PETERBOROUGH 1950s/60s

WARNING This is a large simulation and is better operated on a larger screen, as the depth of lap-top screens is not really suitable. Also, it is quite challenging, so operating at a slower skill level may be advantageous at peak times. 

If this simulation is new to you, you are advised to familiarise yourself with the various locations as there are many operational yards. Route knowledge is the key to success. Level crossings are fully operational, but do route the train over the crossings, which remain under local control, in good time.

The first station to open was Peterborough East on 2nd June 1845, serving the 47mile line from Blisworth via Northampton. This was soon followed by Peterborough North on 7th August 1850 which offered a more direct, albeit slower, route to London. The bridge carrying the Up Slow and Up Fast lines over the River Nene and the March lines is believed to be the last remaining cast iron bridge still in mainline use and still carries trains exceeding 100 mph. It was built in 1850 and had minor strengthening work in 1910 and 1914. The steel bridge alongside, carrying the Down Fast and Down Slow lines, was built in 1924.

This was a very busy and extensive railway location. There were some 112 sidings capable of holding about 6,000 wagons in various yards, with some 26,000 wagons sorted each week before WWII (ref:www.ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk). This is compacted into a relatively small distance, from end to end this simulation covers just over ten miles.

Peterborough North was infamous for its 'dog legged' main lines which caused the slowing of all express passenger trains as the speed limit was 20 mph. Removal of this was one of the key drivers behind later remodelling. The gradient through Peterborough North is 1:270 heading north. To help 12 or more bogie trains get going due to this gradient and the curve, the station pilot acted as an uncoupled banking engine. This is simulated by timetabling a station pilot to buffer up to the rear of these trains. The pilot engine then is then moved back to its stabling point once the main service has started to gain speed.

The M&GN line to King's Lynn and North Norfolk was affectionately called the Crab and Winkle line and was used until 1965 although there were plans to close it in 1957.

Orton Waterville station, previously known as Overton, had closed to passengers by 1942, but occasional stops for railway workers and freight continued until 1964.

The iconic Crescent Bridge just to the south of Peterborough North is currently painted in the blue colour of Mallard, in honour of this record breaking Gresley A4 that plied this line for many years.

This simulation is based on the track layout in the Peterborough area derived from c1950 track diagrams published in British Railways Illustrated, various Ordnance Survey maps and signal box panel diagrams dating from 1926-1970s. Fortunately, until the 1960s, no major changes to the layout were made, although there was a process of continual evolution regarding detail. In 1974 there was extensive remodelling of Peterborough North and by then most of the yards had gone. 

Peterborough North Shed closed in the late 1950s and was demolished in 1960 and is shown as closed in this simulation. Spital shed closed on 1st February 1960 and is used in this simulation. Peterborough East shed closed in April 1939 and the station closed to freight on 17th April 1966 and passengers on 6th June 1966, but was retained as a parcels depot until 23rd December 1970

The LNWR shed at Woodston closed in 1932 but the turntable and sidings remained in use until the early 1960s. The nearby wagon works probably closed about the same time.

New England was a huge loco maintenance area. In its heyday in the early to mid-20th. Century, there would be regularly an allocation of about 200 locos. This figure had reduced somewhat to 111 by 1959. 

However, 35A (later 34E) did not have a turntable, so a run round the sheds was used as a turning triangle (a local pub was named The Triangle!), a feature that is obvious in OS maps and track diagrams, but too detailed to include in this simulation. The shed also featured a large traverser to enable locos the size of a Pacific to access the workshop. The other two major features, both made of concrete, were the large water tower and the cenotaph-style coaler which dominated the site, the latter replacing the earlier coal stage. The final feature of note was the long water gantry spanning all the main running lines in the main shed. 

The depot was situated between the Down Goods and the Up Goods lines. Because of the very complex track work many simplifications have been made and several ground signals added in order to make the simulation function.

The level crossings at Marholm, Woodcroft and Helpston were double crossings, with separate gates for the GN and MR lines. The consequence was a 'no mans land' in between, and people who upset the crossing keepers could be held there for some considerable time!

The timetable is based upon various WTTs from the late 1950s to 1962 and is intended to give the user an experience of what the activity at this location was actually like. We have not been able to obtain WTTs for many shunting operations, so these have been added on a best guesstimate basis.

A significant challenge in constructing this simulation was some smaller signal box diagrams were not available, those we had varied in date, and sometimes overlapping information was different, therefore a number of assumptions and compromises had to be made. Sadly no detailed OS map is available between 1926 and 1969 for the Peterborough area although a revision was issued in 1958,  However, we feel that this simulation provides a realistic representation of the trackwork, signals and operations during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

OPENING SCREEN

The opening screen shows Gresley A4 60025 'Falcon' in the 'shed' at Peterborough North platform 2 with an unknown gricer gazing on. A4s were common on the busy East Coast route. We are grateful to Peterborough Images for allowing us to freely use this photograph.

STOPPING PLACES

Peterborough North, Peterborough East, Orton Waterville, Helpston, Eye Green and associated yards and sidings. Walton station closed in 1953.

Station Codes used are:-

E Peterborough East (points 150-163)
N Peterborough North (points 300-309)
O Orton Waterville and Woodston Wharf (no panel diagram available) (points 200-202 & 209-212)
Q Helpston MR (no panel diagram available) (points 460-465)
Y Eye Green (points 620-623)

SIGNAL BOXES

There were over 30 signal boxes in and around Peterborough, of which 20 are included in this simulation. For purposes of clarity they are just given as SB on screen with an adjacent name.  Absolute Block (AB) Regulations were in force on the main running lines and it is believed that Permissive Block working may have been authorised on some of the goods lines.

Point numbers cannot represent the actual lever numbers due to a software limitation, therefore they are numerical e.g. 149A

Signal box codes and point number ranges used are:
A for Walton GN
B for Spital Bridge (points 250-259)
C for Crescent Junction (points 270-292)
D for Eastfield (points 420-433)
F for Fletton Junction (encompassing Farcet SB as panel diagrams are not available) (points 175-189)
G for New England South (points 500-507)
H for Helpston GN
I for Wisbech Junction (points 360-371)
J for Nene Junction (points 225-231)
K for New England North (points 520-538)
L for Fletton Loop (no panel diagram available) (points 203-208)
M for Werrington Junction (points 570-585)
P for Walton MR
R for New England Shunting Cabin (no panel diagram available) (points 475-481)
S for Spital Junction (points 320-347)
T for Peterborough East Turntable box (points 100-131)
U for Spital Up Goods Ground frame
V for Paston Level Crossing
W for Westwood Junction (points 390-407)
X for Wisbech West Jn (no panel diagram available) (points 450-452)
Z for Dogsthorpe (no panel diagram available)

Signals have been numbered in blocks as follows :-

eg at Orton Waterville O+lever number when known eg O05, at Peterborough East E10 et seq.

If signal lever numbers are unknown they are numbered 70 to 99.

LEVEL CROSSINGS

The locations are shown in brown and are functional; as stated earlier, the signalman must route trains over the crossing well in advance to avoid a train becoming stuck. This is because the activation point is well upline to avoid fast trains having to slow down. This is due to a limitation of the software, in that only one activation point per line over a crossing is allowed.

PASSENGER DESTINATION CODES 
	
A	Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sunderland, York also to KX
B	Hitchin, London KX stopping services
C	PB E & N from Cambridge & Liverpool St., Grantham, Norwich
E	Ely, PB E & N from Midlands and North
G	Sheffield
J	Boston
K	Mablethorpe
L	Cleethorpes, Grimsby
M	Birmingham, Leicester, Northampton, Rugby
N	Bradford, Hull, Leeds

PLATFORM LENGTHS

The length of each platform is shown below.

Peterborough North
	Platform 1 	5.2 chains
	Platform 2 	14.7 chains
	Platform 3 	14.1 chains
	Platform 4 	5.0 chains
	Platform 5 	4.2 chains
	Platform 6 	13.7 chains

Peterborough East
	Platform 1 	6.2 chains
	Platform 2 	6.2 chains

Orton Waterville 
Down Platform	6.6 chains
Up Platform 	6.6 chains

Helpston
	Down Platform 	4.9 chains
	Up Platform	4.9 chains

Eye Green
	Down Platform 	5.4 chains
	Up Platform 	4.9 chains

FREIGHT DESTINATION CODES

C	Peterborough East, Peterborough North, New England, Stanground
E	Ferme Park, London Kings Cross, New England from Midlands and North, Stanground, Whitemoor
L	Grimsby
M	Chaddesden (Derby), Coalville, Crewe, Curzon St. (Birmingham), Ellesmere Port, Hasland (Chesterfield), Irthlingborough, Leicester, Mottram (Manchester), Rugby, Toton (Nottingham), Washwood Heath (Birmingham), Welham (Retford), Wellingborough
N	Ardsley (Leeds), Doncaster, Dringhouses (York), Leeds, Newcastle
O	Snodland (Kent)
S	Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Uddingston (Glasgow)
V	Cardiff, Hatton (Warwick)
Y	Hatton (Warwick)

SCALING

Distances between key nodes have been measured using satellite images thus scaling is fairly accurate, and timings are realistic. It is noted that the WTT includes allowances for delays which were frequent, particularly at Spital junction where the Up and Down Goods cross over Up and Down Main. Hence a few trains arrive early and can be held allowing other services to pass.

TRAIN REPORTING NUMBERS

Many of the trains in the WTTs had old style IDs e.g. 8-1234, We have had to assume sensible codes using an appropriate destination letter to make 8E34 for example. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This simulation was developed by David Wilkinson using the PC-Rail Development software supplied and supported by John Dennis, proprietor of PC-Rail. The timetable was assembled by Graeme Abbott using his extensive personal collection of WTTs. Grateful thanks are due to Ray Preston, for his knowledge and provision of 1950 track diagrams. Ray worked at New England for 50 years, rising from engine cleaner to driver of both steam and diesel locomotives. Also, we are grateful that Peterborough Images allow us to freely use the introductory photograph.

Testing of the operation was carried out by the PC-Rail testing team, with special thanks to Bob Young who sadly passed away before testing was complete, Martin Cook and Ian Birch for sharing some of their technical know-how.


