East Midlands Coal

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East Midlands Coal

A Route for Train Simulator – Dovetail Games

Contents A Brief History of the Route Route Requirements Signalling, Known Issue and Route Setup Rolling Stock Scenarios

• NCB Sherwood Colliery • Ollerton Colliery – High Marnham • Ollerton Colliery – Sherwood Colliery • Sherwood Colliery – High Marnham • Shirebrook Colliery – Warsop Sidings • Tuxford Central – Shirebrook Depot • Warsop Sidings – Mansfield Concentration Sidings • + 2 Quick-drives

Operating Notices

Acknowledgements

A Brief History of the Route The East Midlands Coal route is a small piece of the once vast Nottinghamshire coalfield that has been faithfully recreated to capture the atmosphere that surrounded these hardworking collieries that fed the regions ravenous coal-fired power stations.

The lines very existence was for the conveyance of East Midlands coal. The Shirebrook to High Marnham section forms part of the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (LD&ECR), and dates back to 1892. The Shirebrook to Sherwood Colliery section is part of the Midland Railway’s Nottingham to Worksop route.

The routes decline began to set in during the late 1950’s, as overall UK coal production began to fall. The early 1990’s saw the fastest decline as mass colliery closures began to bite, with the last remaining pit in Nottinghamshire, Thoresby Colliery, closing in 2015.

The route today has largely been taken over by Network Rail, whom has invested in line improvements and use it for testing purposes. The former Midland Railway section now forms part of the Robin Hood line that has seen a return to passenger traffic.

Route Requirement Included in the package is CreativeRail's free asset pack for customers that haven't already got this installed.

To enjoy the full complement of included scenarios end users require 4 packs available from Dovetail Games:-

• Train Simulator: European Loco & Asset Pack • Train Simulator: BR Class 31 Freight Loco Add-On • Train Simulator: BR Class 20 Loco Add-On • BR Blue Class 20 Add-On Livery

Signalling A brief note about the authentic LMS upper-quadrant signals

These have been designed to work a little differently from the default semaphore signals included with the original Kuju Railsimulator. In an effort to replicate how semaphores were used to control the speed of trains, certain situations will see the player approaching a signal at danger. If the route is set for the player to proceed, the signal should clear as you approach but the train speed should reflect that a complete stop may be necessary.

The signals don't clear in the opposite direction to travel.

Waiting for a signal to clear

When a player has been standing at a signal, i.e., waiting for an AI train to clear the intended path, the player must make a movement forward towards the signal for it to clear. To ensure that the player has the path, always check the 2-D map (View 9).

Known issue For uses that create your own scenarios, please note that when attaching a loco to the CR LP HAA wagon, you must first place the loco onto the track and allow it to appear fully, then move to attach to the wagon. A crash of the sim can occur if you attach a loco to the wagon immediately before it has rendered fully.

Route Setup The time period for the route has been set in and around 1980. This was chosen as it saw a large number of locos remain stabled at Shirebrook Depot and a significant number of collieries were still producing coal.

Rolling Stock The following items of rolling stock are included with the route.

British Rail Class 56

The class 56 is a type 5 heavy freight locomotive, introduced in 1976 primarily to work Merry Go Round operations between collieries and power stations. 135 examples were built in total and the class proved their worth in subsequent years, with a limited number remaining in service to this day.

Cab Controls

1/ Train Brake 7/ Reverser 2/ Loco Brake 8/ Main Reservoir/Brake Pipe Pressure 3/ Emergency brake 9/ Bogie Brake Cylinder Pressure 4/ Horn 10/ Air Brake Pipe Pressure 5/ AWS Reset 11/ Speedometer MPH 6/ Throttle 12/ Ammeter Sentinel Diesel Shunter

A once common sight in a number of different industries, the Rolls Royce Sentinel provided loyal service for the National Coal Board during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. This shunting loco has been produced to enable authentic colliery operations, but isn’t a full stand alone model. It is fully drivable, but doesn’t feature fully working cabs. Working control dials, wipers and horn aren’t included but shouldn’t detract from its use in game.

Cab Controls

HAA 32 ton Hopper

With over 11,000 MGR hoppers being built, there weren’t many parts of the country that didn’t see their use. The vast majority were built at Shildon Works in County Durham and remained in service well into the noughties, before being replaced by high capacity HTA hoppers.

Scenarios

NCB Sherwood Colliery

Take command of the Sentinel industrial shunter at Sherwood Colliery, as you are tasked with loading a rake of HAA hoppers and deposit them in the loaded wagon sidings and a number of other required shunt moves. Care is needed to position the wagons correctly under the screens. 4 wagons can be filled, with repeated presses of the ‘T’ key, at a time.

Start point Sherwood Colliery Date 07/08/80 Season Summer Duration 40 min Rating Hard

Ollerton Colliery – High Marnham

This is a real test of your driving skills, as darkness has descended. You are to fill your train at Ollerton Colliery’s rapid loader before heading out to High Marnham. On arrival at the powerstation, you must carefully discharge your precious cargo that will help to keep the lights burning.

Start point Warsop Sidings Date 03/07/79 Season Summer Duration 80 min Rating Very Hard

Ollerton Colliery – Sherwood Colliery

Climb aboard your Class 31 loco and make your way to collect a short works train at Ollerton Colliery. The wagons are required to be left at Sherwood Colliery’s sidings as permanent way works will be carried out in the near future.

Start point Shirebrook Depot

Date 17/10/80 Season Autumn Duration 60 min Rating Medium Sherwood Colliery – High Marnham

This scenario is well over 2 hours long and provides a good test. You are to assemble a loaded train at Sherwood Colliery and take it forward for discharge at High Marnham, before returning the empties to Shirebrook Sidings.

Start point Shirebrook Depot Date 23/08/80 Season Summer Duration 150 min Rating Very Hard

Shirebrook Colliery – Warsop Sidings

You are tasked with loading a train of HAA hoppers at Shirebrook Colliery’s rapid loader and placing it in Warsop Sidings ready for a future working. You must collect a train of empties that require depositing at Shirebrook Sidings.

Start point Shirebrook Sidings Date 17/06/80 Season Summer Duration 70 min Rating Hard Tuxford Central – Shirebrook Depot

Short trip working to Shirebrook Depot with fuel oil to keep the fleet running. You will be required to wait for the preceding train to clear the section ahead before you can make your way towards Shirebrook. The TTA wagons are to be positioned carefully in the fuel siding on arrival.

Start point Tuxford Oil Terminal Date 30/08/82 Season Summer

Duration 45 min Rating Hard

Warsop Sidings – Mansfield Concentration Sidings

Once a common sight in and around Shirebrook, your Class 20 locos are to be employed in assembling a train of empty 16 Ton mineral wagons and depositing them at Mansfield Concentration Sidings. Care needs to be taken on approach to Clipstone Junction, with a relatively low speed limit on the rather tight curve, before you arrive a short while later at your destination.

Start point Warsop Sidings Date 14/08/83 Season Summer Duration 25 min Rating Medium

Operating Notices Signals at Danger

In situations where a signal is at danger and doesn’t clear, despite the player having the path, press the tab key. This should grant you permission to pass at danger.

Unmarked Speed Restrictions

Drivers should regard all sidings as having a speed restriction of 10 mph unless clearly marked otherwise.

When entering Depots/Workshops you should proceed at 5 mph.

Coal Loading

Crews must ensure careful positioning of wagons at bulk loaders and colliery screens to successfully load the HAA wagons. 4 wagons should be positioned centrally under the 4 coal shoots. To fill, press ‘T,’ then repeat until all 4 wagons have been filled. This operation should be carried out until all wagons of your train are completely loaded.

Coal Unloading

To unload your train, this must be done at the discharge shed located at High Marnham Power Station. Carefully position 3 wagons centrally over the discharge pits, then press ‘shift+T’ for each wagon to empty. Once empty, repeat operation by positioning another 3 wagons, and so on, until the whole train has been emptied.

Acknowledgements CreativeRail would like to gratefully thank the following people/organisations for their contribution in completing such a comprehensive package for this route.

Paul Godber for the supply of the included rolling stock, which forms the backbone for this route.

Mark Brinton for generously allowing signal scripting to be used that has allowed such an authentic operation.

Dovetail Games. Last but not least! Convincing scenarios do require a good variety of rolling stock that appeared in our chosen era. This has been realised by the generous package that has been kindly included with the route.