PETERBOROUGH PSB

This simulation is based on the track layout in the Peterborough area as given in the Network Rail track diagram of 2019.

Peterborough North station was opened on 7th August 1850 by the Great Northern Railway being the second station to serve the city. Peterborough East (now disappeared) opened on 2nd June 1845. This station has continually evolved and continues to do so. The wagon works and most of the extensive sidings have gone. A modest loco depot remains primarily for stabling freight locomotives and GB Railfreight recently completed a major investment for intermodal working on what was the Eastfield sidings. Access to the Nene Valley Railway is south of the station.

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.

In 2020 a tunnel was pushed into place under the main running lines at Werrington Junction and this will remove the need for freight traffic to cross the main lines, thus increasing capacity and improving timekeeping.

Peterborough Power Box controls the East Coast main line from Sandy to Stoke tunnel.


OPENING SCREEN

The opening screen is class 66 66750 "David Gordon Harris" running light from Peterborough maintenance shed to Whitemoor yard as 0L57 on 3rd September 2020.


ELECTRIFICATION

At the date of the simulation, the main lines were electrified except Up Stamford and the March, Stamford and Spalding lines. North of Peterborough is a bit unusual in that all the main lines except the Up Stamford are electrified and the Down Stamford also serves as the Down Slow as far as Helpston Junction.


STOPPING PLACES

Only Peterborough and associated yards and sidings, and the reversing point at signal P78.


SIGNAL BOXES

Peterborough Power Box
Eastfield Junction still controls the yard.

Signals and points have been numbered in blocks as follows :-

Unknown signal number 101-200
Known Signal numbers 400-599 and 700-800
Point numbers are all artificial

Note that signal P78 and the Eastfield Shunt are key as they are the main reversing points between the Nene Carriage Sidings and Platfoms 1, 2 and 3.


PASSENGER DESTINATION CODES 
	
INTER-REGIONAL CODES (Except Class 2 trains)
Letter Destination 	Area
	E 		Former Eastern Region
	L 		Former Anglia Region
	M 		Former London Midland Region
	O 		Former Southern Region
	S 		Former Scottish Region
	V 		Former Western Region
	G, Z 		Special Services 


DESTINATION INDICATIONS FOR CLASS 1 SERVICES
Letter Destination 	Area
	A 		Kings Cross
	D 		Kings Cross to Leeds/Bradford/Skipton
	H 		Kings Cross  Hull
	L 		Birmingham New Street  Stansted Airport, Liverpool Lime Street  
			Norwich
	N 		Kings Cross  York/Newcastle/Sunderland, Stansted Airport  Birmingham 
			New Street
	P 		Kings Cross  Peterborough (Both Directions)
	R		Norwich - Liverpool Lime Street
	W		Scottish Highlands

FREIGHT DESTINATION CODES (from Network Rail WTT)

	D	Former Doncaster/Leeds District
	E	Former Eastern Region
	H	Drax Power Station / former Peterborough Kings Cross Districts
	L 	Former Anglian Region
	M	Former London/ Midland Region
	N	Former Newcastle/Teeside/York Districts
	S	Former Scottish Region
	X	Train conveys an exceptional load for which special conditions apply


PLATFORM LENGTHS

The length of each platform is shown below.  Many of the freight trains using Peterborough are much longer than the platforms. 

Platform 1  17.2 chains
Platform 2  15.6 chains
Platform 3  12.7 chains
Platform 4  13.0 chains
Platform 5  13.3 chains
Platform 6   9.6 chains
Platform 7   9.7 chains


SCALING

Distances between key nodes have been measured using satellite images thus scaling is fairly accurate and timings realistic.


TRAIN REPORTING NUMBERS

The Train Reporting Numbers use a four-character code and are based on the December 2019 to May 2020 Network Rail WTT.
The first character is numeric 0 to 9 and indicates the Class of the train.
The second character is alphabetic A to Z and indicates the destination area or route of the train.
The last two characters are numeric 00 to 99 and are allocated to distinguish individual trains.

This simulation uses the Post 2017 classifications
1. Express passenger train; nominated postal or parcels train; breakdown or overhead line equipment train going to clear the line (headcode 1Z99); traction unit going to assist a failed train (1Z99); snow plough going to clear the line (1Z99)
2. Ordinary passenger train; Officers' special train (2Z01)
3. Freight train if specially authorised; a parcels train; autumn-railhead treatment train; empty coaching stock train if specially authorised
4. Freight train which can run up to 75mph (120km/h)
5. Empty coaching stock train
6. Freight train which can run up to 60mph (95km/h)
7. Freight train which can run up to 45mph (70km/h)
8. Freight train which can run up to 35mph (55km/h)
9. Class 373 train; other passenger train if specially authorised
0. Light locomotive or locomotives


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This simulation was developed by David Wilkinson using the PC-Rail Development software supplied and supported by John Dennis, proprietor of PC-Rail.

I express my thanks to Peter Dean who patiently answered many questions during my learning period creating a simulation of what would have been my local station had it still been in use today.

Testing of the operation was carried out by the PC-Rail testing team, with thanks to Bob Young, Dave Howell, Geoff Butler and the rest of the testing team for their most helpful comments and suggestions.


