Crewe today is only a shadow of what it once was. When one walks around Crewe Station today it is almost a ghost of it's former self. One can see the empty track beds in many of the Bay Platforms and the silent eeriness fails to echo the frantic movement of trains that once was, and is now relegated to the past.

It is hard to imagine that this area was once a farm and was destined to become one of the largest and busiest railway junctions in the world. The simulation, set in the 1950's brings us to the wonder of Crewe at its peak. Many Saturdays teams of train spotters could be seen running from point to point to catch an excited glimpse of the huge locomotives that thundered into the station. Sometimes these enthusiasts would end up in places where they shouldn't and had to be chased off, but their enthusiasm was often well rewarded as a grand "Namer" hissing steam, came into the station. Porters busied themselves caring for trolley's fully laden with suitcases, mail bags, and parcels, busily scurrying from platform to platform as crowds thronged them. Rail at this time was the principal mode of transportation and "everything" went by train.

SIGNALLING

At the South or London end of the station stood Crewe South Junction signal box with its Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. Ltd. Style 'L' Power Lever Frame. It was opened and commissioned on 29th September 1940 by the London Midland and Scottish Railway, as part of the resignalling scheme for Crewe Station. It was built to a Non Standard ARP design and was fitted with a 227 lever Westinghouse 'L' frame, It worked in conjunction with Crewe North Junction, with its 214 levers to control the Crewe area. There were also two boxes in the Station. 

South Jcn box was reduced to a non block post on 2nd June 1985 during the major renewals at Crewe station. The signalbox remained in use for 48 years until its operation was taken over by Crewe Signalling Centre on the 6th June 1985. Today its stands a derelict edifice as a reminder of a glory that once was. 

The standard London, Midland & Scottish Railway ARP design, the Type 13 boxes, were generally built with 14" thick brick walls, a reinforced concrete roof around 12" thick, concrete floors, the two ARP signal boxes built to control the approaches to Crewe station were built with 15" thick reinforced concrete walls and reinforced concrete roofs that were 18" thick. Both North and South Jcn Signalboxes were built to withstand an air raid, as they were built and opened at the start of the Battle of Britian during World War II. Enough difference to classify them as Non Standard designs. 

At the north or Manchester, Liverpool end of the Station stood Crewe North Junction signal box with its Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. Ltd. Style 'L' Power Lever Frame was opened and commissioned on 29th March 1940 by the London Midland and Scottish Railway as part of the resignalling scheme for Crewe Station. It worked in conjunction with Crewe South Junction with its 227 levers to control the Crewe area. The signalbox remained in use for 48 years until its operation was take over Crewe Signalling Centre on the 19th July 1985.

The signalbox was built to a non-standard ARP design and was fitted with a 214 lever Westinghouse 'L' frame. Today it is a "working" museum by a Heritage Group.

Up until the electrification of Crewe in the early 1960's, the interior of the station was controlled by Crewe A and B Cabins. After the electrification only Crewe A cabin remained controlling Platform 1 and the Horse Landing and Dn Through No 1. Crewe North and South Jcns became fringe boxes to each other throughout the rest of the station. 

The simulation is set during the early part of the 1950's when Crewe was "alive" with passenger and parcel traffic. So busy was the station that very few freight trains passed through it unless to access and exit the North Staffordshire lines. All other freight traffic past under the station through what was called "The Muck Hole". During this time frequent engine changes were ncessary for stopping long distance passenger and parcel trains. Crewe North Shed was a veritable hive of activity with the great "namers". The South shed dealt with mainly freight engines.

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 

RUNNING LINES

On the Down there were two through lines. Dn Through Line No 1 and Dn Through Line No 2. Platforms 1 and 2 were one directional even though locomotives could set back in the Up direction. Platform No3 was bidirectional. 

On the UP Platforms 4,5 and 6 were one directional and between Platform 4 and 5 the Up Through carried through traffic. 

The South end was controlled by South Jcn signalling the main lines south with lines diverging to Stoke via the North Staffordshire lines, The Salop Line to Whitchurch and Shrewsbury and South Wales. 

The North end controlled by North Jcn signalling lines to Liverpool, Scotland, Manchester, and North Wales and Chester. Crewe was the crossroads of the entire Railway network and one of the largest railway junctions in the world. 

The two main Signalboxes were double manned on all shifts with regulator and train recorder.

PLATFORMS, TIMING POINTS AND SIDINGS
All distances are in Chains.  Loco and coach = 1 chain; 3 wagons = 1 chain

Additional timing points are provided as follows:-
Dn Chester Independant	-	Ahead of 210 signal
Up Chester Independant	-	Approaching 941 signal
Dn Stoke Goods			-	Approaching 130 signal

Through Line & Platform capacities are as follows (Where platforms are split the distances are between signals and are split [left to right] into S [south] C [centre] and N [north]. Note: The Through Lines and the Manchester Loop are available for stopping trains for crew changes. Platforms 5 & 6 could be used for stopping freight traffic for crew change also.
Platform 1		11+2+9
Platform 2		10+2+10
Platform 3		20	
Platform 4		11+4+11
Platform 5		11+2+7
Platform 6 		18
Down Through 1	11+6+6	
Down Through 2	10+3+8
Up Through		11+3+5
Manchester Loop	21*

It should be remembered that these lengths are in Chains and not specifically loads. So for example the average passenger coach was approximately 60-70feet long =1 chain, frieght wagons were smaller and so would require more wagons to equal a chain, approximately 3. *So for example Manchester Loop could fit more freight wagons than passenger coaches.   	

Bay Platforms are as follows (Where platforms are split the distances are between signals and are split [left to right] into S [south] C [centre] and N [north].
Platform 1A		9
Platform 1B		7+2+1
Platform 2A		9
Platform 2B		7+2+1
Platform 3A		1+2+7
Platform 3B		7+2+1
Platform 4A		1+2+8
Platform 4B		7+2+1
Platform 5B		7+2+1
Platform 6B		7+2+1

Sidings are as follows
CREWE SIDINGS
	No.1 Siding				14
	Dn Carriage Sdg South	12
	Station A Sdg			 9
	Bay Sdg					 9
	No.2 Carriage Sdg		 9
	No.1 Carriage Sdg		 9
	Parlour Sdg				 6
ENGINE SPURS
	Engine Sdg				 2
	Bank Engine Sdg			 2
	Slip Engine Sdg			 2
	South Siding			 4
	Short Neck				 3
Long Neck North				10

It should be remembered that passenger and freight coaches and wagons of the day, differed somewhat in length to todays traffic. Their sizes tended to be smaller. therefore the South end of the station could hold slightly more traffic in certain platforms, than the North end. This simulation, while trying to emulate and maintain a measure of realism, fails to capture the "true" Crewe in it's heyday. While attemping to adhere as closely as possible to the WTT of the day, it is impossible to simulate everything that went on between Crewe North and South Jcns and the station in between with 'A' Cabin. In its day, the Station Pilots were constantly on the move shunting ECS and Parcel traffic along with other small baggage and freight vans from Platform to Platform and to various Sidings and Bays. Crewe teemed with life and this simulation tries its best to show how busy Crewe actually was in the 1950's. Over 1000 trains a day passed through or terminated at Crewe. That is without the tremendous freight traffic that passed through the "Muck Hole" and Independent Lines around the station.

This simulation is therefore dedicated to those Signalmen who worked those Signal Boxes and dealt with such tremendous volumes of passenger and other traffic in a very safe environment.

I thank Richard Wade for all his assistance and his original idea. It was he that wanted to do this simulation and gave me the privilege of assisting him with it. This is the second simulation that we have done together, Stoke being the first, and without all his technical abilities, they would have remained "Dreams". Thank you Richard. 