Didcot, officially called Swindon B, is an Integrated Electronic Control Centre located in Swindon (not to be confused with Swindon Panel, which is in a separate building). It controls the Great Western Main Line from Challow to Moreton Cutting and the line towards Oxford.

While not looking especially complex, it is actually quite difficult to operate at times! There are only so many places that you can put freight trains out of the way of high speed passenger trains!

The layout is basically three-pronged with a triangular junction in the middle. Four tracks go between Didcot and Reading, with a pair of reversible tracks to Swindon, and a pair of uni-directional tracks to Oxford.

A wide and varied set of services operate over this line, including the following:

• High Speed Trains (HSTs) between Paddington and Bristol and South Wales
• Fast Thames services serving Oxford, Worcester, and Bicester
• Stopping Thames services calling at all local stations
• Coal trains between the power station and Avonmouth or the north
• Freightliner services passing in all three directions, also into and out of the yard in the centre
• Other fast and slow freights

Didcot was produced with the help of Railtrack (as it was then), in particular the staff at Swindon B IECC (thanks!). As a result, this simulation is highly realistic of the operation in use today.

Click on a picture to view full size

See also the Swindon B page for some real-life pictures - which look uncannily like the ones above!

Multiplay!

• Link with Swindon!
• Suitable for one person operation as ARS is provided

Key Features

• Wide area of view, including the near side of the surrounding stations (Reading, Swindon, and Oxford)
• Mixed traffic, ranging from 125mph HSTs to 45mph stone trains

Difficulty Rating

• Passenger traffic - medium
• Freight traffic - high
• Layout complexity - medium
• Overall - high

Because of the added realism features in this simulation, it is not recommended for absolute beginners.