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Wolverhampton Manual

Official Files

Title	Version	Released
Simulation (Payware)	1.9	25/04/2023
15/10/2009 WTT (Midnight and 0445 Start included)	5.2	11/07/2024
08/04/2015 WTT (Midnight, 0400 & 1400 starts included)	5.1	27/11/2021

Additional user-written timetables are available to download here .

Introduction

Welcome to Wolverhampton PSB - another in SimSig's range of one-player simulations. It's still an important signalbox though, being on the main line through Birmingham. Those of you familiar with Stafford, Birmingham New Street, and Coventry may notice that Wolverhampton is upside down compared to those boxes. This is simply due to the fact that the Wolverhampton signallers operate the panel with their backs to the railway on the east side of the tracks - the others are on the west side.

There are just four passenger stations within the Wolverhampton control area: Wolverhampton itself, plus three smaller stations. Only a couple of freight sidings exist - and no yards.

Although Wolverhampton is electrified along the main (Stour) lines, the Shrewsbury branch is not beyond Oxley and trains to/from that branch used to use Wolverhampton as a locomotive change point - southbound the diesel locomotive would come off and head to a stabling area, with an electric locomotive replacing it; northbound the opposite. Modern timetables see only Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) coming from the Shrewsbury direction and rarely proceeding farther south than Birmingham. Therefore modern day timetables rarely see a locomotive change. Just beyond Stafford Road Junction is Oxley Carriage Sidings which is as far as the electrification goes along the Shrewsbury branch.

Birmingham Area Map

- A schematic showing main and link lines in the Birmingham area.

Today

Wolverhampton PSB closed on 5th May 2015, when control transferred to the West Midlands Signalling Centre in Birmingham on a Westcad VDU system. Though resignalled and fitted mostly with axle counters instead of track circuits , the layout is virtually identical.

Start-Up Options

Scenarios

Easy Mode

No late running or trackside equipment failures.

Normal Mode

Some train delays, with a chance of trackside equipment failures.

Hard Mode

Multiple failures and delays.

Eras

1987- 2003

The PSB as it was following the closure of the Princes End branch, and numerous other sidings which were controlled by the box on commissioning.

2004- 2014

Reflecting the changing nature of operations, the Up Sidings, Middle Siding and Coal Yard sidings at Wolverhampton were closed, with the Up and Down Goods Loop converted to a 4th through platform. The sidings at Littleton Colliery had also closed by this time.

Signalling Arrangements

Overview

Wolverhampton features four-aspect colour-light signalling throughout almost the entire area.

Dudley Port

Trains enter from the Birmingham direction at Galton Junction. They are not under your control at this point but can be seen progressing along to Dudley Port where most trains will proceed along the main line. However, in earlier days, some freight trains may be looped in the Down Goods by the Birmingham signaller. Unusually you can see which route is set by the Birmingham signaller here. It is you, however, that routes them from the main line or goods loop onwards through Tipton station.

In the opposite direction you have the choice of routing into the Up Goods or along the main line. The Birmingham signaller will route out of the other end, though will be are unable to see this, (nor should you need to do so).

Tipton Level Crossing

The Tipton area has a level crossing which is locally monitored by a crossing keeper at Watery Lane. Once you have set routes over the crossing, the crossing keeper there can see trains approaching and will lower the barriers appropriately. Therefore it is important to set the routes early enough so the crossing keeper has a chance to get the barriers down without delaying the train. Once the barriers are down, the crossing is clear, and the routes are set, the green circle adjacent to the appropriate signal will change to a solid white roundel.

Wolverhampton

At the south (right) end of the station there are alternative routes between some signals. The blue "via" buttons must be used for all routes in/out of Wolverhampton at the south end. Not all possible alternatives are available to be used as the real-life interlocking was only programmed with a maximum of two options where alternatives exist.

When taking a locomotive off a train, use the white exit triangles as the exit rather than the main signal. This gives the driver a shunting aspect, and ensures the train description stays with the train rather than the locomotive.

Stafford Road Junction

When coming from the Shrewsbury direction, trains can either turn left towards Bushbury Junction or right towards Wolverhampton station. The train approaching indications will show either for the Oxley Chord or the Up Shrewsbury depending on the routing set by Oxley signalbox (simulated off area by Wolverhampton SimSig).

Note that when sending two trains in quick succession towards Shrewsbury, the second train will be held at Stafford Road Junction until the preceding train has cleared the long section ahead.

Four Ashes GF

There is a ground frame at Four Ashes. This allows Up trains to access the sidings there, or for Down trains from the sidings to head towards Bushbury Junction.

There are just two levers on the ground frame: a release lever, and a points lever. Two further controls allow the user to specify the handsignals given by the person on the ground. As per real life, it is possible to give a handsignal without the frame's levers being in an appropriate position, so check carefully before giving any. To be able to release the ground frame, points 305 need to be in the reverse position.

Littleton Colliery Shunt Frame

There are eleven levers on the frame: the two release levers, five signal and four points levers operating the points and signals shown on the diagram. Signals LC6 and LC7 only control exit to the main lines.

There is a 180 second timer for releasing the shunt frames, and separate releases for up and down lines so that an up departure can be signalled without blocking the down main line.

The Up shunt frame will hold signal WN205 (Up) and the Down shunt frame will hold signal WN208 (Down) at red.

Train Describer

Train describer stepping is provided on main, some call-on, and warner routes only. There is no TD stepping for the call-on routes out of the station to the white triangles. There is no TD stepping from shunt signals.

Electrification

All lines are provided with standard 25kV AC overhead electrification, with the exception of Wolverhampton Up Siding 3 and Coal Yard, the Heath Town neck, Osier Bed sidings, Wolverhampton Steel terminal, Four Ashes siding and Littleton Colliery siding.

Level Crossings

There is just one level crossing under Wolverhampton's direct control, a CCTV crossing at Noose Lane. There is nothing special or unusual to note about this level crossing, except perhaps the limited notice of approaching trains from the Walsall (Darlaston Junction) area.

Multiplayer & Chaining

The Wolverhampton simulation is ideal for a single player.

The simulation chains at the following locations:

Simulation	Location
Birmingham New Street	Galton Jn
Stafford OR Staffordshire	Trent Valley Jn
Telford and Oxley	Oxley
Walsall	Darlaston Junction

The Stafford and Staffordshire simulations both simulate the fringe towards Trent Valley Jn; either may be chained. There is no requirement to run Wolverhampton in any specific era to chain to either simulation.

Acknowledgments

Simulation by: Geoff Mayo

15/10/2009 WTT by: MarkC

08/04/2015 WTT by: Meld

Reference Section

Signal Number Plans

• Wolverhampton 1987-2003 Signal Number Plan

• Wolverhampton 2003-2007 Signal Number Plan

Signal Box Prefix Codes

Code	Box
NS	Birmingham New Street*
OY	Oxley*
SD4	Stafford No.4*
WL	Walsall*

*Fringe box, signals not controlled in this simulation.

Non-prefixed signals are controlled by Wolverhampton (WN)

Platform, Loop & Siding Lengths

Platform Lengths

Location	Platform/Siding	Length (m)
Albrighton	Up	92
:::	Down	138
Bilbrook	Down	68
:::	Up	64
Codsall	Down	94
:::	Up	97
Coseley	All	122
Cosford	All	122
Dudley Port	All	89
Penkridge	Down	96
:::	Up	101
Sandwell & Dudley	Up	271
:::	Down	272
Smethwick Galton Bridge	Up	149
:::	Down	151
Tipton	Up	101
:::	Down	106
Wolverhampton	1	267
:::	2	278
:::	3	244
:::	4	278
:::	5	86
:::	6	120

Loop Lengths

Location	Loop	Length (m)
Bushbury	DGL	981
Four Ashes	UGL	440
Watery Lane	DGL	416
:::	UGL	416

Siding Lengths

Location	Siding	Length (m)
Wolverhampton	CS1	332
:::	CS2	344

Source: Network Rail's Operational Rules

Timetabling

Stour Lines

TIPLOC (Entry Point)	Mandatory?	Description
GALTONJ (EDGJ)	Y	Galton Jn
SNDWDUD	N	Sandwell & Dudley
DUDLPT	Y	Dudley Port
TIPTON	N	Tipton
COSELEY	N	Coseley
MNMRGRN	N; Y for the Steel Terminal	Monmore Green
WVRMPTN	Y	Wolverhampton
WVRMTNJ	Only required for Shrewsbury branch	Wolverhampton North Jn
BSBYJN	Y	Bushbury Jn
BSBYJDG	Only required if using the loop	Bushbury Down Goods Loop
FRASL	Y for Up direction only	Four Ashes
PNKRDG	Y	Penkridge
STAFTVJ	Y	Stafford Trent Valley Jn*
STAFRD4 (EUST)	Y	Stafford No.4*

* - Either location can be used as the mandatory timing point has changed from one to the other over the years. The locations are about half a minute apart so this makes little difference for timetabling purposes.

Grand Junction Lines

TIPLOC (Entry Point)	Mandatory?	Description
DRLSTNJ (EDGJ)	Y	Darlaston Jn
PBLJWM	Y	Portobello Jn
BSBYJN	Y	Bushbury Jn

Shrewsbury Lines

TIPLOC (Entry Point)	Mandatory?	Description
WVRMTNJ	Y	Wolverhampton North Jn
OXLEY	Y	Oxley
BILBROK	N	Billbrook
CODSALL	N	Codsall
ALBRGHT	N	Albrighton
COSFORD (EUSH)	Y	Cosford

Splash Screens

Splash1	Wolverhampton signalbox
Splash2	WN85 at Wolverhampton platform 2- note the unusual arrangement, to fit under the station canopy!
Splash3	A Class 323 waits in platform 5 at Wolverhampton, with a stopping service to Birmingham
Splash4	The north end of Wolverhampton station in BR days. The photographer's train is arriving in, or departing from, platform 3. The train immediately to the left is in the Up/Down Goods Loop, while the light engine to the far left is in Up Siding 2.

External Resources

Cab ride, Birmingham International to Wolverhampton

Version History

Version History

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Last edited by Steamer on 28/07/2024 at 17:59