Table of Contents
Stourbridge Jn| Title | Version | Released |
|---|---|---|
| Simulation (Payware) | 1.2 | 10/03/2024 |
| 15/10/2009 WTT (Midnight & 0445 Start included) | 1.0 | 18/09/2023 |
| 08/04/2015 WTT (Midnight, 0400, 0500 & 1400 starts included) | 1.0 | 02/11/2023 |
| 09/01/2019 WTT (Midnight, 0400, 0500 & 1400 starts included) | 1.0 | 18/09/2023 |
Additional user-written timetables are available to download here Link to simulation's TT download page .
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, and will always be active on Stourbridge Junction Workstation.
Absolute Block:
This will select whether or not the absolute block is in use in your game. It is enabled by default.
Level Crossings:
If you uncheck this box the four controlled level crossings are disabled.
This era depicts Stourbridge Junction Panel and the manual boxes around it as they were after the turnback siding at Kidderminster was installed and remained until the area was resignalled in 2012.
There are five workstations, one significant panel, one mechanical box, two block posts with level crossings and one glorified shunt frame.
Any sidings that were out of use at the time will be collared up and not be useable.
As 2007, but will enable extra locations in the 2007 era for sidings that were in situ but long term out of use.
The same area as in 2007 but now all under the control of the Stourbridge Workstation in the West Midlands Signalling Centre at Saltley.
Details on how to operate the Absolute Block system can be found in the separate Absolute Block manual .
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.
There is a toggle on the top left labelled “INT” which will display the interlocking limits on Stourbridge Workstation when on.
Scratchpads are available at Stourbridge Jn and Queens Head in all eras, Kidderminster Junction in 2007 and Rood End in the Extra Locations era.
Certain sidings will interpose the line and description into the scratchpads when a train is seeded in the siding at sim startup.
The major workstation in the 2007 era, and the only workstation in the 2012 era.
Stourbridge Junction is a busy commuter station in the West Midlands with regular services in both directions. It is also one end of the Stourbridge Town Branch, which is a self contained line operated by Class 139 Parry People Movers.
In 1990, the mechanical signal boxes along the line to Smethwick Junction were all closed and the lever frame removed from Stourbridge Junction Middle Signal Box, to be replaced by an NX Panel controlling SSI interlockings controlling the whole line. When the Jewellery Line was opened to Birmingham Snow Hill five years later, the section of it between Smethwick Junction and Jewellery Quarter (exclusive) was added to the panel along with a new fringe with Saltley PSB.
Little of significance changed between the opening of the Jewellery Line and the resignalling of 2012, although many of the sidings around Langley Green and Rowley Regis had been out of use for many years. These were never removed from the panel or interlocking so are marked as OOU by default.
There is no direct access to Coopers Metals Siding from SJ9 signal on the Down Snow Hill.
Trains timetabled to Queens Head Sidings will leave the sim, trains timetabled to Handsworth A&D will stop on Track Circuit SJAT and remain captive.
Slots are required to and from New Street PSB at Galton Junction. To send a train, request Slot NS343 by clicking the roundel by SJ20 Signal, the route can be set once the slot is granted. To accept a train from New Street, you need to set a route from the grey signal SJ19 to SJ21. This will require the full overlap for SJ21 to be available.
Unless the extra locations option is selected on startup, only the Up Goods Loop at Rood End is available, everything else in that area has been out of use for many years. The hand points at Rood End are controlled by clicking the relevant roundel next to the desired siding. They can only be operated if the FREE roundel is white, the only limitation being they cannot be moved with a train sat on them. If you set the hand points incorrectly, a train will phone wrong route at SJ613.
In the 2012 era, Langley Green Crossing has an auto-lower facility. This can be set by clicking the AUL roundel at the crossing, and the crossing will lower at the designated time providing the route is set across it from SJ30 or SJ31 signals. There are Non-Stop controls for both Rowley Regis and Smethwick Galton Bridge associated with this crossing, and these are taken into account by the auto-lower function. In the 2007 era, the auto-lower function did not exist.
The Shellmex and LPG sidings at Rowley Regis have been out of use for many years. They are available if the extra locations option is selected on startup.
Cradley Heath Level Crossing does not have auto-lower in either era.
Reversing behind SJ630 can be used as an alternative to the North Neck but you should be conscious of trains waiting there a while locking up the main lines until they move.
The hand points at Stourbridge North Junction are controlled by clicking the relevant roundel next to the desired siding. They can only be operated if the FREE roundel is white, the only limitation being they cannot be moved with a train sat on them. If you set the hand points incorrectly, a train will phone wrong route at SJ630 and SJ632.
SJ75 stop board applies to both the Down Through Siding and the Down Siding. When a train phones from it, the line which it is on will be shown.
When you clear SJ641 signal, only the train for which you have the hand points set for will move.
The Stourbridge Town Branch will run independently by itself once you have got the unit out of the shed. This is by means of Ground Frame SJ401, and there is a diagram on the frame for which levers and handsignals do what. The connection between the Branch Platform and the Down Goods Loop is rarely used since the Class 139 Parry People Movers took over the operation of the branch. Locations and paths exist within the sim to allow a "shuffle" to swap around the two PPM units.
Trains on the Stourbridge Town Branch need to be timetabled at Stourbridge Jn (Plat 1) at the Junction Station in order for the branch to work.
If you have the hand points at Rood End or Stourbridge North set incorrectly for a departing train, it will phone up to complain it is stood at the signal (SJ610 or SJ641) even if it is off. Placing the hand points in the correct position will allow the train to depart.
This is little more than a glorified ground frame after the original signal box was burnt down in an arson attack in 2001.
Brierley Hill Sidings are not officially out of use, but have not been used in many years and are overgrown. In days gone by, the Pensnett Branch was accessed via a handpoint from these sidings.
Trains to Round Oak should be sent on the Down line, trains from will by default enter on the Up line.
In the 2007 era all four ends of points are independent rather than as pairs, if you need to key them you need to be careful to key all ends.
Blakedown is a minor station with a level crossing. It is track circuit block from here to Stourbridge, and absolute block to Kidderminster.
The crossover is an emergency crossover worked from a ground frame (BN3). The ground frame release requires no routes set from SJ88, BN1 or BN2 to be set and the barriers down, but is not locked with the overlap of BN2 or the blocks to Kidderminster. If you send a train over it with the block from Kidderminster to Blakedown at LC, the block will go to TOL, this is prototypical. In line with other locations of a similar type in Simsig, there are no timetable locations for it, trains have to be manually reversed.
In the 2012 era, the level crossing has an auto-lower function. This can be set by clicking the AUL roundel at the crossing, and the crossing will lower at the designated time providing the route is set across it from DR5842 or DR5843 signals. There is a Stopping control for Hagley Station associated with this crossing, and these are taken into account by the auto-lower function.
In the 2007 era, if in easy mode (None or Low Problems), a message will be displayed when a train is approaching the distant signals, in the case of the Up line, this is triggered just after leaving Hagley Station.
Kidderminster is a major station which in times gone by had a substantial goods yard to service the carpet industry in the town. Today, the goods yard contains the Severn Valley Railway station, Kidderminster Town at one end, and the SVRs Carriage Shed and Diesel Depot at the other.
The two eras depicted in this simulation are from 2007 when the old Up Sidings had been removed and the Turnback Siding installed, primarily to allow Chiltern Railways to reverse without occupying the main lines, but also used heavily by Central Trains and its successors, and the current layout as installed when the area was resignalled to the West Midlands Signalling Centre.
The 2012 era contains the facing connection to the Severn Valley Railway, which requires a phone call for a slot to Kidderminster Station Signal Box. You will not be able to set any route onto the SVR unless you have got the slot. There are three slots given by the SVR, KR49 slot locks points DR724 in the Normal position and is automatically granted when a train enters the sim from the Bewdley direction and is destined for the main line, or when one of the other slots is granted to proceed from the main line onto the SVR. KR50 slot allows shunt class routes to be set from either DR5834 or DR9836 to ground signal KR21, and KR61 slot allows main class routes to be set from either DR5834 or DR9836 to signal KR60. In general, passenger trains should use the main route, anything else can use either route.
The Severn Valley Railway has control of the shunt route between DR7835 and the Works, if a train enters from the Bewdley direction and is destined for the works, this signal will clear automatically. This route co-acts with the opposing route from the Works towards Bewdley, both being worked by the same lever in the SVR signal box, so DR7835 will clear for trains coming out of the works as well as going in.
In the 2007 era you should call the Severn Valley Railway for permission to send a train and will be penalised for not doing so, but there is nothing in the interlocking to stop you. KJ51 lever controls both ground signals over the SVR connection, so if you clear or replace either signal the other will automatically follow.
In the 2007 era, trains arriving from Hartlebury into the Down Goods Loop will phone to say they are complete with tail lamp.
Points KJ13 are locked in whatever position they lie once a Line Clear is given to Hartlebury until a train arrives at KJ2 signal. As a reminder, if Hartlebury offers a train to Kidderminster Junction with the points lying reverse, a post it note will appear to advise you to check the points lie.
Points KJ27 are required in the normal position to set both KJ65AM and KJ64AM routes. If they are not normal or free you will not be able to set the route. In order to signal a train into the turnback for a train which occupies Track Circuit KJT13 will require you to manually cancel KJ64 signal behind the train in order to release the locking on the points.
In the 2012 era, the Down Goods Loop and Turnback Siding can be used interchangeably for reversing trains that terminate from Birmingham to go back.
In the 2007 era, whist it is possible to timetable a train to reverse behind KJ26 signal, normal practice was to use the Turnback Siding so as to not block the main lines whilst the driver changed ends. If you signal a train booked for the turnback towards KJ62 instead, it will reverse at KJ26 automatically instead.
You cannot clear KJ26 and KJ63 signals at the same time.
Kidderminster Junction works Absolute Block to Blakedown and Hartlebury.
Hartlebury is a minor station with level crossing.
In the 2007 era, the crossover is signalled for moves from the Station back towards Kidderminster, but by this time it was rarely used as Kidderminster Junction lost its ability to Switch Out once the Turnback Siding was commissioned. It was removed altogether when the box was closed.
In the 2012 era, the level crossing has an auto-lower function. This can be set by clicking the AUL roundel at the crossing, and the crossing will lower at the designated time providing the route is set across it from DR5817 or DR5818 signals.
In the 2007 era, if in easy mode (None or Low Problems), a message will be displayed when a train is approaching the distant signals.
Elmley Lovett Ground Frame can only be released with a train between it and Droitwich and the block at Train On Line, or with no train in the section at all and the block at Line Clear. It is only functional if extra locations are enabled and only exists in the 2007 era.
If Absolute Block is enabled, Droitwich Spa will offer Down trains as soon as they enter the simulation at Worcester Tunnel Junction, or if there is more than one train between Tunnel Jn and Hartlebury the second train will be offered as soon as the first train is out of section.
Based upon 15th October 2009.
Winter weekday, based upon 9th January 2019.
=
| Name | Type | Located Between | Panel | Protecting Signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blakedown | MCB-CCTV | Kidderminster and Blakedown | Blakedown (2007 Era) | BN1 and BN2 |
| Stourbridge (2012 Era) | DR5842 and DR584 | |||
| Cradley Heath | MCB-CCTV | Cradley Heath and Old Hill | Stourbridge | SJ45 and SJ50 |
| Hartlebury | MCB-CCTV | Hartlebury and Kidderminster | Hartlebury (2007 Era) | HY1, HY2 and HY3 |
| Stourbridge (2012 Era) | DR5817 and DR5818 | |||
| Langle Green | MCB-CCTV | Stourbridge | Rowley Regis and Langley Green | SJ30 and SJ31 |
Stourbridge Jn SimSig can be played by one player.
If playing multiplayer in the 2012 era, it is necessary to take control of all workstations not just Stourbridge Junction. This is to ensure you receive all of the phone calls for the area.
The simulation chains at the following location:
| Simulation | Location |
|---|---|
| Saltley | Birmingham Snow Hill |
| New Street | Galton Junction |
When chained, the (SIM) label on the fringe will be purple in colour.
In addition to the standard shortcut keys , the following are available:
K or 1 will centre the sim on Kidderminster.
S or 2 will centre the sim on Stourbridge Junction.
The following limitations apply to the sim:
- Some locations and entry points will phone workstations other than Stourbridge Jn in the 2012 era 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 multiplayer.
These are 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.
| Code | Box |
|---|---|
| BN | Blakedown |
| DR | Stourbridge Junction |
| DS | Droitwich Spa (external) |
| HY | Hartlebury |
| KJ | Kidderminster Junction |
| KJ | Kingswinford South Junction |
| NS | New Street (external) |
| SJ | Stourbridge Junction |
| SY | Saltley (external) |
| Location | Platform | Length (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Blakedown | 1 | 119m |
| 2 | 120m | |
| Cradley Heath | 1 | 130m |
| 2 | 137m | |
| Hagley | 1 | 122m |
| 2 | 125m | |
| Hartlebury | 1 | 92m |
| 2 | 92m | |
| Kidderminster | 1 | 138m |
| 2 | 129m | |
| Langley Green | 1 | 123m |
| 2 | 123m | |
| Lye | 1 | 99m |
| 2 | 75m | |
| Old Hill | 1 | 106m |
| 2 | 125m | |
| Rowley Regis | 1 | 184m |
| 2 | 184m | |
| Smethwick Galton Bridge | 1 | 150m |
| 2 | 152m | |
| Stourbridge Junction | 1 | 89m |
| 2 | 155m | |
| 3 | 154m | |
| Stourbridge Town | 27m | |
| The Hawthorns | 1 | 150m |
| 2 | 150m |
| Location | Loop Name | Era | Length (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidderminster | Down Goods Loop | 2007 | 400m |
| 2012 | 465m | ||
| Rowley Regis | Down Goods Loop | Both | SJ620 Signal to SJ37 Signal - 165m |
| Clear of Points 323 to SJ37 Signal - 390m | |||
| Up Goods Loop | Both | 420m | |
| Rood End / Langley Green | Up Goods Loop | Both | 455m |
| Stourbridge Junction | Down Goods Loop | Both | 300m |
| Location | Siding Name | Era | Length (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidderminster | Turnback | 2007 | 250m |
| 2012 | 200m | ||
| Queens Head | Coopers Neck | Both | 55m |
| Queens Head Neck | Both | 30m | |
| Rood End / Langley Green | Up Through Siding | 2007 | 470m |
| Neck | 2007 (Extra Locs) | 95m | |
| Stourbridge Junction | Down Through Siding | Both | 260m |
| Down Siding | Both | 220m | |
| North Neck | Both | 210m |
All other sidings, trains will drop off the sim if sent in and enter as an Entry Location in the timetable.
N/A
| Splash1.jpg | Kidderminster Junction Signal Box (August 2012) | (C) Andrew Gardiner (Source ) (Resized) | |
| Splash2.jpg | Blakedown Panel (August 2012) | (C) Andrew Gardiner (Source ) (Resized) | |
| Splash3.jpg | Stourbridge Junction Ground Frame (August 2022) | (C) Steve Fulcher | |
| Splash4.jpg | 66054 at Kingswinford (September 2012) | (C) Andrew Gardiner (Source ) (Resized) |
Last edited by GeoffM on 10/03/2024 at 20:31