MANCHESTER EXCHANGE AND VICTORIA

HISTORY

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was opened in 1830 with its Manchester terminus at Liverpool Road. This was essentially a goods facility but passengers were also catered for. The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Railway opened to Salford in 1838. The Manchester and Leeds Railway opened to Oldham Road in 1839.
	
The three terminal stations were some distance apart and the land between them was already developed. In 1844 a connection was opened between Oldham Road, Liverpool Road and Salford via a single platform through station at Hunts Bank and named Victoria Station. The eastwards connection is via a 1 in 47 up and then 1 in 60 up to Miles Platting. The proposal was to use a stationary engine and rope haulage. The improvement in locomotives resulted in this idea being abandoned and trains were banked, when necessary, up the incline.

The LNWR absorbed the Liverpool and Manchester in 1846 and, in 1847, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&Y) absorbed the Manchester and Leeds which had already absorbed the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Railway. Oldham Road and Liverpool Road became goods depots. Liverpool Road is now the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. Hunts Bank was the HQ for the L & Y. The GWR had running rights to Liverpool Road for freight and Victoria for passengers.

As a result of increased traffic and the restriction caused by the severe gradient to Miles Platting, the L & Y constructed a two mile loop line from Victoria to Thorpes Bridge. This loop is known as the Manchester Loop. A new connection, from the loop line at Cheetham Hill, was built to Bury in 1879. With severe competition from trams, the L & Y electrified the line at 1200volts DC, third rail, in 1916.

Eventually, there was a connection via Blackburn to the Settle & Carlisle Line which gave the Midland Railway access to Victoria. In 1884, Victoria Station was extended  and the LNWR opened its own station,  called Exchange, adjacent to but operated separately from the L & Y's Victoria.

There was always great competition between the L & Y and LNWR which caused friction between them at Manchester. At the Grouping, in 1923, they both became part of the LMS which decided to modify the track layout and signalling at Exchange and Victoria West Junction. Platform 3 at Exchange was joined to Platform 11 at Victoria giving a total length of 2194ft (670m), reputedly, the longest platform in the world. This simulation is based on this layout.

OPERATING ARRANGMENTS

This simulation has assumed a single overall control of the track using multi-aspect signals. The area was actually controlled by several signal  boxes which are shown on the diagram. In order to fit the station area onto the screen, Victoria's bay platforms 1 to 4 and the fish dock have been omitted but this should not detract from the operations.

As banking engines are not allowed in the sim, provision is made to pilot trains, as necessary, up the steep gradient to Miles Platting. Returning light pilot engines should join the pilot/banking engine siding from the west (left). Before loose-coupled trains descend the bank, they must stop at signal 750, 752 or 754 at Collyhurst St. SB to pin down the wagon brakes and then stop again in the station to unpin them.

Most trains arriving at Exchange or Victoria Stations will be renumbered as ECS to run to sidings using the train engine. Similarly, ECS from sidings will usually arrive using the train engine. Most light engine and ECS workings have spare time so may be held to allow other trains to pass and still arrive on time.

The bay platforms at Victoria get very busy at times so the operator needs to keep up to date with uncoupling incoming locos and shunting the locos via TT sidings to new working using the Train Information rather than the headcode offered by the simulation. 

Platforms 5, 6 & 7 are electrified.
	
Red Bank sidings have extensive loco servicing facilities including an electrically driven turntable so locos don't need to go to a shed before a return duty.
	
In the timetable, the times shown are for Victoria except where indicated by a letter. E for Exchange, M for Miles Platting, N for Newton Heath, C for Collyhurst St SB, B for Brewery Sidings SB and T for Thorpes Bridge. 

Routing information is provided for most trains and the following abbreviations are used. UM Up Main, DM Down Main, DT Down Through, FL fast line, SL slow line. Other abbreviations are, hopefully, self explanatory and usually refer to a signal box name.

TRS (Train ready to start) is provided at Exchange, Victoria, Irwell Bridge sidings, Up and Dn Goods at Brewery Sidings, Dn Oldham at Thorpes Bridge, UF, US, Up and Dn Staybridge Goods at Collyhurst St.

Timing points are Victoria, Exchange, Salford, Miles Platting and Newton Heath and all entry and exit routes.


STOPPING PLACES

Permissive working is allowed on all platform and through lines at Exchange and Victoria.

Additional stopping places for freight trains are:-

	Collyhurst St SB            signals 750 on Up Fast
                                752 on Up Slow
	                            754 on Up Stalybridge Goods and
	                            between 756 and 707 on Dn Stalybridge Goods
	Newton Heath Stn            between 812 and 981 on Dn Rochdale Loop
	Thorpes Bridge SB           between 868 and 863 on Dn Oldham
	Brewery Sidings SB          between 888 and 861 on Dn Goods 2
                                between 886 and 859 on Dn Goods 1 and
                                between 882 and 871 on Up Goods
	Oldham Road SB              between 790 and 783 on Up Oldham Road
	
	
PLATFORM AND SIDING CAPACITIES

	Exchange Station			Victoria Station

	P1          16              P5          12
	P2          17              P6          12
	P3          15              P7          11
	P4          10+5            P8          12
	P5          15              P9          12
	Siding 1    13              P10         12
	Siding 2    13              P11 Middle  12
	Dock         4              P11         15
	                            P12         17
	                            P13         15
	Irwell Bride CSdgs          P14         15
	Siding 1    12              P15         16
	Siding 2    12              P16         18

	Loco Spurs/Sidings
	
	LS15, LS16, LS17, LS18, LS19, LS20, LS23 & LS24:      
	All 2 Locos.
	
	
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
	
My thanks are due to the Manchester Locomotive Society who lent me the WTTs for an extended period.

Also, I'd like to thank those who spent many hours testing the simulation including Peter Dean, Peter Mould, Alan Ashley, Alan Sugden, Dave Howell and Mike Hendell.
