
GENERAL
  
This simulation features three of the panels in Strathfield signal control centre to the west of central Sydney. It includes 3 stations, Lidcombe, Flemington and Olympic Park as well as a complex arrangement of junctions, including access to the Flemington Car Sidings and the Enfield goods lines. Normally operated concurrently by multiple signalmen on any one shift, the frequency of trains through the simulation is sure to provide an exciting time for a single PC-Rail operator!

The simulation includes the new line built to serve the Olympic stadium at Homebush Bay in preparation for the Olympic Games in 2000. Regular shuttle services on this line add to the already intense CityRail suburban services and considerable freight traffic.

The method of operation of operation of the simulation will be familiar to users of our Power Box series, although the train numbers and destinations will seem strange at first. 


RUNNING AND PLATFORM LINES

The following lines are signalled for bi-directional working:-

Flemington Up Goods Lines
Flemington Down Goods Lines
Flemington Goods Line
Flemington Markets Master Siding 
Lidcombe Shuttle Road
Down Enfield East Fork
Flemington Car Sidings (entrance/exit lines 52 and 53)

Enfield lines:

The 4 'fork' lines lead to a double triangular junction (not shown in the simulation) at Flemington South Junction and then proceed as double line to Enfield freight marshalling yard and onwards to Chullora Junction. These lines are used for freight and empty stock movements only.

Flemington Car Sidings and Car Sheds:

These extensive sidings, and the large covered Car Sheds, are used for stabling and maintenance of the CityRail electric suburban and intercity multiple unit sets used on these lines.

Movements between the car sidings and the Enfield lines normally reverse in the Flemington Markets Master Siding at signal 307.

Scheduled stops for non-passenger trains:

Flemington Markets Master Siding is the designated stopping place for freight trains with a timetabled stop at Flemington Markets. 

Empty coaching stock trains may also stop or terminate in Flemington Markets Master Siding, as well as any of the station platforms.


ELECTRIFICATION

All lines in the controlled area are electrified using a DC 1500V overhead system.  Intercity trains run on electrified lines to Dapto on the South Coast, Lithgow in the Blue Mountains and Newscastle to the North of Sydney.


SPECIAL SIGNALLING ARRANGEMENTS

Semi-automatic signals:

Many signals can be set to automatic working for a main route - the method of doing this differs from our other simulations. Please see 'Semi-automatic signals' in the Help system. 

Signals where this facility is provided can be identified by a white border round the signal number. The routes concerned are denoted by [A] in the List of Routes.

An additional configuration option is provided which can be set so that at the start of a new run of the simulation all semi-automatic signals are set to automatic working.

Protection of converging routes:

No train is permitted to approach a signal immediately protecting the junction while the trailing junction points are set for the converging route. The locking incorporates a feature which holds the next signal in rear at danger, even if the route from it is set.

For example, when the route 379 to 395 is set, and a route is set from 385 to 391, signal 385 will be held at danger.

Other notes:

Signals 91, 92 and 93 can only show a stop aspect and act as limit of shunt markers for routes towards them.

It is not permitted to set a through route in Flemington Master Siding. A route cannot be set into the siding when a route is set from the exit signal and a route cannot be set from the siding when a route is set into it.


OTHER OPERATING DIFFERENCES
(Compared to the simulations in the PC-Rail Power Box series)

Acceptance of trains over the single Goods line from North Strathfield - see 'Trains entering simulation' in the Help system or Manual.

Approach control is not used for subsidiary and shunt routes.


TRAIN OPERATING COMPANIES

PASSENGER

CityRail: A business group of the New South Wales State Rail Authority. Responsible for the train services in the Sydney Metropolitan area and surrounding regions. Operates a very comprehensive rail system serving 300 stations with 900,000 passenger trips made on 2,300 trains on a typical weekday. The network extends north from Sydney to Newcastle, Dungog and Scone, west across the Blue Mountains to Lithgow, south to Goulburn, and on the South Coast as far as Bomaderry (Nowra). 

Countrylink: Another business group of the NSW Rail Authority. Responsible for long distance passenger rail services throughout New South Wales and across State borders to Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane. 

Great Southern Railways (G.S.R.): A private operator that runs a small number of prestige transcontinental passenger services, including the Indian Pacific (Sydney - Adelaide - Perth) and the Ghan Express (Sydney/Melbourne to Adelaide and Alice Springs).

FREIGHT

FreightCorp: Split from the SRA as a State Owned Corporation in July 1996, providing haulage of grain, minerals, cement, sugar, cotton, rice, petroleum, bulk liquids and containerised freight.  Over 80% of the volume carried is coal, including 85% of of NSW's export coal from the Hunter Valley, Southern and Western coalfields to the ports of Newcastle and Port Kembla.

National Rail Corporation (NRC): Established in 1991 to operate Australia's national rail freight service, with Federal Government and the State Governments of New South Wales and Victoria as shareholders. Operates some 300 scheduled train services each week. Carries over 400,000 containers per year for over 500 customers. Delivers more than 30,000 tonnes of freight daily. Is able to operate trains up to 2000m long and carry in excess of 3000 tonnes of freight. Approximately 20% of all land based inter-capital freight moved in Australia is carried by National Rail.


DISTANCES AND SPEEDS

These are all metric, i.e. kilometres and kilometres/hour.


TRAIN NUMBERS

The basis of the 4-character alphanumeric codes used for identifying trains is somewhat complex and each train operating company has its own scheme.

Cityrail train numbers are linked to the type of set used and the Cityrail "Sector" that owns and maintains the set. For Cityrail Suburban services, the codes are a combination of the Run number and a Trip letter. Where the run number occupies less than 3 characters, the symbol '-' is used to fill the space, e.g. for run number 57, train 57-A will form 57-B thence 57-C and so on. But if run 57-A divides, it becomes 57AA and 57BA.

The following is a summary of the Cityrail train numbering

First character:
A = Loco hauled and D.M.U's to and from Acdep Maintenance Centre. 
C = All trains operating to and from the Sydney Metropolitan Area 
    and the Illawarra Area or via the Illawarra Area to Moss Vale. 
D = Diesel Light Locomotive. 
H = All Empty Car Movement to and from the Sydney and Maintenance Centres. 
K = All trains operating in the Illawarra between Sutherland, Bomaderry 
    and the Port Kembla Area but not north of Sutherland. 
N = All trains operating to and from the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the North. 
S = All trains operating to and from the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the South. 
W = All trains operating to and from the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the West. 
X = Electric Light Locomotive. 
Z = Steam Light Locomotive. 

Second character: 
B = All train which require Block Working and don't operate the track circuits. 
E = Electric Locomotive Hauled Trains. 
L = Diesel Locomotive Hauled Trains. 
N = Endeavour Railcar sets. 
P = Xplorer Railcar sets. 
R = Diesel Railcars (not Endeavours, Xplorers, and XPT sets) 
S = Steam Locomotive Hauled Trains. 
T = XPT (DMU) Train Sets. 
X = Electric Locomotive in consist with pantographs raised. 

Intercity (EMU) Train Second character:
1 = Sydney Metropolitan Area and  Newcastle area. 
2 = Sydney Metropolitan Area to Morisset and intermediate stations. 
3 = Sydney Metropolitan Area and Port Kembla area. 
4 = Sydney Metropolitan Area and Dapto area. 
5 = Sydney Metropolitan Area and West. 
9 = Additional Trains not normally tabled. 

Cityrail (but not FreightCorp) do not use the letters 'I', 'O', and 'Q' in the there system as it may be mixed up with the numbers '1' and '0'.  FreightCorp and other rail companies do not have this rule and do use the letters in some of there run numbering systems (e.g. IH = Inner Harbour on the Illawarra Line and LO = Liddell/Mt. Owen in the Hunter Valley region.

For Countrylink services, the second letter is P for "Xplorer" diesel railcar services and T for XPT services.

Some freight services, e.g. Trip trains use a scheme similar to the Cityrail suburban one, e.g. Trip number 1 = T91A and Trip number 11 = T11A (note that '0' is not used in this case). Other schemes are used for other freight services, e.g. for coal trains the first 2 characters are a 2-character code indicating the loading point (e.g. LG = Lithgow Colliery), while the 3rd and 4th characters are a 2-digit run number, even for loaded trains and odd for empty return runs.

However, the above is a far from complete description of the systems used, which is beyond the scope of these notes.


OLYMPIC PARK STATION AND RAIL LINK

In the words of the Olympic Co-ordination Authority:

When it was decided to develop Homebush Bay into Sydney’s premier sporting and cultural facility, the NSW Government decided the key to that network was a heavy rail link right into the heart of the Olympic Stadium and Showground facilities. 

Olympic Park Station and its surrounding public spaces are designed to reflect the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to capture the atmosphere of the world’s great transport terminals. The station’s design dramatically achieves this aim, presenting an exciting gateway to Homebush Bay.

The project was a unique collaboration between the Olympic Co-ordination Authority, which developed, financed and owns the project, the builders, Leighton Contractors, and the architects Hassell. Olympic Park Station won one of Australia’s most prestigious architectural awards, the Royal Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter’s Sir John Sulman Award, being cited as an outstanding example of excellence in public buildings. 

A unique feature of the station is the separation of incoming and outgoing crowds during major events. Departing passengers enter by side entrances, taking Platform 1 to go east, or Platform 4 to travel west. Passengers alight on the middle platforms (2 & 3), enabling sequential boarding and disembarking. Outside major events passengers enter and leave through the station’s front entrance, from the middle platforms.

The Homebush Bay rail link is designed as an integral part of the Sydney metropolitan rail system. Trains travelling in either direction on the Main Western Line are able to enter the Homebush Bay loop. The line is mostly above ground but goes underground either side of Olympic Park station, enabling people to walk freely between the venues at Homebush Bay.

(The line was built on much of the old alignment used by a goods line previously known as the “abattoirs” branch which included a huge livestock saleyard and brickworks factory.  The transformation of this site from what it used to be has been amazing.) 

Olympic Park Station is designed for big crowds (the stadium alone can hold 110,000 people, the equivalent of over 40 fully loaded 8 carriage double decker trains!). During the Olympic Games, trains will run every two minutes. That’s a total of 50,000 people an hour or about three times the hourly number that use Sydney’s busy Town Hall interchange in any morning peak period.

The Olympic Park line was developed to allow complete operational separation from the main Western line as well as the freight lines to and from Enfield.  It also allows trains to be diverted from the Western line to provide additional train frequency to Olympic Park for just a few minutes additional journey time.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  
Thanks are especially due to Shane Austin, Philip Lee, Glenn Percival, Damien George and Bob Wilson, all residents of New South Wales, for providing much of the information needed to develop this simulation. 

Their involvement throughout the project, especially in testing successive versions of the simulation and detailed checking of the track and signalling details, has made a major contribution to the authenticity of the simulation.
