Manchester North (Manchester Victoria to Littleborough


This simulation,(Infrastructure, signalling and trackwork) is set from 2017.
(For timetable date details see Timetable Tab).


Background -
 
In the mid 1990s the railways around the north of Manchester were significantly altered and rationalized, with a much reduced track-layout. Additional alterations such as the construction of the Arena Concert venue above Manchester Victoria Station and the extention of the Metrolink tram network, which took-over some of the former heavy-rail platforms and routes, meant that the railways around the north of Manchester are very different to how they formerly were in this modern-era simulation.

(Most of the area prior to the 1990s is covered by the excellent and highly recommended "Manchester Exchange & Victoria" simulation which is available on the PC-Rail website which, when compared with this simulation, illustrates the many changes to the area that have taken place).

There are now only four through platforms and two bays for all the services which means that, at busy times, congestion is almost guaranteed.

Please note the scale of the diagram is not uniform.
Permissive Working is allowed at all platforms at Manchester Victoria.
Freight services are also common, with trains bound for one of the three freight terminals on this simulation and other locations further afield.

The area covered by the simulation stretches from just west of Salford Central Station to Littleborough.
Manchester Victoria is the major location. 
A distance is approximately 15 miles with six routes that converge at Manchester Victoria.

From the west of Manchester Victoria -
The Salford Line from the north via Salford Crescent, 
The Chat Moss Lines from the west via Eccles, (bi-directional)
and the Ordsall Curve Lines from the south via Deansgate, (bi-directional)

From the east of Manchester Victoria -
The Lancs & Yorks lines via Todmorden
The Ashton Lines via Stalybridge
The Ashburys Lines via Ashburys Station

Additionally, there is a major railway maintenance depot and stabling point for Northern Trains at Newton Heath and three freight depots at Salford Central, Miles Platting Junction and Newton Heath that receive freight trains, (refer to "Freight terminals - Local Instructions").

At Castleton, there is an area just south of the station where the Castleton Long-Welded-Rail, (LWR), Depot was situated.
This was opened in 1960 and received rails in 60 foot lengths from the Workington Steel Works in Cumbria and welded them into 600 foot lengths. (Due to the geographical location on the Cumbrian coast, the Workington Steel Works could only produce rail lengths of 60 feet maximum).
The Castleton LWR depot closed in 2010 and the work moved to Scunthorpe. The plant was subsequently demolished and only various sidings, a freight passing-loop and the two connections to the East Lancs Railway remain.

Also note that the "Up and Down" directions change at Manchester Victoria with the exception that the Ordsall Chord Lines are "Down" to Victoria and "Up" to Deansgate.
Geographically, "North" is at the top of the screen.


Four different Signalboxes cover this area -

MN - Manchester North Panel (Left-hand side/Man Vic to Moston)
VW - Vitriol Works SB       (Moston to Mills Hill)
CE - Castleton East SB      (Mills Hill to Castleton)
TH - Rochdale West          (Castleton to Smithy Bridge)

Neighbouring Signalboxes
PN - Preston PSB             (Smithy Bridge to Hebden Bridge/Blackburn via Burnley, "Panel A")
BF - Baguley Fold SB         (Ashton Lines)
AS - Manchester East SCC     (Ashburys Lines)
MC - Manchester Central-MROC)(Chat Moss and Ordsall Chord Lines)
MP - Manchester Piccadilly   (Salford Central to Bolton, "Windsor Bridge Panel") 
The signalbox locations are not shown.

Track-Circuit-Block throughout.

Routings -

Salford Central - Trains from Up Salford to Victoria use P1
                  Trains from Victoria to the Down Salford use P2 in normal circumstances, 
                  (but can,(and do), use P1 during disruption, late running, failures etc.)
                  
                  
                  
 Routing (Where not specified)
 
 (West side, Victoria to Deal St Jn)
 Westbound,(Right to left), departing trains "usually" use Lines B or D
 Eastbound, (Left to right), arriving trains use any line to access their allocated platform
 
 East side approaches to Victoria (to & from Miles Platting Jn).
 Signallers preferance, (with due regard to any departing services and their routing at Miles Platting Junction).
 
 
 Overhead Electrification (OLE) 25kv
 
 Salford / Chat Moss / Ordsall Chord Lines / Manchester Victoria to Signals 705 (Dn Roch Fast) & 807 (Dn Roch Slow)
 Note - Hope Street Siding is NOT electrified.
 Limit of Electrification shown by a "dotted" blue line.
 Bi-mode trains change modes whilst stationary at Manchester Victoria.
 
 
 Trains scheduled to stop at Manchester Victoria*.
 
Trains in passenger service which are scheduled to stop at Victoria must NOT have the route set from MCV until the TRS alert activates**, (i.e. the platform departing signal must remain at "Red" until the TRS is activated by the platform staff. Only then can the route be set from Victoria for the train to start/continue on its journey.
**Exception - This does not apply to non-stop trains.

ECS trains that are scheduled to stop at Victoria, (crew-changes for example), are allowed "early departure" where permitted in the timetable but the platform signal must NOT be cleared to a "proceed aspect" until the ECS train has stopped at the platform. 
Passenger trains which have terminated and have changed their headcode to an ECS train are permitted to depart before the TRS alert sounds.
 
*Background Information - Shortly before departure time the platform staff will send a TRS to the signaller who will set the route and clear the signal. Then at departure time the train doors will have been closed and the orange hazard-light indications on the side of the train have been extinguished. Only then the platform staff will activate an "RA" indication on the platform signal to indicate to the driver that platform duties are complete and the train is safe to depart immediately.
(The RA indicator is not shown on the panel).
 


Platform Lengths - (Multiply by three for Cl. 6,7,8 Freight trains).
Capacities apply to all platforms unless stated, reduce by 1 if loco-hauled

*TRS fitted.
 
Salford Central - 6
 
Manchester Victoria P1 - 5*
                    P2 - 4*
                    P3 - 12*
                    P4 - 11*
                    P5 - 10*
                    P6 - 10*
           MCV REV Sdg - 8*
(Permissive working permitted at all platforms & Rev Sdg).

Moston     - 6
Mills Hill - 6
Castleton  - 7 

Rochdale P1 - 9
         P2 - 6*
         P3 - 9
         P4 - 5*
(Permisive working permitted P2 & P4 and Turnback Sdg only).
         
Smithy Bridge - 6
Littleborough - 6

Brewery Up Passenger Loop - 24**  (Permissive Working permitted)
Brewery Dn Passenger Loop - 24**  (Permissive Working permitted)
** Maximum size of a Class 6 train 24 vehicles + 1 loco

Vitriol Works Up Goods Loop - 16

Castleton Down Goods Loop (DGL) - 19

Rochdale Turn-back - 6


Newton Heath MPD

ECS trains terminating at Newton Heath TMD are usually routed into the depot via the Engine-Shed Line, (ESW), for refuelling and servicing.
Trains may be "stacked-up" in Brewery Loop if required, awaiting access during busy periods.

Trains departing Newton Heath TMD usually leave from the Loco Sidings line, but can depart from any of the three exit-lines if timetabled to do so.
            
 

Freight Terminals (TRS fitted at all terminals)
(Note that each terminal has a different working arrangement).


Hope St Sdgs, (Peakstone) (Diesel services only, No OLE).
Local Instructions -

When the train arrives at Sig 5 the loco should be uncoupled as 0xxx
(where "xxx" is the last 3 digits of the headcode of the train just arrived).
The loco should run round the wagons and then couple-up to the train at the other end and propel the wagons into the Discharge Siding where it terminates. 
The train will remain behind Sig 4 until departure time
At departure time a TRS alert will activate at Sig. 4.


Collyhurst St.Sdgs. (Diesel Services only, No OLE)
Local Instructions - 

Due to limited space, the loading of trains at this terminal is quite complicated.
There is no run-round facility at Collyhurst Sidings and therefore specific instructions must be followed to allow loading and to allow the train-loco to change ends.
This involves a shunter-loco to assist with re-marshalling the train for loading and departure , (the shunter-loco is stabled permanantly at the end of a non-track-circuited headshunt and is not displayed on the sim).

The "Shunt-to" facility will need be used for the movements within Collyhurst Sdgs CS1 & CS2.

On arrival at the "CS1 siding" the train-loco will uncouple from the wagons immediately.
 
A shunter-loco will arrive at Sig 1610,(STBL Sdg), and attach to half of the wagons in Sdg CS1.

The Shunter-loco will then shunt half the train into Siding CS2 via Sig 1610, ("Shunt to Sig 1610").

Loading of the two halves of the train can then take place simultaneously in both sidings.

Before departure time the shunter-loco will rejoin the two halves together in CS1 and then shunt the whole train to CS2, then uncouple and proceed off the sim to stabling location "STBL" (The shunter-loco can be sent to the STBL as non-timetabled train 0Z00).
The Train loco will then couple to the wagons and shunt the train back to CS1 ready for departure time

The original train-loco should then attach to the wagons in Sdg CS2 and shunt the train back into the CS1 Sdg ready for departure time.
A TRS alert will sound at departure time.
(The specific timetable information should always be consulted for any other shunting arrangements).


GMC Siding, Newton Heath. (Diesel Services only, No OLE)
Local Instructions

On arrival at Sig 905 the train loco will uncouple and run-round its train.
At departure time the TRS alert will sound at Sig 906.


East Lancashire Railway. (No OLE)

The East Lancs Railway, (ELR), is a heritage railway operating steam and diesel trains for tourists for 12 miles between Heywood, Bury and Rawtenstall. 

There is a link between Castleton North Junction and Heywood that allow trains to access and depart from the East Lancs Railway network, (ELR South & ELR North), however, only the north route is available to gain access the ELR, (ELR North, via a reversal at Castleton station).
(Note that Ground-Postion-Signal CE01 has only one route to CE47 "set back along Up Rochdale").

Mainline-certified heritage trains may be occasionally be seen using the connections to and from the ELR.
Details of these types of trains will be contained in the "Timetable Tab".



Level Crossings - 

Smithy Bridge Station - 
Obstacle Detection (OD)
On this simulation the crossing is activated by the approach of a train.



 Designations for 
 Manchester Victoria Lines
 
USF - Up Salford Fast   (Line E)
DSF - Down Salford Fast (Line D)
USS - Up Salford Slow   (Line C)
DSS - Down Salford Slow (Line B)
UOC - Up Ordsal Chord   (Line A)

Other Abbreviations -
25kv - 25,000 volts Overhead Line Equipment (OLE)
AS - Manchester East
BF - Baguley Fold Signalbox
CE - Castleton East Signalbox
DGL - Down Goods Line
DPL - Down Passenger Loop
ELRn - East Lancs Railway,(Northbound)(Entrance & Exit)
ELRs - East Lancs Railway,(Southbound),(Exit only)
ESE - Newton Heath East Entrance/Exit
ESW - Newton Heath Engine-Shed Line (west entrance/exit)
Jn - Junction
L&Y - Lancs and Yorks
LWR - Long Welded Rail Depot
MC - Manchester Central Workstation
MCV - Manchester Victoria
Man ROC - Manchester Regional Operating Centre
MP - Manchester Piccadilly PSB
NH Loco Sdg - Newton Heath Loco Siding
NTH - North
OB - Obstacle Detection, (Level Crossing)
OLE - Overhead Line Equipment 
PN - Preston Power Signabox
R/R - Run-round
Roch - Rochdale
St. - Street
TH - Rochdale West Signalbox
TMD - Train Maintenance Depot
UTS - Up Through Siding
U&DTS - Up&Down Through Siding
UPL - Up Passenger Loop
VQ - Virtual Quarry
VW - Vitriol Works Signalbox




Other Notes - 

There are fitters permanantly based at Manchester Victoria station.

Permissive working is permitted in both Brewery Loops.
(This is to allow ECS trains to be stacked-up whilst waiting for entry into Newton Heath MPD Engine-Shed Line at busy periods).

Littleborough Station is part of the Preston PSB area and the signals in this area are shown as Automatic Signals. 

The Vitriol Works passing loop, the "Plain-lined" legend can be hidden by changing the colour of the text to "black" - use the "Colours" tab.

The Rochdale Turnback/Metrolink Access is available for reversing trains via Sig 304, however the access beyond the end of the turn-back, (ML), to the Metrolink Lines is blocked-off by a chained-sleeper across the track and cannot be used. 
There is also a link to the Metrolink tram network at the end of Dean Lane Goods, this is also blocked off and cannot be used.

The Overhead Line Electrification currently only covers the area from the lines from the west and south, (excluding the Peakstone Siding), from left-hand edge of the simulation to a location approximately half a mile east of Manchester Victoria station, (denoted by the dotted blue lines).
At the time of building this simulation, (Winter 2021), work is in progress to extend the OLE along the Ashton lines. 
The dotted lines indicating the OLE limit can be displayed/hidden by altering the colours to or from "Blue to Black"



Start-up Image - 

Northern Trains 153 352 and 158 901 awaiting departure from Manchester Victoria platform 1 with 2J28 16:09hrs service to Rochdale on 16th February 2021.
Photo taken by the author.


Version Dated 
01/03/2022)
 
                  

