-Up Options

Scenarios

Normal

No special scenario

Bad Weather

Poor weather conditions are affecting the area; trains will be slower to accelerate and will be braking earlier.

Fast lines closed

The Fast lines are closed between Hitchin and Woodwalton; all trains must use the Slow Lines.

New England Closure

The Up Slow is blocked between New England North Jn and Peterborough; trains from the Splading line must be diverted via Peterborough Yard.

Random choices

One or more of the above closures selected at random.

Eras

Original Layout

The original 1970s layout; the Fletton flyash branch is open.

Spalding Bi-Di

The Up Slow is bi-directional from Peterborough to Werrington Jn.

Other Options

Scale of problems: Set the prevalence of delays and trackside equipment failures.

Level Crossing Road Users: Sets frequency of calls from AHB and Telephone crossings.

Flashing Greens: Tick to enable; for explanation of flashing greens please see section below.

Nene CS Phone Calls: When ticked, it is necessary to phone the shunter before sending a train into the carriage sidings (or you will lose points) and the shunter will phone to request permission to send trains up to signal 65. This matches the real world; the "off" option is for compatibility with the previous release. The train that you wish to send to the carriage sidings must be in platform 4 or 5 when the call is made.

ARS/TORR: The real Peterborough PSB is not equipped with ARS , however it is provided in SimSig. 'On' provides full ARS for the entire simulation. 'Gate boxes only' provides ARS only for the routes across manned/CCTV level crossings (see below), and nowhere else. 'TORR only' provides Train Operated Route Release across the entire simulation, but no ARS (the above two options also include full TORR). 'Off' gives neither TORR nor ARS, and is the most difficult option.

Features

Flashing Greens

As part of the electrification of the East Coast Main Line, 140mph-capable Class 91 locos were constructed, to haul fixed-formation carriage rakes. To avoid major alteration to signalling, in order to provide the longer stopping distances needed for 140mph operation, flashing green aspects were trialled. The flashing green was effectively a fifth aspect, with the sequence running Red-Yellow-Double Yellow-Green-Flashing Green. The flashing green authorised 140mph running; on sight of a normal green drivers were to slow to 125mph. The line north of Peterborough was selected for the trial, with flashing greens fitted on the Down and Up Fast from P487 to P615 (inclusive) and P610 to P508 (inclusive) respectively.

140mph working never progressed beyond non-passenger trials, and the 91s were limited to 125mph. 125mph was decided to be the maximum speed when running on lineside signalling.

Turnout aspect restrictions

There are a number of signals where the aspect is restricted to double yellow when the route is set from the fast line to the slow or to a branch. These are signals 352 (Huntingdon), 493 (Werrington), 543, 544 (both Tallington), and 612 (Stoke).

Electrification

The East Coast Main Line is electrified with standard 25kV overhead lines. This includes the Fast and Slow lines throughout the area, and all connections between them. All platforms and the through lines at Peterborough are wired, as is Huntingdon bay.

All sidings and the branches to Whittlesea, Spalding and Stamford are non-electrified, with the exception of Nene CS and the arrival and departure lines at Peterborough yard. Note that the Flyash and Goods loops at Peterborough are not electrified, as is the Up Stanford from Helpston Jn to Peterborough.

Crossing Keepers

All controlled level crossings on the simulation are controlled locally by Crossing Keepers . The Crossing Keepers will lower the barriers when a route is set over the crossing, and raise them when there are no routes set. ARS will set the route in plenty of time for trains approaching the crossings to see only green signals.

The barriers will usually be kept down if the train approaching the crossing is being closely followed by a second. However, this is not foolproof, and the user may wish to hold the barriers down by setting another route on another line over the crossing; once the first train has passed and a route for the second can be set, the route on the other line can be cancelled.

Whether or not another train is approaching is partly determined by routes set from other signals. For example, Everton LC will be kept down if a route is set from 271 or 273.

Where the route over the crossing also involves a regulating decision (for example, Holme in the Down direction or Tallington in both directions), ARS will not set the route when in 'Gate Boxes' mode, and the signaller will need to set the route at the appropriate time.

The crossings were originally assigned to gate boxes as follows:

Crossing	Box
Everton	Everton
Tempsford	Everton
Offord	Offord
Connington North	Holme
Holme	Holme
Holme Lode	Holme
Woodcroft	Helpston [1]
Helpston	Helpston
Maxey	Helpston
Lolham	Helpston
Tallington	Tallington
Greatford	Tallington

[1] There is a separate crossing keeper who operates under instructions from Helpston.

More recently Everton, Offord, and Holme were replaced by a separate Peterborough Crossings panel in the PSB while Helpston took over the two crossings formerly controlled by Tallington.

Each of the five gate boxes is a separate workstation for multiuser play, allowing gate boxes to be allocated to the user covering the area or to have a single user working them all. Each is also a separate ARS area just for the routes over the crossings, labelled "GB" on the layout. Holme, Helpston, and Tallington are also normal ARS areas (the first two labeled "JUNC").

Auto Buttons

Unusually, most signals with Auto buttons provided must be clear before the auto buttons can be operated. This is prototypical, though the reason for it has yet to be discovered!

Blocking entrance points

At several of the entrance points the BLOK or similar code needs to be entered into a berth other than the first one on the line (either because of chaining arrangements or because it is a queued berth).

Line	Signal
Down Slow	K715
Down Fast	K717
Down March	783
Up Main	D2
Up Stamford	802
Up Spalding	862

Panel Notes

Hitchin- Tempsford

Biggleswade

Biggleswade 'A' ground frame can only be used for trains entering the siding; the 'B' frame can be used for both arrivals and departures.

Sandy

There is a set of hand points at the south (left-hand) end the yard, which switch between the loop and dead-end sidings. The hand points should be left normal for trains to enter the loop to signal 13 and reverse for the sidings.

Ground signal 5 on the Down Slow is a route start signal only, not a route exit signal. Therefore trains are signalled directly from signals 267, 269, and 1 to Sandy Down Yard signal 13 and from signal 1 to signal 271 in platform 2.

Little Barford- Stilton

Huntingdon

No.1 siding is the siding immediately behind platform 3, No.2 siding is the other.

Peterborough

Fletton Flyash

Fletton Flyash is an out-and-back loop. Trains cannot enter and exit the simulation here- they enter the loop on the bottom line, then run round the loop to signal 53. They should be timetabled as follows: Peterborough, Fletton Jn, Fletton Flyash, Peterborough. They may, of course, form a new working at Fletton Flyash, timetabled in the usual way.

Signal 56/56R

Routes are set from 442 and 444 to Signal 56R. However, routes are then set from Signal 56. The subsidiary on 56R will clear automatically.

Peterborough station

All lines are permissive . The exit triangles on the through lines and on the Up Slow can be used to set-call on routes onto their respective lines when a train is standing at Signal 435, 440 or 466.

The northern 275 metres of the Goods is electrified.

Peterborough Yard

Trains booked for Peterborough Yard (Reverse) reverse behind signal 86.

Spalding Bi-di

In this mode, note that routes to 469 on the Up Slow are only available from Platforms 2 and 3 (437 and 445 respectively).

New England

Peterborough ECD ISU road 1 is the upper line, road 2 is the lower line.

Helpston- Stoke

Uffington

There are two AHB crossings between Uffington and Stamford. If you receive a request for a slow vehicle to cross, you must place a call to Uffington box and confirm that they've stopped traffic on the Up Stamford before giving permission to cross. Once the crossing user has finished, contact Uffington again to remove the block.

Ketton Ward GF

Ketton Ward sidings have a trailing connection onto the Up Stamford, between Ketton and Stamford. Trains should be timetabled from the entry point at Ketton to Ketton sig 3, then Ketton Ward siding. Departing the sidings, trains should be timetabled from the entry point to Ketton sig 3, then Stamford, then as normal. Note that the ground frame is outside the area shown on the panel; it is included because it's between the simulation entry point and the start of the control area. The lamps on the ground frame display simulate the shunter's ability to see trains; the "approaching" lamp flashes when a train is approaching from Ketton and requires the frame locked.

Tallington GF

For trains entering Tallington at either end, release the ground frame, set the points as appropriate (remember to unlock and then re-lock the Facing Point Lock), grant the slot using the appropriate lever and then set the route from the entry signal to the exit arrow. Trains leaving at the 'B' end require the route set from 103 in a similar way; trains leaving at the A end require lever 102 to be reversed. Note that there will be a delay before 102 clears, due to the crossing being lowered.

Stoke Jn

A flashing yellow sequence is provided at signal 612, though the preceding signals which flash are under Doncaster's control.

Stoke GF

Release requires no route set over track circuits 9912 and 9922 (the ones covering the emergency crossovers).

The release lever releases the two points levers and the six hand signal buttons.

The crossovers are interlocked so only one can be reversed at a time.

Each push button acts as a hand-signaller standing at the relevant track circuit boundary. When pressed, they wave a green flag for 60 seconds then replace it by a red flag again.

Each handsignaller requires the opposing crossover normal but doesn't require the other crossover reversed.

The release lever can't be normalized while a handsignaller is giving an authority to move or either crossover is reversed.

On the Peterborough side, the two Down line handsignallers won't both give an authority at the same time; ditto the Up line handsignallers. Nothing stops opposing authorities (e.g. Down fast and Up line) being given at the same time.

Those four handsignallers don't check the powered points at the junction, though the driver will.

Level Crossings

Name	Type	Panel
Angels	MWL	Little Barford- Stilton
Bainton	AHB	Helpston- Stoke
Bainton Green	AHB	Helpston- Stoke
Cardells	MWL	Little Barford- Stilton
Connington North	Crossing Keeper	Little Barford- Stilton
East Road	MWL	Hitchin- Tempsford
Everton	Crossing Keeper	Hitchin- Tempsford
Furbanks	MWL	Little Barford- Stilton
Greatford	Crossing Keeper	Helpston- Stoke
Helpston	Crossing Keeper	Helpston- Stoke
Holme	Crossing Keeper	Little Barford- Stilton
Holme Green	MWL	Hitchin- Tempsford
Holme Lode	Crossing Keeper	Little Barford- Stilton
Lindsells	MWL	Hitchin- Tempsford
Lolham	Crossing Keeper	Helpston- Stoke
Maxey	Crossing Keeper	Helpston- Stoke
Offord & Buckden	Crossing Keeper	Little Barford- Stilton
Plants	MWL	Helpston- Stoke
Tallington	Crossing Keeper	Helpston- Stoke
Tempsford	Crossing Keeper	Hitchin- Tempsford
Woodcroft	Crossing Keeper	Helpston- Stoke

Multiplayer & Chaining

The simulation is manageable by a single player; less experienced players may wish to use ARS to assist.

The simulation chains at the following locations:

Simulation	Location
Doncaster South	Grantham
Kings Cross	Hitchin

Hot Keys

In addition to the standard shortcut keys , the following are available:

Key	Panel Area
B	Biggleswade
C	Connington
F	Fletton
H	Huntingdon
K	Stoke
N	St.Neots
P	Peterborough
S	Sandy
T	Tallington
W	Werrington Jn

Acknowledgments

Simulation by: Clive Feather

Summer 2003 WTT by: Unknown

Reference Section

Signal Number Plan

Peterborough Signal Number Plan

These are Adobe Acrobat PDF files. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer you can get a free download of the latest version from the Adobe website . Use the built-in Find function (Ctrl+F) to locate signal numbers.

Signal Box Prefix Codes

Code	Box
D	Doncaster*
E	Eastfield*
K	Kings Cross#
KD	Kings Dyke*
UN	Uffington*

#Area partially controlled in this simulation

*Fringe box, signals not controlled in this area

Platform, Loop & Siding Lengths

Platform Lengths

Location	Platform	Length (m)
Peterborough	1	97
	2	273
	3	352
	UT	339
	DT	505
	4	336
	5	279
	Flyash	335
	Goods	555

Line Speeds

Speed Limit Plan

- produced for the original release, but mostly correct for this one.

TIPLOC Codes

TIPLOC Codes

- there have been a few changes but all the codes listed here should still work.

Special Decisions

The following codes can be used in Decisions of the form [EXT!xxxxx]:

Code	Meaning
XCAM	Cambridge is chained
XKX	King's Cross is chained

The following codes can be used in Decisions of the form [NSC!xxxxx]:

Scenarios

Code	Meaning
NORMAL	normal
NSTORM	bad weather
NSLOWS_ONLY	fast lines closed
NNEUS_CLOSE	New England closure
NRAND_CLOSE	one random closure
NMULTI_CLOSE	several random closures

Closures in force

Code	Meaning
NBIGGCLSD	Biggleswade
NBYTHAMCLSD	Bytham
NHELPSTONCLSD	Helpston
NNEWENGCLSD	New England random track
NNEWENGUSCLSD	New England Up Slow
NPBOCLSD	Peterborough platform
NSANDYCLSD	Sandy
NSTNEOTSCLSD	St.Neots

Scale of problems:

Code	Meaning
NPROB_NONE	none
NPROB_DELAY	limited delays only
NPROB_LOW	low
NPROB_MED	medium
NPROB_HIGH	high
NPROB_REAL	low, medium, or high

Layout:

Code	Meaning
NOLD	Original layout
NBIDI	Spalding bi-di

Other

Code	Meaning
NFG	Flashing greens and 140 mph speed limits
NLEGACYTT	Legacy timetable features

Splash Screens

Splash1	A general view of the Peterborough and New England section of the panel
Splash2	A Class 91 leads a Mark 4 set north on the Down Through at Peterborough; this photo was taken from the south end platform 4
Splash3	The north end of Peterborough platform 4; Signal 449 is prominent
Splash4	A Class 170 stands in Platform 4 at Peterborough, heading towards Whittlesea

Additional Information

The line from Hitchin to Biggleswade (inclusive) is controlled by Kings Cross in reality. However, in the early days of SimSig, the size of simulations was constrained, and there wasn't space on the Kings Cross simulation to accommodate this section. Hence, it was picked up by Peterborough when this simualtion was produced.

Version History

Version History

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Last edited by Steamer on 20/07/2021 at 19:27