GENERAL

Reading is a major junction on the Great Western main line, 36 miles from London Paddington. The line from London opened on 30th March 1840, as the first stage of Brunel's railway from London to Bristol.

The Berks and Hants Railway was built soon after, leaving the main line at Reading West and then running along the Kennet Valley to Newbury and onwards to the West of England. A second branch to Basingstoke opened in 1848, leaving the original Berks and Hants line at Southcote Junction.

In 1849 the line to Redhill opened, being taken over by the South Eastern Railway in 1852. By 1856 the London & South Western Railway had built a branch to connect to this line at Wokingham, giving Reading an alternative, though slower, route to London (Waterloo). These routes, which later became part of the Southern Railway, terminated in the separate Reading South station, located adjacent to the GWR's main station, which was known as Reading General. In 1965 the Southern services were brought into new platforms at the main station, which then became known simply as Reading.


SIGNALLING
 
The power signalbox at Reading was opened in April 1965, with an NX Panel over 40 feet long. Track and signalling in the simulation is based on the current diagrams for the area. 

It is a very busy box - over a 24 hour period the signalmen will set approximately 2350 individual routes in the Reading Station area alone, with another 1350 at the adjacent junctions to the South and West of the station. 

Standard BR multiple aspect signalling is in use, with Track Circuit Block working. Signal numbers have the prefix R. 


RUNNING LINES

At Reading station, all through platforms and the Up Main Through line are signalled for bi-directional working. The Up and Down Main lines are bidirectional between Reading station and Reading New Junction. The Westbury lines are also bidirectional between the station area and crossover 743.

Permissive working of trains of classes 1,2,3 and 5 is permitted on all platform lines.

Non-passenger trains scheduled to stop at Reading may do so on the Up Goods, Down Goods, Up Main Through lines, or in the through station platforms.


PLATFORMS
 
The capacities of platforms are as follows:-
    

         Platform              No. of Coaches
   			 
    Reading
             1                        5
             2                        5
             3                        5
             4		                 12
             4A                       8
             4B                       8
             5                       12
             6                        6
             7                        5
             8                       12
             9                       12
            10                        3

    Reading West
            Up                        6
            Down                     12
            
    Tilehurst
            1-4                       6
            
  
These capacities are reduced by 1 for each loco on loco-hauled trains.       

The maximum lengths of trains which can be held on the West Curve without fouling other running lines are:-

                               No. of Coaches/Wagons
         
    Down West Curve (signal 377)     26 (78)
    Up West Curve   (signal 346)     21 (63)
			

ELECTRIFICATION

The ex-Southern lines, including Platforms 4A and 4B and the EMU sidings are electrified using the 750V DC third rail system. No other lines are electrified.

 
TRAIN REPORTING NUMBERS

First Character (Train Class):

     1      Express Passenger  
     2      Ordinary Passenger       	
     3      Parcels  (Max. 90 mph+)  	
     4      Freight (Max. 65 mph+)      
     5      Empty Coaching Stock     	
     6      Freight (Max. 50-60 mph)    
     7      Freight (Max. 40-45 mph)    
     8      Freight (Max. 35 mph) 		
     9      Unfitted Freight  			
     0      Light Engine             	

Second Character (Route/Destination):
    
     A      Workings within Great Western area
     B      Workings within Great Western area
     C      Workings within Great Western area
            Reading to/from London Waterloo
     F      Workings within Great Western area
     E      London North Eastern area
     G      Class 1 trains Paddington to
              Cheltenham/Worcester via Kemble
     J      Basingstoke
     K      Newbury/Bedwyn
     L      East Anglia area
            Class 2 trains Reading/Didcot/Oxford
     M      Midlands and North West areas
     N      Down class 2 trains from Paddington
            Up class 1 trains Reading-Paddington
     O      Southern area
     P      To Paddington
     R      Down trains terminating at Reading
     S      Scottish area
     V      Great Western area
     W      Class 1 trains Paddington to
              Moreton-in-M, Evesham, Worcester,
              Gt Malvern and Hereford
     X      Out of gauge & exceptional loads
     Z      Local movements	        

Light locos and empty coaching stock proceeding to/from a booked working may carry the headcode 0 or 5, followed by the last 3 characters of the train concerned.


OPERATING NOTES

Routes into Reading West Up and Down Yards:

The only entry to the Up Yard is from the Up Goods, using shunt signal 522.
The Down Yard is only accessible by setting back from the Down Goods, signal 531.
Exit from the Down Yard is only possible to 574 and from the Up Yard to 523, 147, 47, TMD (93) and 346.  


DESIGN COMPROMISES

Due to lack of space, some shunt signals have been omitted. Stop boards have been given numbers in the 08x series.

Access to the Reading West Up and Down yards, which in reality is controlled from Ground Frames released from the panel, is simulated as part of the panel. (Signals 511, 512, 522 and points 601, 602).


STARTUP SCREEN PICTURE

Thanks to Paul Sharpe for permission to use the picture, which shows Reading station on 18th June 2002. An HST is approaching on the Down Main, while a Southern e.m.u. is leaving from platform 4A. This is one of a selection of pictures of Reading, to be found at www.sharpo.co.uk/railindex/reading/reading1/reading1.htm

 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are due to the staff of Reading PSB, including Manager Pat Crowther, Darren Millard and Bill Veloz for their considerable help in providing information and help to allow the development of the simulation. Also to Dave Blick of First Great Western, for additional information and advice.

Thanks also to those who spent many hours testing the simulation prior to its release, including Peter Dean, Graham Jenkins, Peter Mould, Vagn Poulsen, Alan Sugden and Richard Thornton.
