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Walsall

Official Files

Title	Version	Released
Simulation (Payware)	1.2	11/07/2024
15/10/2009 WTT (Midnight & 0445 Start included)	1.0	11/07/2024
09/01/2019 WTT (Midnight, 0400 & 1400 starts included)	1.0	11/07/2024

Additional user-written timetables are available to download here Link to simulation's TT download page .

Introduction

This simulation covers the area around Walsall in the West Midlands. It borders with New Street in the south at Perry Barr and Staffordshire, Saltley and Wolverhampton in the North at Rugeley, Sutton Park and Portobello respectively.

There is a mixture of passenger and freight workings, many of the latter centred on Bescot Yards.

There are two eras, one present day as controlled from the West Midlands Signalling Centre, and one from the final years of Walsall Panel, including the three mechanical boxes on the Rugeley Line.

The sim is comfortable for one player to handle, but can split in two and still keep both players busy.

Start-Up Options

Era:

See eras section below.

Scale of problems:

This will set the level/quantity of failures that you should expect in the sim. In None and Low setting, TDs will also be interposed at the siding entry points. In Medium and High setting, the TDs are not interposed.

None and low are classified as “Easy Mode”.

Train Operated Route Release:

This is a standard option as to whether or not Train Operated Route Release (TORR) is on in the sim. It is disabled by default, but will always be active in the 2019 era.

Eras

2006

This era depicts the final days of Walsall Panel and the mechanical boxes at Brereton Sidings, Hednesford and Bloxwich.

There are four workstations, one significant panel, and three mechanical boxes. Walsall Panel was double-manned but there were variable limits of splits between Signallers and is therefore treated as one workstation in Simsig. Bescot Down Tower is not simulated.

Any sidings that were out of use at the time will be collared up and not be useable.

2019

The same area as in 2006 but now all under the control of the Walsall and Bescot Workstations in the West Midlands Signalling Centre at Saltley.

Although named 2019, which was to coincide with the electrification to Rugeley, the era is backwards compatible with any timetable since the resignalling of 2012.

Features

Absolute Block

Details on how to operate the Absolute Block system can be found in the separate Absolute Block manual .

The simulation is coded to allow an out of section to be given when the interlocking would allow in reality. This does not mean that the rules would allow it, for instance because the Signalman may not have had positive indications the train was complete. This is entirely a matter of discipline not to give out of section until the train passes the box, just as is the case in absolute block areas in reality.

Semaphore Signals

Semaphore signals are represented in this simulation, however where multiple arms exist on the same bracket in reality only one arm is shown in the sim.

Interlocking Displays

There is a toggle on the top left labelled “INT” which will display the interlocking limits on each workstation when on.

Electrification Displays

There is a toggle on the top left labelled “ELC” which will display the electrification limits on each workstation when on.

Scratchpads

Scratchpads are available at Bescot.

Panel Notes

Walsall WMSC (2019)

This workstation covers the lines from Rugeley Trent Valley (exclusive) and Park Lane Junction (exclusive) to Pleck Junction including Walsall Station.

Trains which terminate at Walsall will challenge any route at Pleck Junction which prevents them from accessing platforms 2 and 3.

Trains which terminate at Hednesford will challenge any route set towards Rugeley on the Down Cannock line.

To prevent a wrong route message, trains continuing on the Down Cannock line must be timed at Rugeley Town.

You need to call Rugeley Power Station for permission to send in a train.

Mid Cannock and Rugeley Power Station are out of use by this time but are still on the sim as they are not formally removed from the network.

Bescot WMSC (2019)

This workstation controls the Grand Junction line between Hamstead and Darlaston Junction, including Bescot Yards.

All entry points at Bescot will telephone you for permission to enter, and you will need to telephone for permission to send a train into any of the sidings. The train descriptions will only interpose on easy mode.

You will need to call Bescot Down Yard, Bescot TMD, Bescot Up Sorting Sidings and Bescot Virtual Quarry for permission to send a train into these sidings. The Down Yard will tell you which line to send a train in on when approaching from the Newton Junction end. The interlocking will allow you to send a train without calling but you will be penalised for doing so.

Any train on the two goods loop will by default run to the far end unless explicitly set to near end stop in the timetable.

Walsall Panel (2006)

The entirety of Walsall PSB, loosely worked by two Signalmen with a largely undefined boundary.

The Up and Down Goods Loop at Bescot, and its various entries into the down side yards are controlled by Bescot Down Tower which is not simulated. Trains booked to go to either location will automatically be granted a slot from the Down Tower when they are approaching, and you can then signal the train in. There are various different sets of sidings on the Down side at Bescot, which for simplicity in Simsig are all timetabled as “Bescot Down Yard” and the automatic Down Tower signalman will sort out where to send them.

Trains towards Bescot Down Local Shunting Neck will require a slot from Bescot Down Tower. Once you have manually set the WL421 Release you should telephone to request a slot. Any train entering at Bescot Down Local Shunting Neck will require the WL421 Release to be given before they can proceed onto the Up Loop or into the Up Sorting Sidings.

Route	Slot Required
WL2AM	DT65
WL2AS	DT65
WL5AS	DT65
WL19AS	DT32
WL20AS	DT32
WL30BM	DT1
WL30BC	DT1
WL30CS	DT1
WL34AS	DT3
WL34BS	DT3
WL34BM	DT3
WL34BC	DT3
WL34CS	DT3

Any train on the two goods loops will by default run to the far end unless explicitly set to near end stop in the timetable.

You will need to call Bescot TMD, Bescot Up Sorting Sidings and Bescot Virtual Quarry for permission to send a train into these sidings. The interlocking will allow you to send a train without calling but you will be penalised for doing so. Similarly, the Shunter will phone you for permission to send a train into the sim.

The Wednesbury Lines were long out of use by the year the sim is set in. In line with the prototypical Walsall Panel they are drawn but are completely non-functional.

Walsall Panel works Track Circuit Block to New Street, Saltley and Wolverhampton Panels, and to Bloxwich mechanical box.

Brereton Sidings (2006)

A mechanical box on the Chase Line at the extremity of the sim, Brereton Sidings fringes with the Colwich Junction Workstation in Stoke-on-Trent SCC to the North and Hednesford to the South, both by Absolute Block.

It contains the junction for the short branch line to Rugeley B Power Station. Trains from Hendesford can run straight in, trains from Rugeley Trent Valley need to reverse behind BS10 signal.

You need to call Rugeley Power Station for permission to send in a train.

If you give a Line Clear to Stoke-on-Trent SCC (Colwich Workstation) and wish to cancel this, you can telephone the Signalman there to do so, but he will refuse your request if a train would receive and Adverse Change of Aspect. All of the points over the junction to the Power Station need to be Normal to allow you to give a line clear to Colwich.

Brereton works Absolute Block to Stoke-on-Trent SCC (Colwich Workstation) and Hednesford.

Hednesford (2006)

The second mechanical box on the Chase Line, Hednesford is a simple double track layout with crossover and a ground frame to access the now closed Mid Cannock Colliery.

Trains booked to terminate at Hednesford and return to Walsall will challenge the route at HD37 if signalled towards Brereton.

To prevent a wrong route message, trains continuing towards Brereton must be timed at Rugeley Town.

Mid Cannock releases require either the block at Line Clear or the block at Train On Line and a train sat at the frame.

Trains terminating in Platform 1 from the Bloxwich direction will telephone you to confirm they are complete with tail lamp when they arrive at Hednesford.

Hednesford works Absolute Block to Brereton Sidings and Bloxwich.

Bloxwich (2006)

The final mechanical box on the Chase Line, Bloxwich has a small NX panel at one end to control the former Essington Wood sidings, which had been reduced to just a crossover by the year the sim is set.

There are sidings at Bloxwich and a goods loop. Signal BH15 is a yellow shunt signal. Trains booked to Bloxwich Loop will pass this signal and enter the loop as long as their next location is the loop and points BH16 are normal. If either of these is not true then the train will stop at the signal.

Bloxwich works Absolute Block to Hednesford and Track Circuit Block to Walsall Panel.

Timetable Notes

15/10/2009

Based upon 15th October 2009.

09/01/2019

Winter weekday, based upon 9th January 2019.

Level Crossings

Name	Type	Located Between	Panel	Protecting Signals

Multiplayer & Chaining

Walsall SimSig can be played by one player.

If playing multiplayer in the 2006 era, it is necessary for the Walsall Signaller to take control of both Walsall and Bescot workstations not just Walsall. If playing multiplayer in the 2019 era, it is necessary for the Walsall Signaller to take control of Brereton Sidings, Hednesford and Bloxwich as well as Walsall. This is to ensure you receive all of the phone calls for the area.

The simulation chains at the following location:

Simulation	Location	Era
Saltley	Park Lane Junction	2006 only
New Street	Perry Barr North Junction	Both
Wolverhampton	Portobello Junction	Both
Staffordshire	Colwich Junction	2019 only

When chained, the (SIM) label on the fringe will be purple in colour.

Hot Keys

In addition to the standard shortcut keys , the following are available:

1 will centre the sim on the left hand end.

2 will centre the sim in the middle.

3 will centre the sim on the right hand end.

Acknowledgments

Simulation by Geoff Mayo

15/10/2009 WTT by John Mills (MELD)

09/01/2019 WTT by Matt (eps125)

Limitations

The following limitations apply to the sim:

- Some locations and entry points will phone workstations other than Walsall or Bescot in either eras even though there is only one workstation in control of the signalling. This is a limitation of the core code where you cannot change the workstation assignment of a location or entry point based on era and can be worked around by taking control of all the workstations in listed in multiplayer above.

Reference Section

Signal Number Plan

• Walsall 2006 Signal Number Plan

• Walsall 2019 Signal Number Plan

This is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. 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.

Signal Box Prefix Codes

Code	Box
BH	Bloxwich
BP	Bescot / Walsall
BS	Brereton Sidings
CH	Stoke on Trent SCC (external)
DR	Walsall
DT	Bescot Down Tower (external)
HD	Hednesford
NS	New Street (external)
PD	Bescot / Walsall
RR	Walsall
SB	Bescot
SY	Saltley (external)
WL	Walsall
WN	Wolverhanpton (external)
WR	Walsall

Platform, Loop & Siding Lengths

Platform Lengths

Location	Platform	Length (m)
Bescot Stadium	1	89
	2	89
Bloxwich	1	72
	2	72
Bloxwich North	1	77
	2	77
Cannock	1	72
	2	72
Hamstead	1	129
	2	109
Hednesford	1	79
	2	80
Landywood	1	72
	2	72
Rugeley Town	1	80
	2	80
Tame Bridge Parkway	1	101
	2	101
Walsall	1	111
	2	177
	3	177

Loop Lengths

Location	Loop Name	Era	Length (m)
Bescot	Up Loop	2006	Bescot Jn End - 320m
			Newton Jn End - 570m
		2019	Bescot Jn End - 300m
			Newton Jn End - 530m
	Up and Down Loop	2006	Bescot Jn End - 370m
			Newton Jn End - 490m
		2019	Bescot Jn End - 370m
			Newton Jn End - 500m
Bloxwich	Down Loop	2006	351m
Walsall	Up Fast	Both	220m

Siding Lengths

All other sidings, trains will drop off the sim if sent in and enter as an Entry Location in the timetable.

Location	Siding Name	Era	Length (m)
Bescot	Engine Neck	2019	25
	North Neck	2006	40 (to WL34 Signal)
		2019	55 (to SB1550 Signal)
	Shunting Neck	Both	135
	South Neck	Both	160

Timetabling Details

N/A

Splash Screens

File Name	Details
Splash1.jpg	67023 at Walsall with a NR Test Train, (C) Tony Roberts
Splash2.jpg	Landywood Station looking North, (C) Steve Fulcher
Splash3.jpg	350104 arriving at Walsall Station, (C) Steve Fulcher
Splash4.jpg	Bescot Yard from Sandy Lane Bridge, (C) Steve Fulcher
Splash5.jpg	69005, 73136, and 73107 approaching Walsall, (C) Tony Roberts
Splash6.jpg	Walsall Panel Console, (C) Andrew Gardiner (Source ) (Resized)
Splash7.jpg	Bescot Down Tower, (C) Andrew Gardiner (Source ) (Resized)
Splash8.jpg	WestPac Interlocking Unit in Walsall Relay Room, (C) Andrew Gardiner (Source ) (Resized)
Splash9.jpg	Walsall Station Area on Panel, (C) Andrew Gardiner (Source ) (Resized)

Version History

Version History

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Last edited by Steamer on 21/07/2024 at 18:03