GENERAL
  
The Paddington area, as represented in this simulation, is controlled from Slough IECC, which was opened in 1992. The simulation is based very closely on the real installation.

Standard BR multiple aspect signalling is in use, with Track Circuit Block working. Signal numbers have the prefix SN (Slough New).

Paddington station was opened as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway in 1854. Its design was a collaboration between Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Matthew Digby Wyatt.  The spectacular train shed has an iron girder roof with three barrel vaults or bays. These have 189 decorative wrought iron ribs and are supported by a column every third rib. When a fourth bay was added in 1916, in keeping with Brunel's originals, the cast iron columns were replaced with steel stanchions.  
Paddington has recently benefited from a major re-development, including a new customer information system, new platform surfaces and a new shopping, eating and waiting area called "The Lawn". This includes airline check-ins desks for passengers using the Heathrow Express.   

Children all over the world know the name of the station through the famous 'Paddington Bear' created by Michael Bond. One of the most famous railway paintings of all time is Frith's, "The Railway Station" (1862), illustrating passengers boarding a train at Paddington station. The detailing of Brunel's roof and Digby Wyatt's ornamentation is exceptionally clear in the painting and has assisted in recent restoration works.

Five Train Operating Companies currently run services into Paddington - First Great Western, Heathrow Express, Thames, Chiltern and Virgin Cross Country.

RUNNING LINES

All lines are bi-directional between Paddington and Ladbroke Grove.
Permissive working of trains of classes 1,2,3 and 5 is permitted on all platform lines.
Note that the scale used on the track diagram is not uniform.

PLATFORMS
 
The capacities of platforms are as follows:-
    
         Platform              No. of Coaches
   			 
             1                       13
             2                       12
             3                       12
             4                       11
             5                       11
             6                       11
             7                       11
             8                       12
             9                       15
            10                       15
            11  to signal SN21        9
                full length          14
            12                        9
            13                        7
            14                        7
                               
The capacities of sidings are as follows:-

          Siding               No. of Coaches
         
     Royal Oak Sidings (Nos. 1 & 2)  11

These capacities are reduced by 1 for each loco on loco-hauled trains.       

ELECTRIFICATION

All lines in the controlled area are electrified using the 25kV AC overhead system, with the exception of Paddington platforms 1-2 and 12-14, Royal Oak Sidings/Link Line and Paddington New Yard.
  
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 - between):
    
     A      Workings within Western Region
     B      Workings within Western Region
     C      Workings within Western Region
     F      Workings within Western Region
     E      Eastern Region
     M      London Midland Region
     O      Southern Region
     S      To ScotRail
     V      To Western Region (from another Region)
     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

The signalling arrangements featured in the simulation are those in use from 1992 to April 2003. The restrictions introduced after the Ladbroke Grove accident (see below) have not been included. These put Line 1 out of use between Portobello Junction and Ladbroke Grove, Lines 1 & 2 were used only in the Down direction and Line 3 only in the Up direction). These restrictions were removed after the introduction of signalling changes commissioned over Easter weekend 2003.

If you wish to keep to authentic operating, the following instructions apply to the routing of empty coaching stock trains from Paddington to Old Oak Common:-

Unless absolutely unavoidable such movements should be routed as follows:
* Departures from Platforms 1-7 (incl.) - via Line 1 thence the Engine & Carriage Line.
* Departures from platforms 8 and 9 - the route must be set throughout to signal SN117 before clearing the signal for the 
train to leave.
* Departures from platforms 10-14 (incl.) - via Line 5 and Carriage Reception Line.

THE LADBROKE GROVE ACCIDENT

The accident at Ladbroke Grove in west London occurred at 08.11 BST on Tuesday 5 October 1999. The 08:06 Thames Trains service from Paddington to Bedwyn passed signal SN109 at danger and collided with an Up Great Western express, the 06:03 from Cheltenham to Paddington which was running at speed on the Up Main line under green signals.

The two trains collided almost head-on, with catastrophic effect. As well as the loss of 31 lives, more than 400 people were injured in the crash, the worst in terms of fatalities since the December 1988 Clapham rail disaster. 

The Thames Train service had started from Paddington on Line 3, then crossed to Line 4 before returning to Line 3 on the approach to signal SN109, which was at Red, as were all other five signals on that gantry. 

The signalman on duty at Workstation 1 at Slough Control Centre replaced signal SN120 to danger in front of the Up express but it was too late for the collision to be avoided.

Investigations into the crash considered many contributing factors including the restricted visibility of signals due to overhead electrification equipment. 

STARTUP SCREEN PICTURE

Class 47 no. 47815, which had brought in the stock for the 14:33 to Plymouth, departs Light Loco from Platform 8 on 28/12/02. 

The signal on its immediate left showing Green with  "3" Route indicator is No.15 and is indicating that the route is set to Line 3 via 820R and 821R. The Points immediately to the left of the loco are No.814, also set Reverse, with Signal 13 showing Green with the route set to Line 2 via 814R, 815R. The two signals showing Red on the right are Nos.17 and 19.
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are due to Dave Blick and Bill Veloz of Thames Trains and to Dave Feltham and Alex Seal of Slough IECC for their helpfulness in providing information and advice during the development of the simulation. 

Also to Rob Weststrate who prepared the standard timetable which is included with the simulation and Anthony Rispoli for permission to use the above mentioned picture. 

And finally thanks to those who spent many hours testing the simulation prior to its release, including Paul Bundey, Peter Dean, John Gadsden, David Grant, Vagn Poulsen, Alan Sugden and Richard Thornton.
