Motherwell

Start-Up Options

Scenarios

Scenario	Description	Easy Mode
Perfect	Everything should run like clockwork (user errors excluded). No failures or delays.	Yes
Beginner	As Perfect but, some minor delays may be experienced.	Yes
Standard	As Beginner plus temporary speed restrictions. Also small risk of major disruption	No
Difficult	As Standard but more so.	No
Bad Weather	As Difficult but more so! Slippery rails and other problems to deal with. Even greater risk of major disruption.	No

Major Disruption

One of the following major events may occur at any time in the Standard, Difficult and Bad Weather scenarios, with the probability increasing in the harder scenarios:

OH line problems Law Junction to Shieldmuir
OH line problems Main line between Uddingston and Motherwell
Track defect at Newton.

In each case, the player must route traffic around the problem while keeping delays to a minimum. Site engineers will provide updates on the status of the incident.

Eras

1980

This era features the most complex track layout. Extensive networks of sidings exist at Newton, Shieldmuir, Benhar and Wishaw, along with the Mossend Goods line. Airbles, Whifflet and Shieldmuir stations did not exist in this period, along with the passenger service (and associated stations) between Whifflet and Rutherglen junction.

1990

While signficantly less freight terminals exist in this era compared to 1990, two new terminals were added: Ravenstruther and Shieldmuir RMT. The track layout at Newton was also substantially rationalised at this time.

Note that the layout at Newton was, briefly, even more restrictive, with the line dropping to a single track through Kirkhill Junction. Operationally, this was extremely restrictive and played a part in a fatal accident at the station in 1991. The layout was subsequently altered to that depicted in the simulation.

2000

The primary feature of the era is the Larkhall branch, which re-opened in 2005, 40 years after its original closure. Gartsherrie signal box also closed, with the area taken over by Motherwell.

Elsewhere, the Ravenscraig sidings complex was further reduced, and Cove level crossing converted to CCTV.

2015

Newton station has once again be re-modelled, restoring much of the flexibility lost in the 1990 rationalisation of the area.

Throughout the 2010s, a rolling program of electrification saw OHLE installed on the Rutherglen- Whifflet route, the lines north of Coatbridge to Garnqueen North Jn and Gartcosh Jn, and the Shotts line from Holytown to Micalder Jn, all of which is included in this era.

Other Options

ARS and TORR

ARS off/ TORR off	Default and replication of the panel. This is the hardest option, and advised only for Multiplayer
ARS off/ TORR on	Slightly easier than the above setting, TORR is enabled but all routesetting is manual.
ARS on/TORR on	Full ARS is provided, to aid the solo player, and includes ACI

Note that TORR off/on only affects those interlocking areas that do not have TORR in reality (the Relay Room interlocking areas), those that do have TORR (the SSI interlocking areas) will always TORR in the Sim. All interlockings were relay based when the panel originally opened, however over in the 2000 and 2015 eras, the following interlockings were SSI:

Burnhouse
Cove
Gartsherrie
Haughead
Mossend South & Yard
Motherwell South & North
Newton

Additionally, Newton was an SSI in 1990.

Motherwell Contents

Last edited by Steamer on 04/04/2021 at 18:20