Table of Contents
SimSig Victoria South Eastern Panel 7Panel 7 covers the Stewarts Lane area through to Brixton and Longhedge Junction. This is quite a busy panel but trains are only on it for a few minutes.
This area includes a large amount of railway land made up of running lines, depots, sidings, and yards. Graceful brick arches take several railway lines over the yard area on viaducts.
Affectionately known as the "Cabbage Patch"!
This is where the connection to Waterloo was built in order to cater for Eurostars accessing the International station at Waterloo before operations switched to St. Pancras in November 2007.
This junction radiates track in all directions. Mostly freight passes Longhedge with the occasional passenger special (such as the VSOE).
The Battersea Reversible line runs from Battersea Pier Junction on the Central side, through Stewarts Lane on the SE side, and finishes at Longhedge Junction on the SE side. It is bi-directional throughout and requires some special instructions for its use.
When Central wants to send a Down train via the Battersea Reversible, the signaller first operates a slot request. This appears on SE as a flashing white roundel indication adjacent to the "Request from Central" label. If you are ready to accept the train you must set the route from signal VC541 to signal VS47. The request indication will turn steady and the Down direction arrow will light.
Cancelling the route, or releasing the route through the passage of a train, will cause the slot to automatically cancel.
To avoid Central thinking that a train is approaching whereas in fact it is simply reversing behind signal VS47 to go into Battersea Yard for example, an advance request control was introduced. The SE signaller must operate this control (left-click) in order to warn Central that a through train is approaching. Do not operate the request if the train will not enter Central's area.
Not using the control won't stop you sending trains to Central but it may delay those trains if it's not used. In addition, Central won't know what train is coming until you operate the request.
For a train arriving from Longhedge Junction or Factory Junction that needs to reverse into Battersea Yard, using the Bettersea Reversible line, shunting routes must be used. Thus, from Factory Junction, a route must be set from VS60 to VS574, and then VS574 to VC546. From Longhedge Junction, a route from VS62 to VS574, and then VS574 to VC546 must be set.
The train can now reverse behind VS571 and proceed into the yard.
Setting a main route from VS60/62 directly to VC546 will result in the direction of flow arrow near VS571 to block routesetting from VS571 into the yard.
Though these shunt routes could be used for service passenger trains, you do need a valid reason, e.g. point failure which allows you to "hop" between the three lines in Stewarts lane by going from shunt to shunt but the driver must advised first.
Trains, typically freight trains, coming out of Stewarts Lane and heading towards Factory Junction or Longhedge Junction typically use this yard to run-round their train. Thus the train is sent into the yard and 10-20 minutes later it will be ready to come out to continue its journey in the opposite direction.
As there is no indication of a train within the yard, which only has the capacity for one train running round, care should be taken to ensure a second train isn't sent before the first train has departed. Sticky notes can be used for this purpose. There is also no TD berth available to interpose into.
As there is no indication of occupancy, ARS cannot set routes into the yard. As there is no TD for the exit signal, it also cannot set routes out of the yard.
This is a fixed red signal and can only be approached from VS566 (the Down Stewarts Lane line). It allows a little extra room for a train to reverse behind VS567.
This general description covers a number of sidings, yards, and depots. There are three entry/exit locations (VS584/VS586/VS588) which cover several locations. As the names and usages of the various parts of the yard have changed over the years, the three entry points and exit locations are referred to by 584/586/588 in SimSig.
Each of the exit locations requires the signaller to request permission by operating the slot control adjacent to each exit arrow.
Entering trains have their headcodes interposed by the shunters in the yards and the TRTS for each location will be operated when the train is ready to depart.
No special operation is required here. However, note that approaching trains will be shown on the track approaching signal VC584 whereupon Victoria Central will set the route to VS68. Exiting trains will be shown as far as VC575 before they disappear.
Victoria Central do not require any slotting to send a train via the Up Kensington to signal VS78. You will see it approaching Latchmere Junction, and will also see some of Victoria Central's indications over Latchmere Junction.
However, for Victoria Central to send a train on the Down Kensington (which some trains are scheduled to use in the default timetable), a slot is required. The "Down Kensington advance request" will flash white. When you are ready, left-click on the green slot circle between signals VC680 and VC682 to grant the slot. Victoria Central will eventually set route onto the Down Kensington which you can see from the direction arrows and the subset of indications received from Victoria Central.
No special operation is required to send trains from Longhedge Junction to Latchmere junction.
You see some of Victoria Central's signalling here. They operate signals VC551, VC563, VC568, and VC561. You can set route from Factory Junction to signal VC568 and Central will take over from there. Central will set route to VS83 from where you take over.
Through trains booked via Stewarts Lane may use the overhead Chatham lines instead without penalty. Trains not booked via Stewarts Lane may be routed that way but may be delayed a minute or two due to the slower running speed.
Trains not booked to stop between these two locations may run via either Catford or Herne Hill. Drivers are trained on both routes and will accept the route without question. Note that the Catford Loop is slower than the main lines via Herne Hill. The diversion can be used if there is congestion on the scheduled route. Close coordination between panels 7, 8, 9, and 10A is required to prevent such a diversion causing more of a problem than the original route.
Note that when in ARS mode, trains must be routed manually through the diversionary section as the train is off its booked path.
The train's timetable will step forward to Shortlands Junction at or soon after the train passes the junction determining the booked or diversionary route.
| Identity | Description |
|---|---|
| STEWLNE | Stewarts Lane |
| LINFDSJ | Linford Street Junction |
| FACTJ | Factory Junction and Voltaire Road Junction |
| LNGHDGJ | Longhedge Junction |
| BRIXTON | Brixton and Shepherds Lane Junction |
Panel 7 fringes to panel 5 at the north (left) end and panels 6 and 8 at the south-east (right) end. No special operation is required for trains to or from any of these panels.
Panel 7 also fringes to Victoria Central at Battersea Pier Junction, which has been discussed above, and also with Victoria Central at Battersea Park, Pouparts Junction, and Latchmere Junction.
It will also chain to Wimbledon (Waterloo SimSig) at Nine Elms and at Clapham Junction (Ludgate lines).
Some up trains in ARS mode report an ARS status of "end of path" at Clapham High Street. Right-click on the train description and select "Make ARS" and it will continue as normal.
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Last edited by GeoffM on 15/09/2016 at 03:00