SimSig South Humberside
Map of simulation area
Area Overview
The South Humberside simulation covers an area of approximately 60 route miles in the North East of England. The main areas that are simulated include the lines around Immingham Docks and TMD and the lines around Scunthorpe. It covers the area of numerous signal boxes, the largest of which is the PSB at Scunthorpe.
The simulation is an accurate account of the area. However, for various reasons, some artistic licence has been used in several locations. This is particularly true in areas covered by mechanical boxes and Absolute Block signalling. For example, some track has been track circuited that would otherwise not be and several crossings have been upgraded to remove the need for the crossing box (as would most likely be the case if the area was ever converted to IECC control).
The simulation includes areas of both Multiple Aspect Coloured Light Signalling (MAS) and semaphore signalling and is diesel traction throughout.
Area Description
Starting at Cleethorpes and travelling west, the simulation passes through Grimsby, where it’s joined by the line from Grimsby Royal Docks and the Grimsby Light Railway line at Grimsby Marsh Junction. It continues on though Habrough to Brocklesby where it’s joined by the main lines from Immingham via Ulceby. There is also a chord from Habrough to Ulceby which allows trains from Cleethorpes to access the line from Ulceby to Barton-on-Humber.
From Brocklesby, the line continues on to Barnetby and Wrawby Junction. There, the line splits into three. The southern fork to Lincoln is simulated as far as Holton-le-Moor. The northern fork continues through Scunthorpe and on towards Doncaster and is simulated as far as Thorne Junction. The middle fork continues through to Gainsborough and on towards Retford and Worksop and is simulated as far as Clarborough Junction, passing West Burton Power station enroute. This line is crossed at Gainsborough Trent Junction by the line from Lincoln to Doncaster which is simulated from Stow Park to Bessacarr Junction near Doncaster.
The Immingham Docks area has many (older) dockside sidings, as well as newer bulk import terminals, and also connections to 2 oil refineries.
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Traffic movements
Passenger Services in 2009
Passenger services through the South Humberside area consist of an hourly Transpennine Express service from Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport whilst local services are provided by Northern Rail with a Scunthorpe – Doncaster – Sheffield - Lincoln service. These trains leave the sim at Thorne Jn and reappear several hours later at Clarborough Jn! A fast, more direct service between Doncaster and Lincoln is operated by East Midands Trains coming in from Bessacarr Junction towards Spalding. They also run a Newark to Grimsby service via Holton-le-moor. Northern Rail also provide a 2 hourly shuttle on the Barton upon Humber branch. There are no passenger trains via Brigg on a weekday.
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Freight services in 2009
Freight services in South Humberside centre around three main hubs at Immingham (Including Lindsey and Humber oil refineries), West Burton Power Station and Scunthorpe Steel works and are provided by a vast array of freight operating companies.
Owing to the complexity of services there are a lot of freights that have several paths all going to differing locations so the chance of all the same trains running, each time the sim is played, is very slim. To make the sim more realistic there are plenty of shunts occurring between yards as well as the odd training trip!
Notes on BSC Coal and Iron Ore Traffic
Historically, the steelworks at Scunthorpe was supplied with local iron ore from Lincolnshire and coal mainly from East Midlands coal fields.
Later, ore was imported from abroad via Immingham (hence the Santon Foreign Ore Branch facing east to there), and more recently coal is now imported via new bulk terminals at Immingham. This traffic requires run-rounds at Scunthorpe to enter & leave the BSC Coal Handing Plant (CHP), which were intended for coal traffic from the west.
Note - at some points in the past (and again since early 2011), trains propel into the CHP rather than running round. Up to the mid 1990's, a dedicated loco was provided at Scunthorpe to assist with these movements.
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Last edited by GeoffM on 15/09/2016 at 03:00