GENERAL DETAILS

The London and South Western Railway station at Salisbury was completely rebuilt and resignalled in 1902.  The new Signal Boxes, East and West were equipped with low pressure pneumatically operated points and signals and opened in November 1902.

The GWR also had a station at Salisbury, which was closed to passengers on 12th September 1932 and was then used as Fisherton Goods Yard.  The 93 lever GWR Signal Box dates from 27th May 1900 and was renamed 'C' Box at an unknown date - possibly on the closure of the passenger station.

This simulation shows the layout in use prior to the wholesale changes which took place following the transfer of the Wilton - Exeter section to the Western Region in January 1963.  The signalling was all semaphore but is shown as 3-aspect colour lights for the simulation.  Some additional shunting signals have been added to give realistic operation of some of the Sidings and Yards.

The approach to the station from the East is on a sharp curve, which extends for most of the length of the platforms.  This necessitated a 20 mph restriction which was applied following a major derailment on 1st July 1906.  An Up Boat train hauled by Class L12 4-4-0 No. 421 overturned at speed at the East end and collided with a Down Milk train.  24 of the 43 passengers were killed, together with the Driver and Fireman of the Boat train and the Fireman and Guard of the Milk train.  Limitations of the simulations prevent this curve being depicted, but the speed restrictions are applied.

The Coal Stage and Turntable roads at Salisbury MPD both have coaling and ash disposal facilities and the Turntable road also had a loop bypassing the coaling facility.  All three tracks converge at the turntable.  Coal wagons are placed on the Coal stage from a siding connected to the Coal Stage line and can hold 9 wagons and a shunter.  The shed itself is single-ended with 10 roads, each capable of holding at least five tender engines (although the sim will allow any number).  Some shunting of locos between shed roads may be necessary to put locos in the correct departure sequence - these movements are all included in the Standard Timetable.


THE SIMULATION

This simulation has been constructed as if all the Mechanical signals have been replaced by Colour Light type, but retaining their operation from lever frames.  Distant signals have been given selectable Automatic control (A Lights) to enable them to display a normally Yellow aspect.  The signals leading up to the Distant signal will not display a proceed aspect unless the Distant is displaying Yellow or Green.

Stop signals (outer Home, Home and Starter) will only display a Yellow aspect until the route is set beyond the Starter and the Distant will only display a Green aspect when the Outer Home, Home and Starter are showing proceed, as is the case for Mechanical signalling.  In some instances, the distant signal is fixed at Caution (such as No.365) and will not display a Green aspect.

Signal Nos. 237 (Down Main) and 331 (Platform 6) have been provided for simulation purposes.  Signal 330 (Platform 6) was a Ground Shunt signal, but has been shown as a Colour Light Signal to allow 362 Signal to show a Yellow aspect to this signal.


THROUGH ROUTE SETTING

The following routes will automatically clear the intermediate signals.
  204 to 302 (clears 234)
  204 to 303 (clears 234)
  342, 352 and 362 to to the Buffers on Platform 6 (clears 330).


SIGNAL BOXES

Where known, the lever numbers shown are similar to those used but with the addition of a leading digit, except at Wilton South where the frame was numbered A, B, 1 to 5, 5A, 5B, 6, 6A, 6B, 7, 7A, 7B, 8, 8A, 8B, 9 to 14, with lever B standing normally in the centre position and operating two opposing disc signals - one by pulling the lever and the other by pushing it.
The following number ranges have been used:

Wilton South .. .. .. .. 101 - 199
Salisburt West .. .. ..  201 - 299
Salisbury East .. .. ..  301 - 399
Tunnel Junction . .. ..  401 - 499
Wilton North . .. .. ..  501 - 599
Salisbury 'C'. .. .. ..  601 - 699

Signals worked from "Fringe" Boxes are in the series 801 - 899.

Some additional signal and point levers have been used to facilitate some of the hand-signalled yard movements.

LOCATION CODES

Locations where trains or locos can be timetabled to stop have the following codes used in the WTT display:
Salisbury ... ... ... No Code
Wilton South  ... ... S
Wilton North  ... ... N
Horse Dock .. ... ... H
Carr Sdg 2 .. ... ... X
Carr Sdg 1 .. ... ... Y
Down Refuge . ... ... R
Exchange Sdg  ... ... E
Loco Hold ... ... ... L (between 237 and 229 Signals)
Middle Sdg .. ... ... M (behind 327 Signal)


PLATFORM and SECTION CAPACITIES

Platform capacities in coach lengths, which include locomotives, are:

Salisbury
  Platform 1 .. .. 11
  Platform 2 .. .. 12
  Platform 3 .. .. 12
  Platform 4 .. .. 13
  Platform 5 .. ..  7
  Platform 6 .. ..  6  (between 330 and 335 signals)
  Platform 6 .. ..  8  (full length)
  Horse Dock .. ..  2

Wilton South
  Up Platform . ..  6
  Dn Platform . ..  6

Wilton North
  Up Platform . ..  8
  Dn Platform . ..  8  (between 512 and 518 signals)
  Dn Platform . .. 10  (full length)

Longer trains are permitted in all platforms except Salisbury Platforms 5 and 6 and the Horse Dock, but the rear of the train will overhang the platform.

The Loco Line between 215 and 236 signals will hold the equivalent of six coaches and between 215 and 246 will hold the equivalent of 13 coaches.

West Carriage Siding No 1 holds a Loco + 10 coaches
West Carriage Siding No 2 holds a Loco + 12 coaches
The sections between 213 and 224 signals and between 210 and 235 signals both hold a Loco + 3 coaches.

Up to three Locos can be held between 237 and 229 signals and between 327 signal and the buffers.

Freight trains for the West Yard are generally shunted from the Down Main using 220 Shunting Signal, those with 15 or less wagons can use the Loco Line to set back using 236 Shunting signal.

Freight trains for the East Yard are usually shunted from the Goods Loop.  The capacities on this line are:
Between 315 and 357 signals .. .. Loco + 15 wagons
Between 315 and 361 signals .. .. Loco + 54 wagons
Between 356 and 361 signals .. .. Loco + 21 wagons
Between 351 and 309 signals .. .. Loco + 60 wagons


TRAIN REPORTING NUMBERS

The Reporting Numbers of trains are shown using the 4-charcter coding used by British Railways from around 1957.

The first character is numeric and represents the Classification of the train.
The second character is alphabetic and indicates the route or destination of the train.
The last two numeric characters identify the specific train.

The codes used for the Standard timetable are for the pre-1969 period where:

Train Class:
1 = Express Passenger
2 = Slow Passenger
3 = Empty Stock, Mail, Parcels, or Milk
4 = Express Freight with 90% continuously braked
5 = Express Freight with 50-90% continuously braked
6 = Through Freight with 20-50% continuously braked
7 = Express Freight not continuously braked
8 = Through Freight not continuously braked
9 = Local Freight
0 = Light Engine

Route or destination area:
A = Waterloo, Nine Elms, Claham, Feltham, Woking
B = Bristol (WR), Bournemouth Central,  Eastleigh, Southampton
C = Ilfracombe, Padstow, Bude and branches
D = not used
E = Exeter area
F = Portsmouth, Chichester
G = not used
H = not used
J = not used
K = not used
L = Local
M = not used
N = Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction
O = Inter-Regional trains to Southern Region
P = Plymouth
R = not used
S = Salisbury area
T = Local Trip workings
V = Inter-Regional trains to Western Region
W = Weymouth, Wimborne, Bournemouth West
X = Engines to MPD, Special Train
Y = Yeovil
Z = Unallocated


Details of the Classification and Route varied through time and further details for the specific period can be found in the "Properties" of the individual Timetables.


STARTUP PHOTO

The startup photograph is of ex-SR Class S15 4-6-0 no. 30506 of Feltham (London) shed passing Salisbury 'C' Signal Box (just visble behind the cab of the loco).  It is approaching Platform 1 using crossover 232 on 13 April 1962.  The Loco is on its way to Salisbury East Yard and may be the equivalent working to 0F40 in the Standard Timetable of this Simulation.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This simulation was developed by Peter Dean, a retired Signalling Design Engineer (and Railway enthusiast), using the software kindly made available by John Dennis, the Proprietor of PC-Rail.

Thanks are due to ### ###, Richard Harrison, Peter Mould, Vagn Poulsen and Alan Sugden for their continued diligence and assistance in testing the operation of the simulation and the Standard timetable. 
