Local info file


1	History

In 1844, Exeter St David's station opened to form the terminus of the Bristol and Exeter Railway (BER).  In 1846, the South Devon Railway (SDR) opened its line from St David's to Plymouth and, in 1851, the Exeter and Crediton Railway opened its line which joined the BER at Cowley Bridge Junction.  Originally, these three railways were built to the 7ft gauge but, in 1862, the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) arrived at St David's with its 'standard' gauge line.  Later in the 19th century, the BER and the SDR were amalgamated with the Great Western Railway (GWR) and, after a period of operation with two gauges, the 'standard' gauge was adopted throughout the area.  In 1912/13, the station was completely remodelled and the track layout became that which is depicted in this simulation.  The Exe Valley branch from Stoke Canon opened in 1884 but it was not until 1903 that the Teign Valley line through to the junction at City Basin was complete.

In the 1950's, the Absolute Block signalling system was in use throughout most of the area depicted.  Permissive Block Regulations were in force on the Goods lines at Exeter and the Electric Train Staff Regulations were in force on the Teign Valley and Exe Valley lines.  The first "token stations" on each of the single lines (Longdown and Thorverton respectively) have been included in the simulation.  The passenger service was withdrawn from the Teign Valley line in June 1958 and freight services were simultaneously withdrawn at the Exeter end of the line.  Freight services at the Heathfield end continued for a few more years.  Similarly, on the Exe Valley line, passenger services were withdrawn in October 1963 and freight lingered on at the Stoke Canon end until November 1966.


2	Topography

The line between Stoke Canon and Exminster, the Exe Valley line and the Teign Valley line were all part of the Western Region of British Railways in the 1950's.  The branches to Exeter Central and Barnstaple were part of the Southern Region.

The main line between Exminster and Stoke Canon was relatively flat, there being no gradients more severe than 1 in 120.  Between Stoke Canon and Thorverton, there were no gradients more severe than 1 in 100.  From City Basin Jn, the ruling gradient was 1 in 58 rising to Longdown.  The most notable gradient in the area was the 1 in 37 bank rising from Exeter St David's to Exeter Central.  This incline was so severe that banking and/or pilot engine assistance was required for a significant number of trains.

A few miles to the West of Exminster, on the coast at Dawlish, it was not unusual for the line to be closed owing to inclement weather conditions.  The Southern Region route from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton was then used as a diversionary route.  In order to maintain route knowledge amongst drivers, some Southern Region Exeter-Plymouth trains were operated by Western Region engines and crews.  Conversely, in case the Okehampton route became inoperable for any reason, some Western Region trains were operated using Southern Region engines and crews on the coastal route between Exeter and Plymouth.  Such locomotives were called "interchange engines".    


3	Traffic

There were many long distance express passenger trains passing through Exeter, including named trains such as The Cornish Riviera Express (normally referred to as "The Limited"), The Cornishman, The Devonian, The Royal Duchy, The Mayflower and The Torbay Express.  Of the more local trains to and from Newton Abbot, Kingswear, Taunton and Bristol, a significant proportion either originated or terminated at St David's.  The services to Heathfield (on the Teign Valley branch) and Dulverton (on the Exe Valley branch) all originated and terminated at St David's.  Southern Region trains to and from Waterloo, Salisbury, Yeovil, Plymouth (via Okehampton), Bude, Padstow, Ilfracombe, Barnstaple and Torrington used Western Region metals between St David's and Cowley Bridge Jn.  There were local trains to several of these destinations from Exeter Central.  The most famous Southern Region passenger train was the "Atlantic Coast Express" which ran in several parts, in both directions, to the North and West of Exeter.

Freight traffic was also quite diverse: from fast 'perishables' trains from Cornwall to London or the North of England through to local trip movements between Exeter Riverside Yard and either Alphington Road Sidings or the Canal Basin branch.  The most notable Southern Region trains were the very heavy ballast trains from Meldon Quarry near Okehampton through to various destinations on the Southern Region.  There were several freight 'trips' each day between Riverside Yard and Exmouth Jn Yard - interchanging traffic between the Southern and Western Regions.

Some trains were 'mixed': passenger trains hauling several vans at the rear, for example.  The simulation software treats a train as either a passenger train or a freight train.  'Mixed' trains are treated as passenger trains.  In those cases where freight vehicles are attached or detached from passenger trains at Exeter, three freight vehicles are treated as being equal to one passenger vehicle.  The train notes give an appropriate explanation where this occurs.


4	The Simulation
	
The simulation is centred upon Exeter St David's station: it covers the former GWR main line from Exminster to Stoke Canon, short sections of the Teign Valley and Exe Valley branches, and short sections of the Southern Region connections to North Devon and Exeter Central.  (Exeter Central is the subject of an already existing simulation.)  It is based on the track layout that existed in the early 1950's.  All signals were mechanically operated semaphores but are shown as colour light signals.

Efforts have been made to make the simulation as authentic as possible but, inevitably, some compromises have had to be made - the perpetual dilemma for the developer!  Some infrequently used sidings, connections and signals have been omitted for simplicity and because of space constraints but the operation of the system is unaffected.  Some additional signals have been inserted where necessary to enable the simulation to work.  The complex train acceptance procedures between West and Middle boxes at St David's have been incorporated, as far as possible, into the route locking.

Although there were no automatic signals in the area, pre-set semi-automatic signals have been used to replicate free-standing distant signals on unidirectional lines which normally show a yellow aspect.  These will only clear to green when all the stop signals at the box ahead have been cleared.  It is not possible to use this arrangement on the bidirectional lines: free-standing distant signals on these lines (signals 134, 170 and 180 on the Teign Valley line and signals 883, 891 and 896 on the Exe Valley line) have been shown as stop signals.

The 'Standard' timetable supplied with this simulation demonstrates the service in use on a weekday in the Winter of 1955/56.  On Summer Saturdays, a completely different working timetable was in operation due to the large number of additional trains conveying holidaymakers to and from the Devon and Cornwall resorts.  Many of these did not call at Exeter.  The freight services on those days was much reduced.

The software does not permit a mixture of passenger and freight vehicles in a single train.  Vans were sometimes detached from, or attached to, passenger trains at Exeter St David's.  In these cases, three vans have been treated as one passenger coach.  The Train Notes indicate where such a movement is required.


5	Start-up Photograph

Most of the mechanical signal boxes in the Exeter area succumbed to modernisation in 1985 with the commissioning of a new colour light signalling system.  The only part of the Exeter signalling scene in the 1950's which survives today is Exeter West box: it has been preserved and is now a working museum at the Crewe Heritage Centre.  The photograph shows levers 1-111 in the 131 lever frame and the original block instruments.  The box is open for display, working 1960 timetables, at weekends and bank holidays throughout the summer months.  The winter months are occupied with the training of new signalmen.  I am grateful to the Chairman of Exeter West Group for giving permission for a photograph of the box to be used here.
 

6	Operational Notes

For ease of finding information, the stations and junctions on the simulation have been listed in alphabetical order below.  Where appropriate, some additional local information, historical notes and operational procedures have been included.  The capacities of station platforms and other sections of line are given in 'units'.  One unit is equivalent to a locomotive, a passenger coach or three freight wagons.


6.1 Alphington Halt and Sidings

Platform capacity:	 2
S.109 to S.130:		19
		
There was a run-round facility within Alphington Road Sidings.

		
6.2 Brampford Speke

Platform capacity:  4
		

6.3 City Basin Jn

Lever number range:	101 to 160
S.106 to S.113:		11

Traffic from Exeter to the Canal Basin could be routed in two ways: either route through to S.106 and reverse at S.113 or route through to S.109 and reverse (via the underpass) from S.130.  Traffic from the Canal Basin to Exeter could similarly be routed in two ways: either propel to S.106 and then cross to the Up line at S.113 or propel to S.109 via the underpass and reverse at S.130.  At busy times, the underpass was used to minimise the occupation of the main lines.
		

6.4 Cotfield

This box was only open as required, its normal hours being 08:00 to 20:00 on Summer Saturdays.  It had home, distant and detonator placers in both directions and its only purpose was to reduce the length of the Exminster - City Basin Jn block section when traffic was busy.  Its signals should therefore display a green aspect all of the time when the box is closed but limitations in the simulation software prevent this situation being reproduced.  The signals at Cotfield have therefore been made semi-automatic: they can be operated in 'automatic' mode for most of the time but can be made into controlled signals if the operator so desires or if a Summer Saturdays timetable becomes available in the future.
  

6.5 Cowley Bridge Jn

Lever number range:	701 to 750
Down Goods Loop:	25

The former LSWR line to North Devon diverged from the former GWR line at Cowley Bridge Jn.  The box had a significant rle in the handling of freight traffic to and from the large marshalling yard at Riverside.
    

6.6 Exeter 

6.6.1	East box
		
Lever number range:			601 to 660
Down Goods Loop:			20
S.620 to S.623				 3
		
A significant number of levers in this box were interlocked with those in Riverside box and co-operation between the two signalmen concerned was often necessary to deal with movements between the Main lines and the Goods lines.  The inner and outer distants on the Up line (slotted with Middle box's signals S.585 (inner) and S.590/S.586 (outer)) were only 274 and 411 yards respectively from the home signal S.602 giving insufficient stopping distance for an express travelling at speed.  Block Regulation 4A (used only on the Western Region) - Line Clear to Clearing Point only - was authorised at East.  When a train was accepted under this regulation, for which there was a special bell signal, the signalman at Middle box had to maintain his distant signals at caution, thus giving a train a greater distance for braking.
	
6.6.2	Goods Yard box
		
Lever number range:			321 to 330
		
The principal purpose of this box was to control the gates at Exwick level crossing.  There were connections to the Up Sidings and the Cattle Pens from the Goods lines but these facilities were rarely used and are not shown on the simulation.	
	
6.6.3	Middle box
		
Lever number range:			501 to 599
Clearing points (Up):		Full 440yd for trains not booked to stop at Exeter
							 - acceptance required by East box.
For trains booked to stop:	Up Middle - S.555.
							Up Main - S.585
							Up Relief - S.585
Bay Siding 1:				3
Bay Siding 2:				3							
											
If there was a train due to start out of P4, care had to be taken not to accept a train from West box into either P5 or P6.  If a train had been accepted into P5 or P6 then no train could depart from P4 onto the main line until the train into P5 or P6 had arrived in the station and come to a stand.  These acceptance constraints were handled procedurally by the signalmen but have, as far as possible, been incorporated into the route locking for this simulation.

Up trains terminating at Exeter (most often in P6) usually uncoupled the loco which then either ran round the ECS to work a return journey or else went to shed.  The easiest and most common way of doing this was to use Block Regulation 32 and reverse the loco along the Up Through line at S.573.									
		
The 'Dead End' siding at Exeter Middle was used to hold banking engines which would be attached to the rear of Southern Region trains requiring assistance for the ascent of the bank to Exeter Central.  At the entrance/exit to/from the Dead End siding, near to S.555, was a 'stop block' (not shown on the simulation) operated from a lever in the box.  Whereas most assisting engines would come down from Central singly, it was not uncommon for these to be attached to the front of service trains.  Upon arriving in P4 at St David's, these would quickly uncouple and move forward into the Dead End Siding.
	
6.6.4	Riverside box
		
Lever number range:			401 to 460
Up Reception:				21
Down Departure:				19
S.460 to S.459				 6
		
A significant number of levers in this box were interlocked with those in East box and co-operation between the two signalmen concerned was often necessary to deal with movements between the Main lines and the Goods lines.				
	
6.6.5	St David's station
		
Platform Capacities:		13 (Platform 1)   : West end = 7 and East end = 6
							 5 (Platform 2)
							12 (Platform 3)   : West end = 7 and East end = 5
							12 (Platform 4)
							15 (Platform 5)
							15 (Platform 6)
							12 (Down Through) : West end = 7 and East end = 5
											
Platforms 1 and 3 were controlled by both West and Middle boxes.  In the absence of instructions to the contrary, Down trains should be signalled through to the West end of the station.

There were no water facilities on the Down platforms but water was available in South Devon Sidings.  Trains in P1 sometimes detached their locomotives which then went forward for water in South Devon Sidings.
	
6.6.6	West box
		
Lever number range:			201 to 315
Clearing points (Down):		Signals 303 or 306 for acceptances on either Down Middle or Down Through lines (but see below).
							Signal 286 for acceptances into the Down Platform line.
Central Spur:				 2
West Spur:					 2
S.306 to S.232				10
S.260 to S.261				 7							
		
This was the biggest and most complex box in the Exeter area and it had a 'Special A' classification.  Both the locking and the operating procedures were complicated and the services were very busy for most of the time.  There was only one signalman on duty together with a 'booking boy'.  In addition to the traffic in and out of the station, the signalman at West box had control of movements to and from the Goods Lines, the locomotive depot, the South Devon Sidings and the Goods Sidings (often referred to as the 'West Yard').  Whereas the Goods Sidings had been used largely for freight in the early days of the railway, it was used mainly for stabling empty coaching stock by the 1950's.  The South Devon Sidings, too, were used for the stabling of coaching stock.  The Sectional Appendix refers to the locomotive depot as the "Running and Maintenance Yard".
		
Special signalling arrangements were in place to avoid stopping trains on the rising 1 in 37 incline to Exeter Central.  Trains offered from Exeter West box to Exeter Central B box would not be accepted by the latter until the train had been offered forward and accepted by Exeter Central A box at the London end of Central station, thus giving the train a clear run up the bank and into Exeter Central station.  To guard against the signalman at Central 'B' box forgetting to clear his signals, the locking at Exeter West box was reversed.  Signal 303 at West box was always cleared before signals 304 or 312 at St David's station.  This enabled the signalman at West box to observe Central B's Up distant, which was slotted with signal 303, drop to the clear position.  Only when this had been observed would the signalman at West box clear either signal 304 or signal 312 and allow the train to depart from St David's.  Passenger trains from Central were not offered to West box until they were leaving the station. Freight trains, however, were always held in the station until they had been accepted by the signalman at West.  The signalman at West would not accept a train from Central until he had set points 267 'reverse' and the train had been offered to, and accepted by, the signalman at Exeter Middle.  The train would thereby be assured of a clear route into the station.

Special clearing points were used for accepting trains from Middle box on the Down lines.  All trains offered on the Down Platform (P1) line were booked to stop in the station.  These could be accepted providing that the line was clear to S.286.  All trains offered on the Down Middle (P3) line were booked to stop and the clearing point for acceptance was either S.303 or S.306.  Trains not booked to stop at Exeter all took the Down Through line.  A train would not be accepted from Middle box on the Down Through line under Block Regulation 4 unless it had been offered to, and accepted by, the box in advance (either St Thomas or Exeter Central B).  The inner and outer distants for the Down Through line (slotted with Middle box's signals S.504 (inner) and S.503 (outer)) were only 307 and 680 yards respectively from the home signal S.312 giving insufficient stopping distance for an express travelling at speed.  Block Regulation 4A (used only on the Western Region) - Line Clear to Clearing Point only - was authorised for the Down Through line at West.  (The clearing points for the Down Through line were S.303 or S.306.)  When a train was accepted under this regulation, for which there was a special bell signal, the signalman at Middle box had to maintain his distant signals at caution, thus giving an approaching train a greater distance for braking.  Some Southern Region freight trains were booked to stop in the station on the Down Through line for the purpose of attaching assisting engines.

Trains in P1 were never allowed to proceed forward to the Down Main line if a train had been accepted on either of the Down Middle or Down Through lines because it would foul the routes from the latter two lines to the clearing points.  Trains thus accepted would have to have arrived and come to a stand in the station before the train in P1 would be signalled to proceed.  Trains offered by Middle box on either of those two lines were often refused by West if a train from P1 was already signalled or about to be ready to leave.  Similarly, trains could not proceed from P1 if a train had already been accepted from Central B box.  Trains standing in either P1 or P3 were never offered forward until the TRS indication had been received from the station staff.

The constraints referred to above, most of which were handled procedurally by the signalmen, have (as far as possible) been incorporated into the route locking for this simulation.

Block Regulations 31 (Shunting into Forward Section) and 32 (Working in Wrong Direction) were authorised between West and Middle boxes for all six lines running through the station.  'Working in wrong direction' was also permitted on the Goods Lines in both directions and was quite frequently used.

6.6.7  West Spur

Locos from the Running & Maintenance Yard, destined for the Goods lines, always ran to West Spur and reversed from there.  They never reversed at S.208.  Conversely, incoming locos on the Goods lines, destined for the Running & Maintenance Yard, always went first to West Spur and reversed from there.  They never reversed at signal 234.


6.7	Exminster

Lever number range:	1 to 80
Platform capacity:	10 (All platforms)
Up Refuge:			19
Down Goods Loop:	24

This station was expanded for wartime traffic in 1941 but was grossly overprovisioned for the requirements of later years.
		

6.8	Ide

Platform capacity: 5


6.9	Longdown

Lever number range:	161 to 180
Platform capacity: 6
		
There had been a 1100 ft running loop here to facilitate crossing of trains when the main Newton Abbot to Exeter line was blocked - not infrequently by flooding at Dawlish - but this was abolished in 1954.  A goods loop siding was seldom used by the mid 1950s, there being no regular freight service by this time, and this was abolished in November 1956.  Therefore, these two loops have not been shown in the simulation.  The small 9-lever signal box, a token station to City Basin Jn and Christow, did remain in use until passenger services were withdrawn in June 1958.


6.10 Newton St Cyres

Lever number range:	771 to 780
Platform capacity:	6 (P1)
					7 (P2)


6.11 St Thomas

Lever number range:	181 to 200
Platform capacity:	10 (P1)
					 6 (P2)
							 
The post carrying the Up Section signal carried a subsidiary 'Warning' arm.  This was used when the clearing point was fouled at Exeter West.	 		


6.12 Stoke Canon

Lever number range:	801 to 880
Platform capacity:	12 (P1)
					12 (P2)
					 8 (P3)

6.13 Thorverton

Lever number range:	881 to 899
Platform capacity:	 6 (P1)
					 6 (P2)		 


7	Stopping Points (with capacities) and Timing Points

All station platforms are designated stopping points for all types of train.  There are additional stopping points as follows:

Exminster Up Refuge (19 units)
Exminster Down Goods Loop (24 units)
Central Spur (2 units)
Exeter St David's Bay Area - Siding 1 and Siding 2  (3 units each)
Exeter St David's Down Goods (7 units) - between S.260 and S.261
Exeter Middle Dead End Siding (3 units)
Exeter East Down Goods Loop (20 units)
Exeter Riverside Up Reception (21 units) - between S.457 and S.458
Exeter Riverside Down Departure (19 units) - between S.644 and S.455
Cowley Bridge Jn Down Goods Loop (25 units)
East Spur (9 units)
West Spur (2 units)

Timing points are at:

City Basin Jn - signals 104 (Down Main), 131 (Up Main), 108 (Down Teign Valley) and 129 (Up Teign Valley)
Cotfield - signals 83 (Down Main) and 82 (Up Main)
Cowley Bridge Jn - between points 720 and 718 (Down Main) and points 726 and 724 (Up Main)
Exeter St David's - between signals 282 and 325 (Up Goods)
Stoke Canon - signals 804 (Down Main) and S.847 (Up Main) 


8	Multiroutes

Multiroutes make it possible to set routes between main signals (or sometimes between main signals and yards) without having to click on intermediate signals.  Such facilities are provided in this simulation for:

S.203 to S.208
S.203 to S.586
S.203 to S.588
S.203 to S.590
S.203 to Goods Sidings

S.232 to S.545
S.232 to S.559
S.232 to S.561

S.257 to West Spur

S.503 to S.304
S.503 to S.309
S.503 to S.312
S.503 to S.507
S.503 to P2 buffer stops

S.620 to S.503


9	Train Reporting Numbers

The four-character train identification system was not introduced until the early 1960's, but it has been used in this simulation to identify particular trains.  The first (numeric) character identifies the class of train whilst the second (alphabetic) character generally identifies its destination area or routing.  The last two (numeric) characters are the reporting number for a particular train.  Area codes varied from time to time and so details of the system used for a particular timetable are given in the 'Timetable Notes' for that timetable.  Light engines leaving depot to work trains are given the area code and reporting number of the train that they are destined to work.  Detached locomotives going to depot are given the depot destination code (as shown in the 'Timetable Notes') and the reporting number of the train from which they have been detached.  Detached locomotives going directly to work other trains, rather than to depot, are given the codes of those trains that they are destined to work as their next duty.


10	Abbreviations in the Working Timetables (Location Codes)

A		Exeter St David's
a		Alphington Road Halt
B		City Basin Jn
b		Brampford Speke Halt
C		Cowley Bridge Jn
E		Exminster Down Goods Loop
e		East Spur	
H		Exeter St David's Bay Area
i		Ide Halt
J		Exeter St David's Dead End Siding
L		Longdown
M		Exeter Riverside Up Reception
N		Exeter Riverside Down Departure	
Q		Exeter East Down Goods Loop
R		Cowley Bridge Down Goods Loop
S		Stoke Canon
T		St Thomas
U		Exeter St David's Central Spur
V		Thorverton
w		West Spur
W		Exminster Up Refuge
X		Exminster
Y		Newton St Cyres


11	Miscellaneous other abbreviations and information

CB		Cowley Bridge
DE		Dead End
DM		Down Middle
DP		Down Platform
DT		Down Through
EE		Exeter East
EM		Exeter Middle
ERiv	Exeter Riverside
ESD		Exeter St David's station
EW		Exeter West
Exe Val	Exe Valley
Exm		Exminster
G Lp	Goods Loop
G Sdgs	Goods Sidings
SC		Stoke Canon
SDev	South Devon
SR		Southern Region
Tgn Val	Teign Valley
UD		Up and Down
UM		Up Middle
UR		Up Relief
UT		Up Through

Drump Lane			Goods yard at Redruth
Friary				Southern Region terminus at Plymouth
Hackney			 	Goods yard at Newton Abbot
Laira				Loco depot and goods yard at Plymouth
Marston Sidings		Marshalling yard near Swindon
Meldon				Stone quarry near Okehampton
Nine Elms			Loco depot and goods yard near Waterloo
Old Oak Common		Loco depot near Paddington
Rogerstone			Goods yard near Newport
Scours Lane			Goods yard near Reading
Stoke Gifford		Goods yard near Bristol

Siphon				Vehicle built to coaching stock requirements for the transportation of milk churns				


11  Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to John Dennis for permission to use the "PC-Rail Plus" simulation building software which has been used to construct this simulation.  I am greatly indebted to Ian Wannell, who gave me the WTT information on which the 'Standard' timetable is based, and who gave me much more information about operations in the Exeter area in discussion. Thanks are also due to Mike Ratcliff, Chairman of Exeter West Group, for permission to use the start-up photograph. I wish to express my gratitude to several members of the PC-Rail testing team for their time in testing the simulation and for their comments.


Bob Young
6th July 2022


