Introduction

This simulation is set in the late 1970's and features the network of lines which converge at Finsbury Park and run into London Kings Cross, 2 miles to the South.

At Finsbury Park. services to Moorgate diverge via a grade-separated junction and there is also a link via the Canonbury line to Dalston and Stratford.

Freight Terminal Junction gives access to Kings Cross Goods Yard as well as the freight-only  North London Incline, connecting with the North London Line at Camden Road. Freightliner container trains use this route.

The important Finsbury Park Diesel Depot is featured. Opened in 1960, it was the U.K.'s first purpose-built main line diesel locomotive depot and used for the maintenance, servicing and cleaning of diesel locos, including the famous Deltics.

Kings Cross is the London terminus of the East Coast Main Line. In addition to express passenger trains to the North, there is a busy inner and outer suburban train service and total passenger numbers exceed 40 million a year.

Signalling

The power signalbox at Kings Cross, with an NX Panel, was opened in 1971 and controlled the ECML as far as Sandy. Track and signalling is based on the diagrams for that era.

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

Running Lines

All lines between Kings Cross station and the crossovers north of Gasworks Tunnel are bi-directional . The North London Incline and the Down Canonbury lines are also bi-directional.
                        
Permissive working of trains of classes 1, 2, 3 and 5 is permitted on all Kings Cross platform lines.
 
Electrification

Lines in the controlled area are electrified using the 25kV AC overhead system, which was introduced between 1976 and 1978  in the Great Northern Suburban Electrification Project, the first phase of the full ECML electrification.
The Moorgate lines, from a point just beyond the simulation area at Drayton Park, are electrified on the 750V DC system. Trains on this line are operated by dual-voltage EMU stock.

Platforms

The capacities of platforms are as follows:

Finsbury Park
	Platform	No. of Coaches
	1	10
	2	12
	3	8
	4/5	8
	6	8

Kings Cross
	Platform	No. of Coaches
	1	15
	2	14
	3	14
	4	14
	5	14
	6	16
	7	15
	8	14
	9	8
	10	8
	11	8

The capacities of sidings etc. are as follows:

    	Line/Siding	No. of Coaches (Wagons)
	East Sidings	3
	Spur	3
	Headshunt (Frt Terminal Jn)	18	(36)
	Finsbury Park run-rounds
		Between sigs 378 & 379	13	(26)
		Between sigs 380 & 381	17	(34)
		Between sigs 60 & 391	14	(28)

	N.B. Reduce capacities by 1 for each loco.

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)
	9	Unfitted Freight
	0	Light Engine(s)     	

Second Character (Destination):

	A	To Kings Cross (Up Main Line)
	B	To/from Hertford North
	C	To/from Cambridge
	D	To Leeds/Harrogate/Bradford (Dn Main Line)
	E	To East Coast Main Line Zone from another Zone
	H	To/from Hull
	J/K	To Moorgate (Up trains)
	L	To East Anglia Zone
	M	To Midland Zone and North West Zone
	N	To York/Newcastle (Dn Main Line)
	P	To/from Peterborough
	R	To/from Letchworth/Royston
	S	To Scotland Zone
	T	To/from Kings Lynn
	O	To South Zone and South West Zone
	V	To Great Western Zone
		From Moorgate (Down trains)
	X	Out of gauge and exceptional loads
		(including trains formed of Eurostar stock)
	Z	Special trains, Local Movements

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

In the simulation, the main timing point for trains is Finsbury Park. Other designated stopping places and the abbreviations which may be shown in timetables are:
Kings Cross (X)
Drayton Park (D)
On the Down Goods at Finsbury Park - freight trains only (G)
Kings Cross East Sidings (e)
Shunt location - KX Shunt (s)
Shunt location - Copenhagen Shunt (c)

There are a large number of 'A' buttons provided; a facility is provided in the simulation's Options menu to activate or deactivate all of these in one step.

Design compromises

The facility to "turn back" trains from the Up Fast to Down Fast line at Finsbury Park station has been omitted, including the associated crossover and signals, K68 and K399.

Start up picture

A Deltic-hauled express on the steep climb out of Kings Cross. Having passed through Gasworks Tunnel and it is approaching Copenhagen Tunnel and heading up towards Holloway and Finsbury Park. The Kings Cross Goods Yard and the Camden Curve can be seen to the top right above the Deltic's exhaust smoke. Photo is from Geoff Butler's collection.

Alternative sounds

Realistic alternative sound files are available for download from the Files section of the PC-Rail User Group.

Acknowledgements

This simulation was developed over a long period by Richard Wade. who made  many fine simulations for PC Rail. However, sadly Richard passed away before the timetabling and testing could be completed.
Geoff Butler, a former Kings Cross loco driver at the time of the simulation, kindly offered to complete the unfinished work. He and all involved wish to dedicate the completed simulation to Richard. 

