I've put together a lengthy shunting scenario for the NCB system featured in North East Rails. It's not a regular sort of scenario so I thought it might be an idea to invite opinion before deciding upon uploading.
The original intention was to try set up a series of linked scenario's which, taken together, would depict a typical working day on the NCB system. This concept broke down quite quickly for a number of reasons: there was the need to place stock half a dozen or so times for each part of the scenario series, the list of instructions required in each part became ridiculously long, some movements confounded the editor into a state of nervous breakdown and the state of the locomotives boiler was reset at the start of each part.
Instead of giving up completely I settled on a structured free-roam format. This meant abandoning any idea of AI traffic but had the advantage of leaving the player free to make their own decisions while managing their locomotives boiler over an extended period of time while operating on the "one-engine-in-steam" principle. It also meant that the scenario would stand as a pre-populated sandbox for those who simply wanted to explore a part of NER that could easily be overlooked.
Rather than provide players with a bald list of instructions (when I said this was a lengthy scenario I wasn't kidding, as to complete it fully requires around eight hours of gameplay) I put together a briefing that provides a description of the Backworth NCB railway system, the operating rules and regulations that apply to it as well as a worksheet outlining the tasks to be performed, which is reproduced below.
Any thoughts, comments or even for that matter hoots of derision would be most welcome.
A Hard Day's Graft
A scenario for North East Rails
Introduction
This scenario takes place on the National Coal Board's Backworth railway system, as depicted in the North East Rails route, in which you take the controls of NCB Austerity steam locomotive “Peckfield”.
This scenario can of course be treated as a straightforward free-roam, in which you can explore the system at your leisure, picking up and dropping off any of the rakes of wagons that are dotted around. This unstructured approach, enjoyable enough as an end in itself, will suit those who simply wish to potter around but may also be ideal for those unfamilier with either the Backworth system or the advanced control version of the Austerity locomotive and who wish to “learn the road” and/or “sign off the traction” before attempting the full scenario.
The various rakes of wagons within the scenario have been positioned so as to allow a full eight hour driving shift to be undertaken. A shift that aims to recreate, so far as is achieveable, the actual workings that took place in the final years of the real-life Backworth system. In order to appreciate what is happening and why during the scenario there follows a brief description of the system and the NCB facilities that it serves.
Description of the Backworth Railway system
The Backworth railway system consists of approximately eight route miles that serve and connect Eccles and Fenwick collieries, the washery at Weetslade, the yard and staiths at Percy Main, the wagon repair shop at Backworth and the locomotive shed, with its watering and coaling facilites, at Eccles. There are connections to British Rail (ER) at both Percy Main and Earsden. At Weetslade a seperate but adjoining NCB system connects the colliery there with British Rail (ER) at Cramlington.
Coal brought to the surface at Eccles and Fenwick is loaded into rakes of NCB owned 16t mineral wagons for transport to the unloading facilities at Weetslade. There the coal joins that mined at Weetslade colliery before being put through the washery. Washed coal is then loaded into rakes of NCB owned 21t mineral hoppers for the journey to Percy Main. There it is shunted out onto the staiths for transfer to coastal shipping for onward movement to the power stations of the south of England.
By the early ninteen seventies, roughly the timeframe depicted in North East Rails, the Backworth system was in visible decline, sharing the waning fortunes of the Northumberland coalfield. Fenwick colliery is on the verge of closure, Eccles colliery is in steepening decline and, with the existence of a parallel British Rail (ER) route to Percy Main (itself suffering from declining traffic) the NCB is openly questioning the economics of continued operation of its own railway system.
With the exception of a short stretch approaching Percy Main the Backworth railway has been reduced to single line throughout. Traffic levels have declined to the extent that the entire operation can be covered (just!) by a single shift operating on the “one engine in steam” principle of train control. As a consequence signalling has been abandoned almost entirely, the exceptions being a few remaining internal ground signals and those signals controling the connections with British Rail (ER) at Percy Main, Earsden exchange sidings and the flat crossing at Earsden junction, all of which are under British Rail (ER) control. The several level crossings on the Backworth Railway System are manually operated by crossing keepers.
Operations
All trains operated over the Backworth railway system require a brake van to be conveyed at the rear of the train. The only exceptions to this rule are short distance movements between Eccles colliery sidings and Backworth repair shop yard.
Propelling movements, other than internal shunts within the various locations, are prohibited. The only exceptions are, again, movements between Eccles and Backworth and also movements between Backworth repair shop yard and the exchange sidings at Earsden the latter of which must include a brake van at the opposite end of the train to the locomotive.
Maximum train loadings are one loaded rake throughout the system, two empty rakes between Percy Main and Weetslade and one empty rake between Eccles and Fenwick.
All trains operated over the Backworth railway system must, when on the main running lines, display a white headlight on the front of the train at the lower right position.
Line speeds for the Backworth Railway system are: 40mph between Percy Main and Eccles, 30 mph between Eccles and Weetslade, 25mph between Eccles and Fenwick, 20mph within Percy Main yard and staiths and Earsden Exchange and 15mph within Eccles, Fenwick, Backworth and Weetslade. Any temporary speed restrictions that may be in force as required for permanent way work are fully signed with illuminated advance warning, commencement and termination boards.
Day to day operations are arranged through a daily worksheet that is issued by the Traffic Manager to the Locomotive shed and the Chargehand shunters at each location within the system. A standard worksheet will contain instructions from the traffic office covering the movements of coal required that day within the Backworth system, a report from the foremans office at the Repair shops to advise what shunting is required to be undertaken there and a report from the Permanent Way chargehand containing both details of any train movements that are required as well as reports of any activity or restrictions on or about the line. Revenue earning traffic always takes priority and would normally have to be completed before any Repair shop or P-Way activity, unless operational convenience dictated otherwise.
Locomotive and rolling stock
Motive power for the Backworth railway system consists of a sole NCB owned “austerity” locomotive that is equipped with only a steam locomotive brake. Built by Hudswell Clarke as works No.1763 in 1944 for the War Department the locomotive saw service at Donnington, Histon and Cairnryan military railways before passing into NCB ownership via the Hunslet Engine Co. It saw employment in the Yorkshire coalfield at Waterloo Main and Peckfield collieries prior to its transfer to Northumberland. Cover in the event of the locomotives unavailability is provided by diesel locomotive, either from the NCB's own pool at Ashington or hired in from British Rail.
All of the wagons used on the Backworth railway system are NCB owned and the current operational fleet consists of eight rakes of 12 unfitted 16t mineral wagons, six rakes of 12 unfitted 21t hopper wagons and a dozen or so 20t brake vans. Several rakes of condemned wagons are to be found around the system awaiting eventual movement to the yards of Tynesides scrap metal merchants. Some spare mineral and hopper wagons and a few internal user wagons, employed on permanent way work, stores traffic, waste oil and engine steam coal, are also to be found occupying various nooks and crannies.
The wagons are largely kept in fixed formations, the rakes being cycled through the repair shop at Backworth on a regular basis for examination. Should any running repairs be identified as neccessary it is the practice for the entire rake to be removed from traffic while the individual wagons are attended too. The shop at Backworth also provides repair and maintenance to the NCB owned fleets based at Bates and Ashington collieries, rakes of wagons being tripped to and from the exchange sidings at Earsden for this purpose by British Rail (ER).
Your shift
Clocking on at seven am you find your locomotive already prepared and in steam outside Eccles locomotive shed. You are expected to check your coal and water and take any supplies of either that you consider necessary, either at the start of your shift or as required throughout the day.
Once you are ready to go you examine the worksheet that was issued to you when you booked on.
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NCB, Northern Division, Northumberland Area
Backworth Railway System
Daily Operations Worksheet 01/12/72
Revenue traffic managers instructions:
Deliver loaded rake 16t's from Eccles sdg 7 to Weetslade and unload at Weetslade sdg 15.
Add empty rake 16t's from Weetslade sdg 14 and deliver 2x empty rakes of 16t's to Eccles. Stable one rake at Eccles sdg 7 and deliver second rake to Fenwick.
Swap empty rake for loaded rake at Fenwick sdg 4 and deliver loaded rake 16t's to Weetslade and unload at sdg 14.
Load empty rake 21t's at Weetslade sdg 4, deliver to Percy Main staiths and unload at Staithes line 8.
Unload rake 21t's stabled at Percy Main yard sdg 6 at Staiths line 8.
Assemble both empty rakes of 21t's and deliver to to Weetslade, Load one rake and stable at Weetslade sdg 2. Stable second rake at Weetslade sdg 3.
Deliver loaded rake from Weetslade sdg1 to Percy Main yard and stable at yard sdg 6.
Deliver rake empty 21t's due shopping from Percy Main sdg 1 to Eccles and stable at sdg 2.
Backworth Repair shop foreman report:
Rakes shopped and ready to be assembled as follows:
Rake 21t's on roads 1, 3 & 4 to be assembled and stabled at road 7.
Rake Ashington 16t's on roads 2 & 4 to be assembled and stabled at road 6
Rakes due shopping to be stabled as follows:
Rake 16t's on inspection road 5 to be stabled at road 4 and first two wagons put into shop road 2.
Rake 21t's from Percy Main to be collected from Eccles, broken and stabled at roads 3 and 4 and first wagon put into shop road 1.
Other duties:
Collect rake of minerals from NCB Bates from at Earsden Exchange siding and stable on inspection road 5.
Deliver rake Ashington 16t's from road 6 to Earsden Exchange siding.
Permanent Way office report:
No movements requested.
Temporary speed restriction of 15mph in force on Eccles to Percy Main section at approx ¾ mile south of Eccles for sleeper renewals.
Passing loop 1 on Percy to Eccles section: Points clamped and out of use for scrap wagon storage.
Percy Main sdg 9: Points clamped and out of use for scrap wagon storage.
Staiths line 9: Out of use due to unsafe track except for headshunt at Yard end.
Recd by Driver (signed) ____________ On (date) ________
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It is up to you as Driver to complete all of the tasks detailed on your worksheet, adhering to all relevant rules regarding loadings, speeds and operational requirements. Happy shunting.