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West Hampstead
Introduction

West Hampstead

Introduction

Welcome to SimSig's representation of West Hampstead PSB, built with the input and critical eye of real signallers at the signalbox and drivers who operate through the area.

West Hampstead signalbox was built in 1979 to replace numerous manual signalboxes along the route. The first stage to open was between Leagrave and Hendon in October 1979. Works progressed further north, taking control of Leagrave to Irchester in June 1980. April 1981 saw control taken of Hendon to Engine Shed Junction, followed 8 months later by Carlton Road Junction to Dock Junction (North) and Moorgate. Finally, July 1982 saw the bulk of the resignalling complete with St. Pancras now under West Hampstead's control.

Geographical Map of control area

The signalbox itself is located to the geographic south (Down Fast side) of West Hampstead station, although is not accessible from the station itself. It follows a standard two-level signalbox design of the era with the interlocking room for the local area on the ground floor and the operating room on the first floor. The panel is composed of sections forming a part circle with the signallers facing away from the tracks. With this layout, London (the Up end) is at the left of the panel with Sharnbrook at the right end of the panel. The panel colour is light blue, typical of the region and era, and is a combined control and indication panel of the pushbutton NX style. Four signallers operate the panel during the day.

The interlocking behind is a Geographic Relay Interlocking, believed to be a Westpac of some vintage. However, since installation, SSIs control the London end of the panel - which itself has gone over to a Westcad control system, with the bulk of the panel still pushbutton NX.

Services on the line generally involve:

  • Fast Midland Main Line trains from St. Pancras to Derby, Sheffield, and Nottingham, stopping at Luton and/or Bedford
  • Fast Thameslink trains from Brighton to Bedford
  • Stopping Thameslink trains from Sutton to St. Albans
  • Mixed pattern Thameslink trains that run fast for part of their journey and then slow for the remainder
  • Freight trains between the north and the various yards along the route
  • Freight trains between Dudding Hill Junction and the north
  • North London freight trains between Dudding Hill Junction and Junction Road Junction.

Of course, with SimSig, you can play on your own, over a local network, or even via the Internet with people on the opposite side of the world.

Please have a read through the rest of this manual as there are some features in West Hampstead which may not be obvious to use initially as they replicate real life situations.

West Hampstead Contents

Last edited by Steamer on 20/12/2020 at 14:42