GENERAL

In addition to Sheffield itself, the simulation includes the Dore triangular junction, Dore and Meadowhall stations and Woodburn Junction. Trains enter and leave the simulation area on 6 lines: the Midland main line to the south, the cross-Pennine line to Manchester to the west, the Rotherham and Barnsley lines to the North and the Worksop and Tinsley lines to the east.

Sheffield Midland station was built in 1870 on a difficult but relatively central site over the River Sheaf. The 'Grecian style architecture and excellent facilities, including the luxury first class waiting rooms, were much admired at the time, and today it is a listed building. 

With the closure in 1970 of Sheffield Victoria, all services operate into the one Sheffield station (the Midland name no longer being used). 

Meadowhall station was built in 1990 to serve the large new Meadowhall shopping centre, close to the junction with the Barnsley line at Wincobank Junction.

Main line services to London St Pancras are operated by Midland Mainline and other passenger services by Virgin Trains, Arriva (Northern Rail) and Central Trains.


SIGNALLING
 
The power signalbox at Sheffield, with an NX Panel, was opened in 1973. Track and signalling is based on the current diagrams for the area, including many relatively minor changes made since that time.

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


RUNNING LINES

Sheffield plats 1, 2 and 5 are bi-directional. Platforms 6 and 8 can also be used in either direction, but have no Down departure signal and it is rare for them to be used by Down trains. Other bi-directional lines are the Dore South Curve, the Brightside Goods loop and the Up & Down Tinsley line (all freight only) and the Barnsley line between Brightside Station Junction and Meadowhall.
                        
Permissive working of trains of classes 1,2,3 and 5 is permitted on all Sheffield platform lines.

Freight trains scheduled to stop at Sheffield may do so in the through station platforms and, for Down trains, the Down Station Siding.

Light engines and Empty Coaching Stock trains which are scheduled to terminate at Sheffield may do so in the station platforms or alternatively in the Up Station Sidings, Down Station Siding or the Through Line.


PLATFORMS
 
  The capacities of platforms are as follows:-
    
    Station          Platform             No. of Coaches

    Sheffield           1                       16
                        1a                       6 *
                        1b                       7 *
                        2                       16
                        2c                       3
                        3                        7
                        4                        5
                        5                       16
                        6                       17
                        7                        5
                        8                       18

    Meadowhall          1-4                      5
			 
    Dore                1                        4

  The capacities of sidings, etc, are as follows:-

    Line/Siding                           No. of Coaches/Wagons
         
    Shunt Spur         [30]                      8
    Down Siding        [31]                     10 
    Centre Siding      [32]                      2
    Down Station Sdg                            16 (32)

      (these may differ from the prototype)
			
  Notes:
	* within signals to leave crossover 760 clear
	Reduce capacities by 1 for each loco.


ELECTRIFICATION

No lines in the controlled area are electrified.


TRAIN REPORTING NUMBERS

First Character (Train Class):

     1      Express Passenger  
     2      Ordinary Passenger       	
     3      Parcels, Freight (Max. over 75 mph), ECS where specially authorised
     4      Freight (Max. up to 75 mph)      
     5      Empty Coaching Stock     	
     6      Freight (Max. 50-60 mph)    
     7      Freight (Max. 40-45 mph)    
     8      Freight (Max. 35 mph or less) 		
     9      Unfitted Freight  			
     0      Light Engine(s)

Second Character (Route): (except Class 2 trains)

     A      To Kings Cross (Up Main Line)          
     B      Clethorpes/Sheffield/Mancester         
     B      Sheffield-St.Pancras via Nottingham
     C      Sheffield-St.Pancras via Derby
     D      To Leeds/York/Bradford/Hull etc        
     D      St.Pancras-Sheffield via Nottingham
     E      To East Coast Main Line Zone from another Zone
     F      St.Pancras-Sheffield via Derby
     J      Sheffield-Hull
     J      Scarborough/Bridlington/Hull-Sheffield
     L      To East Anglia Zone
     M      To Midland Zone and North West Zone
     N      To York/Newcastle                      
     N      Stansted Airport-Liverpool             
     O      To South Zone and South West Zone
     R      Sheffield- Doncaster-Cleethorpes       
     S      To Scotland Zone
     V      To Great Western Zone
     W      Sheffield-Bridlington/Scarborough
     X      Out of gauge and exceptional loads
     X      GNER Eurostar sets                     
     Y      Sheffield-Leeds                        
   
Second Character (Route): Applicable to Class 2 Trains
    
     B      Lincoln/Retford/Sheffield-Barnsley/Huddersfield
     C      Sheffield/Doncaster-Goole/Hull
     G      Special services
     J      Sheffield/Doncaster-Selby
     L      Sheffield-Barnsley-Leeds
            Lincoln/Retford-Sheffield-Wakefield (Westbound) 
     P      Wakefield-Sheffield-Retford/Lincoln (Eastbound)
     R      Sheffield-Cleethorpes via Doncaster/Retford
            Sheffield-Doncaster-Adwick
     S      Sheffield-Manchester via New Mills
     W      Sheffield/Hull-Scarborough
     Y      Leeds/York-Sheffield-Chesterfield
     X      Special services

    
The third and fourth characters indicate the individual train reporting number.

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

Because of the number of 'A' buttons provided, an additional facility is provided in the simulation's Options menu to activate or deactivate all of these in one step.


DESIGN COMPROMISES

Due to lack of space, auto signals 159 and 160 have been omitted, together with some intermediate shunt signals in the station area.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thanks are due to Blair Robinson for providing extensive information which has been used to produce this simulation, and for the picture on the startup screen. 

Thanks also to Mike Charlesworth for copies of current working timetables and to those who spent many hours testing the simulation prior to its release, including Peter Dean, Vagn Poulsen, Alan Sugden and Richard Thornton.
