Motherwell

Workstation 6

Workstation 6 has a very different 'feel' to the rest of the simulation, and controls approximately 60 miles of the WCML over Beattock.

Lanark Jn to Carstairs

The Down line is bi-directional from Lanark Jn to Carstairs from 1990 era onwards, however local instructions restrict its use to traffic to/from Ravenstruther only, except in emergencies. MC410 is approach lit.

Carstairs

Carstairs Down Yard GF requires a route to be set from MC422 to the Down Yard before the corresponding slot can be released on the ground frame. Access to the Down Yard is via reversal at MC422 only; trains from Lanark Jn cannot access the yard directly.

MC399 and MC401 are fixed at red. The track in rear is permissive; call-on rotues must be set to the white exit arrows at MC399/MC401.

Both platforms at Carstairs are permissive, and are provided with TRTS.

In 1980 era, trains can set back on the wrong line on the Carstairs East Jn to Carstairs South Jn chord; routes can be set from MC428 and MC437 to the grey exit arrows on the chord.

Note that the line to Micalder Jn has substantially longer signal sections than the rest of the line, and no opportunities to loop trains before the outskirts of Edinburgh. Freight traffic should therefore be regulated at Carstairs or Abington.

Gradients

The gradients over Beattock play a considerable role in train regulation on the panel, and are approximately described below.

Working north from Gretna Jn, the line climbs at 1 in 200 to three miles south of Lockerbie, with a 3 mile stretch of mostly level track at Kirtlebridge. From Lockerbie, the line undulates with no particularly steep gradients until Wamphray, at which point the 1 in 200 climb resumes to Beattock. From Beattock follows a 10 mile 1 in 75 climb to Beattock Summit.

The southbound climb is less severe (there are substantial sections of 1 in 130 to 1 in 100 from Uddingston to Lanark Jn). Working South from Carstairs, the line climbs at between 1 in 150 and 1 in 100 to Symington. The line then undulates with no severe gradients until Abington, where the climb gradually steepens from 1 in 240 at Abington to a final section of 1 in 100 for the last two miles to Beattock summit.

Symington, Wamphray and Kirtlebridge Ground Frames

These GFs all function identically.

The Emergency Replacement controls on the two signals protecting the ground frame must be operated before the crossing can be released. When released, the ground frame controls virtual signals in the 'wrong' direction on both lines, and hand signals for trains approaching 'right' direction. The hand signal for right direction moves is represented by a white aspect on the protecting signals.

Abington

The crossover ground frames at each end of the passing loop have two levers controlling the crossover points- one to be used for movements from the UPL, the other for movements from the Up Main. An indicative hand signal aspect is provided on MC527; trains crossing from the Up lines must be authorised to pass MC524/MC526 at danger.

The Up Siding GF requires the loop exit points to be reverse.

Beattock Summit

A Ground Frame is provided for the crossover, and an indicative handsignal aspect is provided on MC625. Trains crossing from the Up lines must be authorised to pass MC616/MC618 at danger.

An additional ground frame controls access to the Up Siding in the 2000 era; it has been taken out of use in the 2015 era. Releasing the ground frame requires the UPL exit points reversed.

Beattock

When the Crossover ground frame is released and lever 1 reversed, a virtual signal will appear on the Up Main. Routes must be set from this signal for crossing moves to the Down side; similarly, crossing moves from the Up side require a route to be set to BLOS2 from the appropriate signal.

For movements to the Up Siding, a route must be set from MC725 to the Up Sidings; no route needs to be set for moves exiting the Up Siding.

Lockerbie

The north crossover GF has two point levers, to select between using the UPL or the Up Main for crossing movements to/from the Down Main.

The Up Siding GF requires the UPL exit points Reverse.

The South crossover GF has two point levers, to select between using the UPL or the Up Main for crossing movements to/from the Down Main. Handsignals from the Up lines are shown indicatively by white aspects on MC824 and 826.

Cove LC

The crossing is an AHB in 1980 and 1990 modes.

Since 2000, the crossing has been a CCTV type. It has separate auto buttons for lower and raise and you can can permanently leave the approach signals MC860 and MC861 on semi-auto with the lower operation being triggered by the approach and passing of a train. The route setting will not display locked till the crossing clear button is pressed. When manually lowered the signals become approach released and to manually raise you must first cancel the route setting.

When raise or lower are in auto-mode you can't manually operate the respective controls.

The under-the-bonnet coding is very bespoke and although the testers have thoroughly tested it I've left a debug feature in for use in emergencies; you can phone S&T and request a reset if it all goes wrong.

Quntinshill Loops

There are goods loops at Quintinshill, a couple of miles beyond the Motherwell/Carlisle fringe. Up trains booked to stop at Quintinshill UGL will exit the simulation at this location, to simulate regulation by the Carlisle signaller. In the Down direction, it's not possible for a train to be looped. The schedule of any train booked to be looped should have the entry time at Gretna Jn adjusted to have it enter after any train booked to overtake it at Quintinshill.

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Last edited by Peter Bennet on 17/06/2024 at 08:10