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Table of Contents

Telford and Oxley
Official Files
Introduction
Start-Up Options
Scenarios
Panel Notes
Oxley
Madeley Junction
Gradients
Regulating
Timetabling Notes
Multiplayer and Chaining
Acknowledgements
Reference Section
Signal Number Plan
Signal Box Prefix Codes
Platform, Loop & Siding Lengths
Splash Screens
External Resources
Version History

Telford and Oxley

Official Files

Title Version Released
Simulation (Payware) 1.1 07/11/2023
15/10/2009 WTT (Midnight and 0445 Start included) 1.1 14/11/2023
08/04/2015 WTT (Midnight, 0400 & 1400 starts included) 1.1 14/11/2023
09/01/2019 WTT (Midnight, 0400 & 1400 starts included) 1.1 07/11/2023

Additional user-written timetables are available to download here .

Introduction

Welcome to the Telford desk of West Midlands Signalling Centre. This desk took over Madeley Junction signalbox and Oxley signalbox in two main phases between 2006 and 2010. This simulation should thus be considered as a 2010s/2020s era simulation, but nevertheless it can still be used for 1980s timetables with very little compromise. The simulation was developed as a filler simulation between the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury simulations.

Traffic is not that busy: typically no more than a handful of trains will be moving at any one time, while at other times there may be no moving trains at all. Two "workstations" have been provided but in reality it is just one, and users will be bored if the simulation is split between two people.

Oxley Carriage Sidings consists of a large complex of sidings, carriage washing machines, toilet discharge roads, and stabling sidings. Typically a train will arrive at Wolverhampton from London Euston at the end of the day, proceed empty to Oxley, and visit the carriage washing machine, toilet discharge road, and stable before its next working. Thus, aside from scheduled services through the area, there are also a number of shunting moves going on which increases the interest somewhat.

Start-Up Options

Scenarios

Easy Mode

Easiest option with the most help and minimal failures.

Normal Mode

Normal option with some failures.

Panel Notes

Oxley

MJ343 is approach controlled from red unless an onward route is set at MJ345 (double red protection).

OS3706 and OS3716 have delayed replacement, meaning the train can occupy the first track section beyond with the signal showing a proceed aspect, while the second track section will actually replace the signal.

Most shunting aspects at Oxley are last wheel replaced.

Some repeater signals (with the grey R letter beside them) are not at the end of the track section on which they are drawn. This means that a passing train will replace the signal to single yellow while not yet occupying the next obvious track section. In reality the repeaters, outer repeaters, and banner repeaters are replaced by treadles.

Permission from the shunter must be obtained for trains for Oxley Carriage Sidings. Place a call to the appropriate section (down side or up side, west end or Wolverhampton end) and, if the shunter is able to accept the train, you will be advised onto which road the train must be routed. Routing onto a different road will incur a penalty. Permission should be sought as soon as possible to avoid blocking the main line.

Shunt Routes

Red triangles prior to the signal heads at Oxley are to select a call-on/shunt route instead of a main route. These are set by selecting the normal entrance signal and the red triangle as the exit.

Entrance Exit
OS3716 OS7710S
OS3716 OS7712S

The 'S' suffix denotes the red triangle adjacent to the signal.

Madeley Junction

The Person In Charge at Ironbridge Power Station will phone to ask permission for a train to enter (approach stop board MJ340). You must set a route from MJ340 to MJ330 before accepting the train. The driver of the train will shortly thereafter phone from the stop board (MJ340) whereupon you may grant permission to pass as conditions permit. Note that the overlap for signal MJ328 defaults to the Down Siding via a trap point not in line of route - the trap point redirects anything running away from the siding towards the trap end rather than the Ironbridge line.

The Person In Charge at Donnington RFT will phone to ask permission for a train to enter (approach stop board MJ361). Unlike Ironbridge there is no route to set so you may accept the train as conditions permit. The driver of the train will later phone from the stop board (MJ361) whereupon you may grant permission to pass as conditions permit. There are no routes between platform 3 at Wellington and the Donnington Siding, nor from platform 2 to Donnington.

Allscott Ground frame

Allscott GF has two levers and two handsignals. The first lever is the release which can only be pulled once the Telford signaller has granted the release by left-clicking on the green F roundel, which itself can only be clicked once no route is set from signal MJ378. The second lever can then be used to swing the points. Finally, the appropriate handsignal can be used to authorise a train over the ground frame in the appropriate direction.

Shunt Routes

Grey triangles beyond the signal heads at Wellington, Madeley, and Cosford are to select a shunt/call-on route instead of a main route. This reduces the risk of accidentally setting the wrong kind of route and having a second train call-on to a first or, in some cases, limits the chances of a passenger train receiving a shunt aspect instead of a main aspect. Route should be set from the grey arrow to the usual exit signal.

Entrance Exit
MJ372S MJ366
MJ372S MJ364
MJ369S MJ377
MJ367S MJ377
MJ366S MJ356
MJ364S MJ356
MJ360S MJ356
MJ358S MJ356
MJ328S MJ493X (Down Siding)
MJ338S MJ332
MJ331S MJ337

Gradients

The line is hilly yet most stretches are short with frequent transitions from uphill to downhill and vice versa. Sustained gradients are, simplified/summarised, as follows:

- MJ326/MJ327 (between Albrighton and Codsall) to the west end of Cosford loops: 1 in 137 downhill towards Cosford

- Shifnal to Telford Central: 1 in 100 uphill towards Telford Central

- Telford Central to Wellington: 1 in 132 downhill towards Wellington

- Oxley Chord: 1 in 87 downhill in each direction, swapping to 1 in 87 uphill towards OS7704/WN34

- Stafford Road Jn to Wolverhampton North Jn: 1 in 90 uphill towards Wolverhampton

- Stafford Road Jn to Oxley West: 1 in 105 downhill towards Oxley West

Regulating

Apart from Wellington, there is no opportunity to overtake one passenger train over another, unless the first is to stop at Wellington, and the second to not stop. Freight trains can be recessed in Oxley Goods Loops and Cosford Goods Loops, but check the length of each as later era Ironbridge trains are too long for Cosford Goods Loops.

Beware that many block sections are quite long - several miles in some cases. Trains will take a long time in the block section but when they get to pointwork the sections are very short, meaning you can get caught out by a train's arrival quite easily. Always read the timetable.

It is best not to set route from MJ328 until a train is on the last track section approaching MJ330.

Oxley Carriage Sidings are 5mph on most roads. Anything entering or exiting the carriage sidings will take some time. Coming out of the Down side of the complex can delay a train from Wolverhampton so be careful.

The Oxley Chord is nearly a mile long with a 15mph speed limit. Trains will thus take a long time to proceed through the section. Electric trains cannot reach Bushbury Junction but can use the branch to reverse behind signal OS1725 as there are wires for a short distance - enough for an 11-car Pendolino to reverse behind OS1725.

When reversing behind OS1725 and not proceeding towards Wolverhampton or Bushbury Junction, the train description 0S00 should be used so the Wolverhampton signaller can ignore it. The train describer berths at WN34 or WN57 should be cleared out after such a move has taken place.

The approach berth from Wolverhampton will populate once a train is in Wolverhampton station and signalled towards Oxley. The approach track will light if the train is at a platform in Wolverhampton and signalled towards Oxley.

Timetabling Notes

Oxley consists of a number of locations. An overarching "Oxley CS" is provided to match the real life TIPLOC but it is recommended to change this to a more specific location. The Up and Down goods loops can be used interchangeably, and trains passing on the main line will also register passing the goods loop (and will also stop if timetabled to do so).

The location "Oxley" refers to the short section between signals OS1725/OS3706 and OS3705/OS1726. Trains can be timetabled to reverse here, on either line. At the other end, "Oxley West" refers to OS1749/OS3716, OS3719/OS1748, and the two shunting spurs.

"Oxley Carriage Washer" forces use of Shunting Spur 1.

Though the simulation is of the West Midlands Signalling Centre era (approximately 2011 onwards), the track layout supports timetables back to the 1990s. Even earlier timetables are possible except two small sets of sidings near Wellington existed back then, and the Ironbridge branch had more double track. There are also a few more signalling sections now than back then. Nevertheless, with these compromises, 1990s and earlier timetables are certainly feasible.

Multiplayer and Chaining

The simulation is easily manageable by a single player, however two workstations are available in Multiplayer.

Chaining is possible to the Wolverhampton and the Shrewsbury simulations. The Wolverhampton signal numbers have changed and what is labelled as the Shrewsbury line in Wolverhampton is correct for that era - the line was renamed the Wellington line in later years.

The simulation chains at the following locations:

Simulation Location
Wolverhampton Bushbury Jn
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Station
Shrewsbury Abbey Foregate

Acknowledgements

Simulation by: Geoff Mayo

Timetables by: John Mills and Lyn Greenwood

With thanks to our team of testers.

Reference Section

Signal Number Plan

Telford & Oxley Signal Number Plan

This is an 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.

Signal Box Prefix Codes

Code Box
AF Abbey Foregate*
MJ West Midlands SCC (Former Madeley Jn signals)
OS West Midlands SCC (Oxley area)
WN Wolverhampton*

*Fringe box, signals not controlled in this simulation.

Platform, Loop & Siding Lengths

Platform lengths

Location Platform Length (m)
Wellington 1 135
P2 190
P3 85
DML 200
UML 240

Loop Lengths

Location Loop Length (m)
Cosford DGL 379
UGL 366
Madeley Jn Ironbridge passing loop 470
Oxley DGL 477
UGL 477

Siding/reverse point lengths

Location Siding Length(m)
Allscott Siding 145
Cosford Tamper 60
Madeley Down Siding 417 (mostly no train detection)
Oxley OS1749-OS3716 295
OS3705-OS1726 295
OS1735-OS3706 118 (onward route towards WN34 is required to be set for longer trains, which will then need to be cancelled manually after use)
No.1 Shunting Spur >300
No.2 Shunting Spur >300
Wellington MJ359-MJ500 170
MJ507-MJ372 160

Splash Screens

Splash1 67015 "David J. Lloyd" at Telford Central on 27/08/10 with the 07:33 London Marylebone-Wrexham service (10:19 from Telford) by Steve Jones
Splash2 170632 at Madeley Junction, Telford on 28/08/10 by Steve Jones

External Resources

Wolverhampton to Wellington Cab Ride Wolverhampton to Wellington Cab Ride
Part 1 Part 2 Cab ride from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton

Version History

See Version History


Last edited by Steamer on 21/11/2023 at 18:00