TAUNTON

This simulation is based on the lay-out at Taunton as it was between 1935 and the early 1960's. There were some changes over this period but these were only minor. During the 1960's and 1970's, there were significant reductions to the railway network in this area as most yards, all stations except Taunton itself and all branches were closed and lifted, allthough the Minehead branch survived (and still survives) as a heritage railway.

The simulation includes not only Taunton itself but the stations and junctions in a wider area. It includes the areas controlled by 12 signal boxes. The last of these boxes survived until 1987.


Signal and Points numbering.

The original numbers have been used as much as possible, but to distinguish between the various boxes, these were 'shifted' by mulitples of 100, or were given an identification using a letter code. Note that this letter is used as prefix on signal-numbers but, for technical reasons, as suffix to points numbers.

The numbers and letters used are (from left to right) :

Victory Siding        : prefix V
Norton Fitzwarren     : 600 - 799
Silk Mill Crossing    : 500 - 599
Taunton West Junction : 400 - 499
Taunton West Loop     : prefix W
Taunton West Station  : 200 - 399
Taunton East Junction : 000 - 199
Taunton East Loop     : prefix E
Creech Junction       : prefix C
Cogload Junction      : prefix J
Durston               : prefix D
Athelney              : prefix A


Approach Control

For semaphore signalling, the rule (rule 39A) applied that for a sequence of signals which had no intermediate or combined distant signal, if the last signal in this sequence could not be cleared, all preceding signals had to be kept at 'danger' at the approach of the train and could only be cleared if the speed of the train was sufficiently reduced. This is partly simulated by using approach control for signals to which this applies. Please refer to the route list for details on which signals this applies.
Note that this does not apply to signals on the Goods Loop lines because of the low speed on these lines.


Junction Signals

In certain positions where junction signals were used and where the diversion route has significant lower speed, the signal will only clear to yellow when a diverging route is set. Please refer to the route list for details on which signals this applies.

Permissive Working

Permissive working means that when a train is stationary, another train is allowed behind it into the same section. 
It is allowed on both Goods Loop lines, between signals W27 and E38, and between E01 and W02.

Distant Signals

Stand-alone distant signals are not shown on the display, as they cannot be worked by the operator nor do they directly affect the running of the trains.
Just for information, locations of stand-alone distant signals are listed in the station details below.

Additional information

Additional information is listed per signal-box. This includes specific notes, platform lengths etc.
This also includes the names and abbreviations used for various yards and sidings, to ease identification. These are listed in tables showing : name as used on display, length of siding, abbreviation used for signal label (yard entry or buffer stop), and name as used in timetable information, if applicable.
Platform and siding lengths are shown in units, a unit is equivalent to an engine, a passenger coach or 3 freight wagons.


Victory Siding

Trains booked to stopped at Victory Siding can only do so on the Down Goods Running Loop. Up trains can not stop at Victory Siding.
Down trains booked on the relief line from Taunton but not booked to stop at Victory Siding generally switched over to the Main line at Norton Fitzwarren due to the lower speed on the Down Goods Running Loop.

Stand alone distant signal :
preceding V19 on Up Main.

Sidings :
Mileage Siding (9 units) - VSS


Norton Fitzwarren

Platform lenghts : 6 units (all platforms), longer trains accepted.

Stand alone distant signals :
preceding 607 (on Up Barnstaple) and 612 (on Up Minehead).

Sidings :
Refuge Siding   (32 units)    - NRS
Mileage Siding  ( 7 units)    - NM1 and NM2
Siding          ( 4 units)    - NSD
Blinkhorn Ordnance Depot West - BDW ( BhornDep W )


Silk Mill Crossing

Trains booked to stop at Silk Mill Crossing can only do so on the Fairwater Goods Loop.
Sidings :
Blinkhorn Ordnance Depot East - BDE ( BhornDep E )
WD Siding                     - SWD ( WD Siding  )
Fairwater Yard West           - FWW ( F'water W  )
Spur at Fairwater Y (10 units)- SMS [not named on display]


Taunton West Junction

Sidings :
Fairwater Yard East (1)       - FWE ( F'water E1 )
Fairwater Yard East (2)       - FW2 ( F'water E2 )
Fairwater West Spur (6 units) - FWS [not named on display]
Goods Sidings (1)             - GS1 ( Gds Sid 1  )
Goods Sidings (2)             - GS2 ( Gds Sid 2  )


Taunton West Loop

Sidings :
West Yard                     - TWY ( West Yard  )
Engine Shed (from Goods Loop) - ESL ( EngShed (L))


Taunton West Station

Trains booked to stop at Taunton West Station can only do so on Down Siding or the Up Carriage Sidings.
Sidings :
Down Siding (32 units)
Carriage Siding West          - CSW ( Car Sid W )
Carriage Siding East          - CSE ( Car Sid E )
Up Carriage Sidings (1) (10u) - UC1
Up Carriage Sidings (2) (8u)  - UC2
Siding                        - TSD ( T'ton Sid )
Engine Shed (from station)    - ESS ( Eng Shed  )
Up Siding (6 units)

Taunton Station.

Taunton Station platform and bay lengths :
Platforms 1, 2, 3, 4          - 17 units
Platforms 11, 12              - 8 units
Platform 41                   - 8 units
Bay 42                        - 6 units
Platforms 17, 18, bay 19      - 7 units
Platform  49                  - 12 units
Loco Spur (T39)               - 3 units

Note that any train in platform 41 will block access to bay 42.

Taunton Sidings is a special location name used for sidings 19 and 42, to allow shunt moves to and from these sidings.

Platforms UGL and DGL are freight train timing points on the Goods Loop, at signals E38, and W01 and W07 respectively.
When routing down trains to the Down East Yard via the Down Siding, please note that the section between E31 and E17 can only hold 7 units, longer trains must be routed through to W07.
Trains to the Up East Yard are reversed at E06. The section between signals E06 and 21 can hold 10 units, longer trains must be routed through to signal 22.


Taunton East Loop

Sidings :
Goods Shed                    - TGS ( Goods Shed )
Up East Yard                  - TUE ( Up East Yd )
Down East Yard                - TDE ( Dn East Yd )
Interchange Siding (spur) (2u)- TIS


Taunton East Junction

Stand alone distant signals :
preceding 143 (on Down Relief) and 146 (on Down Main).

Sidings :
Down shunt spur (5 units)     - TSP [not named on display]
West Sidings                  - TWS ( West Sid   )
East Sidings                  - TES ( East Sid   )


Creech Jn (incl. Creech St Michael station)

Timing points for Creech Jn (indicated as 'C' in the timetable information) are :
Up Relief   : before points 33
Up Main     : before points 27
Down Main   : before points 27
Down Relief : after points 40

Stand alone distant signals :
preceding C02 (on Up Main) and C06 (on Up Relief);
preceding C73 (on Down Relief) and C78 (on Down Main);
On the Chard Branch, C70 is preceded by a fixed distant.

Platforms at Creech St. Michael : 7 units (longer trains accepted)

Sidings :
Up Refuge Siding (11 units)   - CUR
Down Refuge Siding (14 units, inbetween C25 and C45)
Mill Siding (11 units)        - CMS
Creech Mill                   - CMY ( Crch MillSd )

Cogload Junction

Stand alone distant signals :
preceding J17 (on Up Relief) and J22 (on Up Main);
preceding J02 (on Down Castle Cary).

Durston

The ground frame access to the sidings is a compromise solution. In reality, the access faced the other way (in the direction of Athelney), but there were no signals on the branch to control traffic in any way. The simulation does not allow this, so as a compromise the access was provided but facing the other way so as to avoid any additional signals on the branch. The speed on the approach to and from the exit reflects the time which would be required to reverse on the branch to gain access to or from the siding.

Stand alone distant signals :
preceding D70 (on Down Bristol).
A fixed distant preceeds D67 on Lyng Branch.

Platform lenghts :
Platforms 1 and 2 : 7 units, longer trains accepted
Platform 3        : 7 units

Sidings :
Cattle Pens (7 units)       - DCP
Dock (3 units)              - DDO
Up Refuge Siding (12 units)
Sidings                     - DSD ( Dur Siding )
Down Refuge Siding (29u)    - DDR
Ground Frame Access         - DGF ( DurGndFrame )


Athelney

Booked times at Athelney (for trains stopping) apply to the station for passenger trains, but to the goods loops for freight trains.

Stand alone distant signals :
preceding A04 (on Up Castle Cary) and A36 (on Down Castle Cary).
A fixed distant preceeds A06 on the Lyng Branch.

Platform lengths : 8 units, longer trains accepted

Sidings :
Up Goods Loop (36 units)
Down Goods Loop (28 units)
Siding (5 units)            - ASD [not named on display]

Durston branch

Note that, due to the direction of the exit signals of the Durston branch (D67 and A06), the direction arrows in the Trains Information window are reversed for trains on the stretch of line through Lyng.


Train Reporting Numbers

The Train Reporting Numbers use a four-character code.
The first character is numeric 0 to 9 and indicates the Class of the train.
The second character is alphabetic A to Z and indicates the destination area or route of the train.
The last two characters are numeric 00 to 99 and are allocated to distinguish individual trains.

As the codes varied over time, the specific references are shown in the Timetable Notes.


Acknowledgements

This simulation was developed by Rob Roeterdink using the PC-Rail Development software supplied and supported by John Dennis, proprietor of PC-Rail.
Many thanks are due to Peter Dean, who provided much of the signalling information as well as additional details.

Testing of the simulation was carried out by the PC-Rail testing team, with particular thanks to Peter Dean, Peter Mould and Alan Sugden for their invaluable assistance.

The opening picture shows BR Standard Class 3MT no. 82042 on an ECS working of stock off a Barnstaple train, ready to depart from Platform 3 at Taunton with Taunton West Station signalbox in the background. The picture was taken on the 24th of July 1963 by Peter Dean who kindly provided it for this simulation.


