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Cardiff (CDF) Manual

Sim Versions

Version	Status	Scroll/Views/Loader	Published	Comments
V1.6	Payware	S L	22-06-2022	Press check for updates
V1.5	Payware	S L	30-12-2020	Press check for updates
V1.0.5	Payware	S L	20-03-2017	-
V1.0.4	Payware	S L	20-03-2017	-
V1.0.3	Payware	S L	19-03-2017	-
V1.0.2	Payware	S L	18-03-2017	-
V1.0.1	Payware	S L	18-03-2017	-
V1.0.0	Payware	S L	18-03-2017	-

Timetables

Title	Published	Author	Comments	Notes
08-04-15	18-03-2017	Andrew James & John Mills	Bundled with V1.0.0	Default Weekday Timetable (2015)
26-04-15	18-03-2017	Andrew James & John Mills	Bundled with V1.0.0	Sunday Training Timetable (0800-2000)
21-11-15	18-03-2017	Andrew James & John Mills	Bundled with V1.0.0	Cardiff Up Side Blockade
25-05-16	18-03-2017	Andrew James & John Mills	Bundled with V1.0.0	Default Weekday Timetable (2016)
03-09-16	18-03-2017	Andrew James & John Mills	Bundled with V1.0.0	Vale Of Glamorgan Diversions & Severn Tunnel Diversions

Acknowledgements

Original sim written by Karl Latham.

Overview

This simulation covers the area of the now closed Cardiff PSB, and St Fagans Crossing Box.

You are in control of the South Wales Main Line from Marshfield, where this simulation fringes to Newport, past Wentloog Freightliner Terminal, the Reception and Cripples Siding at Pengam, access to Cardiff Tidal Sidings, and the "back access" to the Cardiff Tidal Complex at Long Dyke before reaching Cardiff Central station. Continuing along the main line and the various sidings and accesses to Canton Depot, the four track line converges into two, passing over numerous level crossings; some of which are controlled by the Crossing Keeper at St Fagans, before reaching the Goods Loops at Miskin. Past Miskin, the only other station on the mainline, Pontyclun, passes by, before we hand over to Port Talbot at the Bridgend fringe (exclusive).

You are also in control of a large portion of the Cardiff "Valley Lines" network, from just past Llandaff, where this simulation fringes to the Valleys, past Cathays to Queen Street North Junction. Another fringe with the Valleys is the line from Heath Junction; converging at Queen Street North Junction, before passing through Cardiff Queen Street. The short but busy single track branch to Cardiff Bay diverges here, whilst the Valleys Core continues through to Cardiff Central. Once through Cardiff Central the line continues as four tracks for a short distance, giving access to various parts of Canton Depot. The triangular "Penarth" junction is then reached. The Valley Lines Core then continues through Grangetown, past Cogan Loops and Cogan Junction; where the single track branch to Penarth diverges, then onwards passing through Cogan and Eastbrook before handing over to the Vale of Glamorgan simulation. The less busy, double track City Line section of the Valleys network diverges down the other leg of the Penarth triangle, before passing through Ninian Park. You then hand over to the Valleys simulation at the Waun-Gron Park fringe (exclusive).

Use Of Welsh Language

During the creation of the Wales & Borders series the use of the Welsh language has been a source of much fun and enjoyment. I have tried to use the English version of place names throughout the simulation, sometimes due to the fact I speak the Welsh language, and have lived in Wales most of my life a Welsh version of a place names "slips through the net" especially in cases where it is hard for the testing team to spot the difference (eg English - Treforest / Welsh - Trefforest).

Features

Options

Train Operated Route Release (TORR)

Train Operated Route Release is not fitted on the real Cardiff Panel. There is an option in the sim to turn it on or off.

Overlap Display

On E10K panels overlaps are not displayed, however points are still locked in them. By default overlaps will not be shown, you can turn them on with this option.

Scale of Problems

Choose the scale of train delays and infrastructure failures. The normal SimSig options of “None”, “Low”, “Medium” and “High” are available. Select which one you wish to play from the drop-down menu.

St Fagans Crossing Box

If enabled, you also take control of St Fagans box, which oversees three level crossings west of Cardiff. If disabled, the crossings won't require any intervention.

Interlocking Boundaries

Where a workstation has multiple interlockings within its control a button labelled "INT" on an orange background is available to turn the interlocking boundary markers on (white text) or off (black text). The interlocking boundaries are shown in red and will assist you in locating a failure should it occur.

Auto Buttons

On this design of panel, auto buttons applied to multiple signals. For example, it's not possible to set 407 and 409 into auto mode at Cogan, but not 405- while the auto button can be pressed with a route set from 407 and 409 only, as soon as a route is set from 405, that will also work in auto mode until cancelled.

Cross-panel routes

Control of Cardiff Central is split between Taff and West panels. Routes between the two panels are set in two halves. The signaller at the 'sending' end sets a route from a signal to a grey exit arrow at a connection between the two panels. The 'receiving' signaller then sets a route from the corresponding red 'entry' arrow at their end of the connection to the next appropriate signal. The arrow will turn white when the route is set. Once both halves of the route are set, the signal will clear. A handful of routes cross from Taff, onto West and back to Taff- see detailed notes below.

Emergency Alarms

Emergency Alarms are provided to all adjacent signalboxes.

Scenarios

Cardiff Upside Blockade

The weekend of 21st November 2015 saw signalling & trackworks on the upside of Cardiff Central Station in preparation for South Wales Signalling Centre handover in 2016. A special timetable is provided.

Pontyclun to Bridgend

The weekend of 3rd September 2016 saw the closure of the mainlines west of Cardiff for electrification preparation work with diversions being made via the Vale of Glamorgan lines. A special timetable is provided.

Workstation Overview

Taff Panel

Operational notes:

ACI is provided at Cardiff Queen Street for Platform 3 only. This was not provided on the real panel.

ACI is provided at Cardiff Bay. This was not provided on the real panel.

ACI is provided at Penarth. This was not provided on the real panel.

Signal 529 is a fixed red and therefore has no routes.

Signal 323 J,K,L Routes; Signal 639 J,K,L Routes (both to signals 425, 455 and Riverside respectively); Signal 645 C Route (to signal 425). These routes start on Taff panel, cross into West panel before crossing back to Taff panel. All require a slot to be granted by West workstation to allow the route to be set. The slot displays red when not granted, flashing white when given, and solid white when the slot is currently in use. The slot is one shot only, and is only used for the routes listed above. Once granted, the route may be set simply by clicking from signal to signal in the usual way, i.e. without using the cross-panel buttons.

To aid multiplayer left clicking the request button will cause it to flash, and to flash a corresponding indicator on the west workstation. This will be cancelled when the West workstation grants the slot. Alternatively right click on it. It is not possible to request the slot if it is already given. A video tutorial for the slots is available here .

It is not possible to set a delayed yellow route from 412 / 512 to 414 if a train has been routed in the up direction into platform 7. You will be able to set this route 84 seconds after platform 7 is occupied by a train.

Signal 463 will not display a proceed aspect if 817 points are reverse, unless its berth track is occupied.

Ground Frame 862 can only be released when Points 861 are normal. You will have to manually move 861 to the normal position before releasing the ground frame if they are lying reverse.

There are no main aspect routes available up to signal 455.

It is important to prevent "Mexican Standoffs" occurring in the Ninian Park area. When routing trains from 303 signal to 307 it is good practice to have set the onward route from 307 to 321. In the same way when routing from 318 to 320 it is good practice to set the onward route to 324, or 520 (Leckwith Loop North).

When chained to the Valleys simulation, it is important to gain the assurance of the Ystrad Mynach South signaller that he can accept a train destined for Cwmbargoed before you allow a train to pass either Cogan Goods Loops or the Leckwith branch.

When chained to the Valleys simulation, it is important to gain the assurance of the Abercynon signaller that he can accept a train destined for Tower Colliery (Hirwaun) before you allow a train to pass either Cogan Goods Loops or the Leckwith branch.

An annunciator sounds when a train approaches Cogan Junction on the Up Barry - this is set as simulation message 1

East Panel

Operational notes:

Entering 'SHUT' or 'BLOK' at DR161A on the Down Relief instructs the Newport signaller to send all trains on the Down Main; the reverse applies if interposed at DM161A.

Marshfield has hot axle box detectors on both the Down Main and Down Relief lines.

Trains can only enter Wentloog at the East end. Entry to Wentloog requires the slot to be granted before the route can be set.

Trains can depart from Wentloog at both the West and East ends, the Wentloog shunter will telephone for your permission. (Check this at West end).

Signal Group Replacement Controls are provided for Wentloog and Rumney interlockings- operating these will replace all signals in the interlocking to danger.

Pengam reception sidings can only be accessed from the Relief lines in the Up direction.

The cripple siding at Pengam is accessed via a hand point. There are no signalled routes in or out of this siding.

Routes towards Tidal Sidings require a slot.

Tidal Sidings will ring and ask permission before allowing a train to enter. It is important to ensure no conflicting movement has been set towards the LOS board on the Down road or that no train is stood at 335 signal before this permission is given.

The line between Tidal Sidings and Cardiff Docks is worked under the C2 system supervised by the Tidal Sidings shunter.

Long Dyke Down Ground Frame can only be accessed from the relief lines.

An annunciator sounds when a train approaches Rumney Ruver Bridge Junction on the Down Main - this is set as simulation message 2

An annunciator sounds when a train approaches Wentloog on the Down Relief - this is set as simulation message 3

When Cardiff and Newport are chained it is important to communicate with the operator of Newport Station workstation before running a train on the main lines vice relief lines or vice versa.

West Panel

Operational notes:

Slot on 323,J,K,L 639,J,K,L, 645,C releases certain routes on the Taff workstation which cross the West workstation between the "C" and "B" divides. The slot is granted by left clicking the F roundel. Right clicking the F roundel will restore the slot if it is not in use, or it has been used. The slot can only be granted if points 836 are reverse or free to move, and points 837 are normal or free to move. Granting the slot does not lock these points, nor does it prevent any routes being set.

The indication above the F roundel displays red when not granted, flashing white when given, and solid white when the slot is currently in use.

To ease multiplayer the Taff workstation can press a button to cause the requested roundel to flash.

Signal 28 once cleared will function as though it has an auto button.

Signal 7 once cleared will function as though it has an auto button.

There is no route available between signals 125 and 127 (Cardiff Central P2 to Up Relief). In reality, the trackwork at the east end of the station did not allow this move: the link from platform 1 to the Up Relief crossed the Platform 2 line on a diamond crossing, with a single slip connection that allowed access from P1 to the Up Main. The way the layout is drawn in the simulation reflects the way it was drawn on the panel.

Some shunt signals in the down direction at Cardiff Central call and lock points normal at the opposite end of the platform if the platform is not occupied.

223 signal requires 844 points in normal for call on routes into platform 1 to prevent a read through for trains signalled toward 123 signal.

There are no main aspect routes available up to signal 155 at platform 3B. To further emphasise, the only platform at Cardiff Central that is fully bi-directional (i.e. entry and exit at both ends permitted on main aspects) is platform 4. For this reason, all trains terminating at Cardiff from the East arrived in P3 or 4, then shunted to the west end (reversing on either the Down Relief behind C623, the Up No.2 Relief behind C221, or in the Brickyard Sidings. They then returned to platforms 0, 1 or 2 to form their next service east. This avoided blocking platforms 3 and 4 with terminating trains.

The reversal location at the west end is generic; although the platform specifies which line trains should reverse on, as detailed above, the signaller may send them to whichever is appropriate. Equally, if a train arrives late from the east, the timetable may be edited via F2 so that the train omits the shunt move and departs back east from P3 or 4. This was done in real life if there wasn't time to shunt the train.

A Signal Group Replacement Control is provided for Miskin interlocking- operating this will replace all signals in the interlocking to danger.

St Fagans Crossing Panel

Operational notes:

Once the "train approaching" lights (3 red lights on the track diagram) begin to flash you should lower the associated crossings, ensure they are clear, and then clear the signals, either by clicking on the signal (for St George's), or by granting the appropriate slots (for Llantrisant West / St Fagans).

Once the train approaching light has begun to flash, or the track circuits on approach are occupied, removing the slot will replace the respective signal to danger.

The West workstation will communicate with you for movements requiring to use Llantrisant West Ground Frame.

When the crossing is lowered in association with a movement to or from Llantrisant West Ground Frame a reminder appliance should be applied to the raise button.

This panel may be disabled on start-up, to reduce the workload.

Level Crossings

There are several different types of level crossings on the sim.

Crossing	Type	Located Between	Workstation	Interlocking Area	Up Protecting Signal	Down Protecting Signal	Notes
St Fagans	MCB	Cardiff Central and Pontyclun	West/St Fagans	Leckwith	C13	C24	Crossing is operated by St Fagans Crossing Box and signals slotted
St Georges Church	UWC	Cardiff Central and Pontyclun	West	Leckwith	CF101	CF100
St Georges	MCB-CCTV	Cardiff Central and Pontyclun	West/St Fagans	Leckwith	CF101	CF100	Crossing and signals operated by St Fagans Crossing Box
Morlanga	UWC	Cardiff Central and Pontyclun	West	Leckwith	UM178 (Last Controlled Signal C7)	CF100
Gwyn-y-Gaer	UWC	Cardiff Central and Pontyclun	West	Leckwith	C7	DM177 (Last Controlled Signal CF101)
Pontsarn	AHB	Cardiff Central and Pontyclun	West	Miskin	C7	C28
Maindy Bach	UWC	Cardiff Central and Pontyclun	Miskin	C5 and C207	C28
Llantrisant West	MCB-CCTV	Pontyclun and Bridgend	West/St Fagans	Miskin	C3	C40	Crossing is operated by St Fagans Crossing Box and signals slotted

Multiplayer and Chaining

Cardiff is ideally suited to two or three people in multiplayer. Though there are four workstations if St Fagans Crossing Box is enabled.

Cardiff chains to The Valleys Lines (Three fringes), Vale of Glamorgan, Newport and Port Talbot.

Concessions

• N/A

Reference Section

Cardiff Area map

Tutorials

A video tutorial explaining the slotted routes, and the half routes between the Taff and West workstations is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78flKCp_oQE

Automatically Selected Delayed Yellow

A reduced overlap is available up to the following signals. A reduced overlap is automatically selected at the time the route is set if a full overlap is not available.

Signal	Notes
20
23
120
123
223
225
305
318
319
320
321
322
323
325
414	Not available for 84 seconds after an up direction train has come to a stand in platform 7
420
423
425
520

Signal Box Prefix Codes

Code	Box	Notes
No Prefix	Cardiff PSB	Signals carry 'C' prefix
CF	St Fagans Crossing Box
DC	Various	Automatic Signals on the Down Caerphilly
DM	Various	Automatic Signals on the Down Main
UM	Various	Automatic Signals on the Up Main
DR	Various	Automatic Signals on the Down Relief
UR	Various	Automatic Signals on the Up Relief
DB	Various	Automatic Signals on the Down Barry
UB	Various	Automatic Signals on the Up Barry
DT	Various	Automatic Signals on the Down Treforest
HJ	Heath Junction	Fringe Box
VR	Radyr	Fringe Box
PT	Port Talbot PSB	Fringe Box

Code	Ground Frame
B	Leckwith Road Bridge
MB	Maindy Bridge
LE	Llantrisant East
LW	Llantrisant West

Signal Number Plan

Cardiff Signal Number Plan

This is an 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.

Hoy Keys

Key	Area
1	Rhymney River Bridge
2	Cardiff Central (West Panel)
3	Canton TMD - Mainline / Cardiff West (West Panel)
4	Miskin / Pontyclun
5	Cardiff Queen Street
6	Cardiff Central (Taff Panel)
7	Canton TMD - Mainline / Cardiff West (Taff Panel)
8	Grangetown / Penarth
9	Cogan

Timetabling Details

TIPLOC Codes

TIPLOC Codes

Welsh Names

As detailed above, where available, the Anglicised version of station names are used. The following shows the Welsh equivalent; if a station does not appear, there is no English equivalent and the Welsh name is used on the panel.

English	Welsh
Cadoxton	Tregatwg
Cardiff Bay	Bae Caerdydd
Cardiff Central	Caerdyyd Canolog
Cardiff Queen Street	Caerdydd Heol Y Frenhines
Dingle Road	Heol Dingle
Fairwater	Tyllgoed
Ninian Park	Par Ninian
Waun-Gron Park	Parc Waun-Groun

Version History

Version History

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Last edited by headshot119 on 24/06/2022 at 19:12