The situation is complicated by additional holiday workings, late running trains, locomotives needing fuel or attention, and a shortage of platform space at peak times, and to make matters worse your every instruction is being monitored by Regional Control at Paddington as part of an efficiency study.
The main features of the railways in the Penzance area are shown schematically above.
The approach is along the shore of Mount's Bay from Harazion, and there is a potential bottleneck here in that the mainline is singled for a distance of about 1.5 miles as it runs from Longrock to the beginnings of the station complex at the base of Chyandour Cliff. An adjacent line serves the coaching stock yard at Ponsandane and the new service depot for High Speed Trains (HSTs) at Longrock, and there is an additional loop at Eastern Green used by Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) en route to the station.
The terminus at Penzance has three main covered platforms, with an outside subsidiary platform used primarily for parcels traffic, relief trains and stock with a long turnround time. Alongside are the 'Flower Bays', which take their name from the heavy springtime traffic from the Scillies but which in summer are used as the principal locomotive stabling area following the severance of the lines to the old diesel fuelling point adjacent (locomotives now having to trip to the HST depot at Longrock for fuel or attention). The bay area is controlled by manually operated points from the bay head reception and departure line, which itself has what is effectively a locomotive headshunt in the form of sidings alongside the seawall.
To obtain a status report on a locomotive or to direct a movement you must first obtain control by pressing the space bar, and then in response to a prompt enter the number of the locomotive or HST set concerned. A report on the condition of the locomotive will then be given at the bottom of the screen. You may return to the simulation at this stage without penalty by pressing the Return key, or may alternatively initiate a movement by entering the two letter code of the desired new location. This should in general be adjacent to the present location (see diagram, the main exception being certain through movements past the Ponsandane line hold position), and of course have space to accept the new locomotive. Inadmissable movements or movements which conflict with previously initiated directives are signified by a buzzer, and these will contribute penalty points to your end of shift assessment.
To move the next available stock out of the yard, ensure that the ECS loop is empty, and with the shunter available type the destination code EL (if the shunter is at work in the yard it must first summoned by re-entering as the next location the yard code PY1).
To move the shunter alone out of the yard type PL to move it to the Ponsandance line hold position, or EL to back onto stock already in the ECS loop.
Whilst HSTs or locomotives are on the depot their status is indicated by the following codes:
Locomotives leaving the depot may travel as light engines to the Ponsandane line hold position (PL), or alternatively may back onto waiting stock in the ECS loop (EL).
HSTs running empty from the depot to the station area can similarly travel via either the PL or EL provided that the desired line is completely clear of other traffic.
This can be achieved by running the shunter around first (type RR with PL clear), or by the shunter leaving the stock in the loop (type PL to move on to other duties) to either itself return later from Ponsandance yard or to allow a locomotive released from Longrock depot to come onto what will be its departure stock and back it into the station
Stock already in a station platform from an incoming train may be temporarily moved to the ECS loop by the shunter provided there is more than 20 minutes to its scheduled departure time, this manoeuvre allowing the original train locomotive trapped at the buffers to be released early if so desired.
The loop may also be used by HSTs running between Longrock depot and the station as an alternative to going via the PL hold position
Trains which are locomotive hauled may use a platform with a locomotive from an earlier arrival still trapped at the buffers, but HSTs require a completely free platform so that they can be coupled to electrical shore lines near the buffer stops, enabling their power car engines to be shut down (platform 4 is not equipped with this facility and thus should not be used by HSTs scheduled for a subsequent departure working).
Locomotive hauled trains will automatically have the train engine uncoupled, and when this has been done either the shunter or the locomotive for the departure working may be attached to the other end of the train. No attempt should however be made to move recently arrived stock until sufficient time has been allowed for unloading (typically 10 minutes for standard passenger trains and up to 30 minutes for other workings).
Locomotives are directed onto the stock of their next departure by directing them into the platform from either PL or SW. Once attached, trains must depart with that locomotive.
Locomotives may be moved from the buffer end of platforms by re-entering the platform location (P1 to P4) as a direction movement, and then the onward destination in a subsequent movement.
Stock for departures originating from Penzance should be brought down from Ponsandane with adequate time allowed for passenger loading (the departure time of coaching stock being labelled in Ponsandane yard, whilst HSTs are automatically assigned to the next HST departure when they arrive in the platform). The next working of incoming stock is shown a few minutes after the train arrives in the platform, although this information is of course also given earlier in the next arrival slot.
When the train arrives it should be directed into one of the platforms as usual. The shunter should be attached after the train locomotive has uncoupled, and the vans may then be moved to the end of either B1 or B2 for unloading by typing the appropriate location code with PL, BH and the chosen bay clear of other traffic.
The motorail vans are left in the bay during the day ready for loading for the return working in the evening, and may have locomotives stabled along with them.
Layout
Screen Display and Movement Control
The locations of all locomotives and available stock in the Penzance area are shown on a movement control console, with a display which is automatically updated once a minute. Details of the next arrival are given near the top of the screen, and there is also a reminder of the times and destinations of the next three departures.
Notes on Specific Locations
PY - Ponsandane Yard
Only the shunter (08644) is allowed to marshal train formations in the yard and to work in and out with coaching stock. You will be notified when the shunter is required for duties in the yard, and should endeavour to return it there at the first available opportunity.
LD - Longrock Depot
HSTs are cleaned and serviced here overnight in a new purpose built shed. Locomotives should be sent to the depot only when they require fuel, examination or the rectification of defects, and with the depot capacity being limited to just four units they should be returned to the bay area for stabling or assignment to other duties as soon as practicable when they become available after attention.
PL - Ponsandane Line
The Ponsandane line is the service line liking the station complex to Longrock depot and Ponsandane yard. At the Western end of the line there is a locomotive hold position, and this is used by locomotives and HSTs running from the depot to the station, by the shunter moving from the yard to the station or manoeuvring around stock in the ECS loop, and by locomotives shuttling between the platforms and the bay head. The hold position need not be specified as an intermediate destination if the final destination is either LD, PY or EL from the station area, or one of the platforms from the ECS loop.
EL - Empty Coaching Stock Loop
After being pulled into the loop from Ponsandane yard by the shunter, empty stock must be backed from here into its departure platform.
P1 to P4 - the Station Platforms
Mainline arrivals can be directed into one of the four terminus platforms as soon as you receive notification that the train concerned is approaching Longrock (if no action is taken the train will be held at the signals east of the single track section awaiting further instructions).
Locomotive Stabling Areas
BH - Bay Head
the throat of the bays, with capacity for two locomotives. If desired locomotives can be moved from one of the two slots to the other by re-entering the BH code.
B1, B2, BE - Flower Bays and the Bay End
Principal locomotive stabling points between duties. Motorail stock is also parked at the end of either B1 or B2 during the day (see later).
SW - See wall sidings
Only used as a headshunt in this simulation
Timetable and Stock Working
Your turn of duty is a double shift from 0500 hrs in the morning to 2100 hrs in the evening, at which time you hand over to the night supervisor to deal with the few remaining late night arrivals. The schedule of arrivals and departures during your shift is given in the Traffic Workings Table, where an asterisk denotes an additional or relief working.
Motorail Services
One working requiring special handling is the overnight motorail service from Paddington, which because of traffic demand is diagrammed to run as a separate train rather than the more normal practice of coming down with the newspapers and returning as part of the Night Riviera.
| Western Region | Other Regions | ||
| BR | Bristol | BS | Bescot (Birmingham) |
| CF | Cardiff | CD | Crewe |
| LA | Laira (Plymouth) | GD | Gateshead (Newcastle) |
| OC | Old Oak Common (London) | HA | Haymarket (Edinburgh) |
| PZ | Penzance | IM | Immingham |
| WR | Western Region HST depots at Old Oak, Laira and St. Philip's Marsh (Bristol) | TO | Toton (Nottingham) |
You have a relatively free hand in allocating locomotives to trains, but only in exceptional circumstances should a locomotive requiring fuel or attention be dispatched on a departure working. You should keep in mind the comments on locomotive usage made earlier, and if possible give locomotives at least an hour turnaround time at Penzance.
In addition you should try to allocate non-Western region locomotives to the following workings which are diagrammed for through haulage to their destinations (other services to the north changing motive power at Birmingham):
An initial sequence of movements might be:
If you wish to finish your shift early, the simulation may be terminated by pressing ESCAPE, but you must have completed at least 64 minutes to receive a rating.
If only a temporary respite is required we recommend freezing the action on a status report or movement command directive.
Getting Started
The simulation starts a few minutes before the nominal commencement of your shift with an HST waiting in PL to come into the platforms, the shunter in BH (but requested for work in PY), a class 50 hauled passenger train in P4 soon to depart, three HSTs stabled at LD, and three locomotives parked in the bay areas (with the one in BE requiring fuel).
Finishing or Pausing
At the end of your turn of duty you will be given a rating of your performance on a scale up to excellent.
Penzance Traffic Workings Table
| Due | Train | Next Working | Time | Destination | Stock from | ||
| 0527 | * | 1915 ex York | 0646 Newquay ECS | 0505 | Plymouth | PY | |
| 0544 | Plymouth (parcels) | ECS PY | 0628 | Paddington (HST) | LD | ||
| 0625 | Paddington (mail) | ECS PY | 0646 | +* | Newquay (ECS) | 0527 arrival | |
| 0654 | Paddington (newspapers) | ECS PY | 0725 | Paddington (HST) | LD | ||
| 0710 | * | Paddington (motorail) | Bays for unloading | 0740 | Glasgow | PY | |
| 0748 | Night Riviera (sleeper) | ECS PY | 0835 | Paddington (HST) | LD | ||
| 0805 | 2357 ex Paddington | 0932 Paddington | 0853 | + | Newcastle | PY | |
| 0843 | 2217 ex Manchester | 1125 Manchester | 0910 | Leeds | PY | ||
| 0901 | 2315 ex Liverpool | 1035 Leeds | 0932 | Paddington | 0805 arrival | ||
| 1029 | 0825 ex Plymouth | 1105 Paddington | 1000 | Liverpool | PY | ||
| 1133 | Paddington (parcels) | ECS PY | 1020 | Paddington (HST) | LD | ||
| 1200 | 0630 ex Worcester (HST) | 1235 Paddington | 1035 | Leeds | 0901 arrival | ||
| 1243 | * | 0751 ex Bristol (ECS) | 1415 Wolverhampton | 1050 | Brighton | PY | |
| 1307 | 0743 ex Paddington (HST) | 1340 Paddington | 1105 | Paddington | 1029 arrival | ||
| 1317 | * | 0621 ex Wolverhampton | 1520 Wolverhampton | 1125 | + | Manchester | 0843 arrival |
| 1358 | 0845 ex Paddington (HST) | 1448 Paddington | 1235 | Paddington (HST) | 1200 arrival | ||
| 1433 | 0750 ex Swansea | 1540 Paddington | 1340 | Paddington (HST) | 1307 arrival | ||
| 1456 | 0717 ex Derby | 1600 Derby | 1350 | Bristol (parcels) | PY | ||
| 1528 | 0940 ex Paddington | 1615 Paddington | 1415 | * | Wolverhampton (relief) | 1243 arrival | |
| 1548 | 1045 ex Paddington (HST) | 1700 Paddington | 1436 | Paddington (relief) | PY | ||
| 1642 | Cornish Riviera (HST) | ECS LD | 1448 | Paddington (HST) | 1358 arrival | ||
| 1709 | 0914 ex Brighton | ECS PY | 1520 | * | Wolverhampton | 1317 arrival | |
| 1753 | 0936 ex Liverpool | ECS PY | 1540 | Paddington | 1433 arrival | ||
| 1804 | 1245 ex Paddington (HST) | ECS LD | 1600 | + | Derby | 1456 arrival | |
| 1824 | 0921 ex Leeds | ECS PY | 1615 | Paddington | 1528 arrival | ||
| 1919 | * | 1330 ex Paddington (relief) | ECS PY | 1700 | Paddington (HST) | 1548 arrival | |
| 1929 | 1210 ex Liverpool (HST) | 2013 Laira ECS | 1815 | Plymouth | PY | ||
| 1946 | 0922 ex Newcastle | ECS PY | 1921 | * | Paddington (motorail) | Loading in bays | |
| 2010 | 1345 ex Paddington | ECS PY | 2013 | Laira (HST ECS) | 1929 arrival | ||
| 2042 | 1445 ex Paddington | ECS PY | 2030 | * | Paddington (relief) | PY | |
| 2101 | 1545 ex Paddington (HST) | ECS LD | 2045 | Night Riviera (sleeper) | PY | ||