Ticol TCL - Railway Signalbox Simulations

A screen-saver replica of a long-lost signalbox whch worked a busy junction in the centre of Nottingham City (UK). This handled traffic exiting the large Great Central Railway, Nottinghanm Victoria Station at a junction where it merged with traffic from the Grantham and East Coast Main Line direction. It used to work to adjacent signalboxes at Nottingham Victoria (South), Arkwright Street and Trent Lane Junction.  As with other recent simulations this uses mainly text mode graphics with vector based graphics for the remainder. The line and associated signalboxes was completely destroyed during the economic and operational changes of the late 1960s.

To install. unzip the ZIP package and copy weekday.scr and ticol_win.dll to C:\Windows  (NOT to C:\Windows\system32). The accompanying WAV files can be installed to \users\<username>\appdata\local\weekday\ where they will be automatically loaded if configured
A mimimum of 1280 x 800 screen resolution is required to run correctly but it should run at 1024 x 768

The screensaver can be run "standalone" by running weekday.scr and it will exit on pressing ESC or SPACE

Use: weekday.scr /? for help - see also the accompanying readme.txt file and example INI file

Download - Weekday Cross (1203 kb ZIP) - Please virus scan before using!
MD5: b8e5383cee1738a1ec571fa6ab117c44

A simulation of the now-preserved railway signalbox at Lowdham, Nottinghamshire which represents operations in the 1980s

A mimimum of 1024 x 768 screen resolution is required to run correctly

To install. unzip the ZIP package and copy lowdham.scr and ticol_win.dll to C:\Windows  (NOT to C:\Windows\system32). The accompanying WAV files can be installed to \users\<username>\appdata\local\lowdham\ where they will be automatically loaded if configured.

A mimimum of 1024 x 768 screen resolution is required to run correctly but it should run in 800 x 600 mode

The screensaver can be run "standalone" by running lowdham.scr and it will exit on pressing ESC or SPACE

Basic testing has been performed but test info and feedback is welcomed, particularly on multi-monitor setups.

Use: lowdham.scr /? for help - see also the accompanying readme.txt file and example INI file

Download - Lowdham (1800 kb ZIP) - Please virus scan before using!
MD5: af0f06dbb541dcb326719668c65019ea

A complex, 55-lever signalbox layout which requires a minimum of 1280 x 720 screen resolution to run. It represents a busy Nottimghamshire colliery-line signalbox from the early 1980s and which, like so many, was destroyed in the new mullenium

To install. unzip the ZIP package and copy bestwood.scr and ticol_win.dll to C:\Windows  (NOT to C:\Windows\system32). The accompanying WAV files can be installed to \users\<username>\appdata\local\weekday\ where they will be automatically loaded if configured

An absolute mimimum of 1280 x 800 screen resolution is required to run correctly

The screensaver can be run "standalone" by running bestwood.scr and  it will exit on pressing ESC or SPACE

Use: bestwood.scr /? for help - see also the accompanying readme.txt file and example INI file

Download - Bestwood Park (1357 kb ZIP) - Please virus scan before using!
MD5: f615b3ca6b26c834fa9bff33938c941b

Formerly located at Lowdham Station, Nottingham, UK and which has been preserved as a museum after being relocated to the opposite side of the track a few years after closure

This is based on the configuration in approximately 1986 with Burton Joyce crossing abolished and replace with an AOCL crossing. The BR "penguin" style block instruments are emulated as well as an approximation of the automatic half-barrier (AHB) repeater instruments

The simulation reasonably represents how it would have worked given a few compromises necessary to translate it to 80 x 30 text mode. It will signal up and down traffic as well as periodically signalling track machines into and out of the down line sidings. Compromises to create a useful simulation include the addition of illuminated track circuits which didn't appear until a few years later

The preserved signalbox has been returned to a 1950s/60s configuration which emulates the full down sidings configuration and old-pattern wooden signalling equipment. At time represented, wooden level crossing gates were still installed. These were not removed until around 1988. The simulated diagram represents one in my own collection.

A video record of the signalbox in the early to mid 1980s is available here - a video of the simulation in action is available here

Information about the Lowdham Heritage Museum can be found here. Public open days are held regularly.

Use lowdham.exe /?  for help

Download  (15.7Mb ZIP) - Please virus scan before using!
MD5: 02adade44b046fdd203f5a805cc7921f

Formerly located at Basford crossings, Nottingham, UK and closed in the early 2000s. The structure is believed to be relocated to a UK preserved railway in the North of England.

The simulation reasonably represents how it would have worked given a few compromises necessary to translate it to 80 x 30 text mode. It will signal up and down traffic as well as periodically signalling trains onto and off the Babbington Colliery branch line and crossing locomotives over from down to up line.

The signalbox was the first manual signalbox along  the Leen Valley branch line at that time and the line served collieries at Babbington, (earlier Bestwood), Calverton, Hucknall, Linby, Newstead and Annesley. In the 1980s it was still quite a busy 'box albeit on a freight-only stub of the former Nottingham to Mansfield line and which re-opened to passengers during the 1990s.

The simulation includes the control pedestal for the City Corporation traffic light and level crossing barrier interface as well as a reasonable facsimile of the analogue train describer which worked to Trent power signalbox. Operation could be tricky due to the often lengthy delay obtaining a release from the 4-way road traffic light system which spanned the crossing.

The moderately complex facing point locking and lock repeater installation has been implemented, including an accurate representation of the repeater operation. This was a 3-aspect MAS area for signals 11 and 12. Signal 12R was a motor worked semaphore. A higher-resolution Windows screensaver version will follow later this year

A video record of the signalbox in the early to mid 1980s is available here - a video of the simulation in action is available here

Use lincoln.exe /?  for help

Download  (7Mb ZIP) - Please virus scan before using!
MD5: fd452b06ba11acc1eb6af87b46173f5b

In its later years, this signalbox managed a series of level crossings between Sneinton and Colwick in Nottingham (UK). The structure has been relocated to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway at Wirksworth, Derbyshire but without lever frame or other equipment

This signalbox originally controlled a junction on the westbound path into Nottingham Midland station where goods lines diverged around the back of the station. In later years it controlled the level crossing barriers adjacent to the signalbox as well as CCTV camera crossings at Trent Lane and Colwick Crossing.

The supervising signalbox was Trent Power Signalbox (PSB) and this frame worked with releases granted by the Nottingham panel operator (No. 2 lever) and which were slotted to four Trent area signals.

At the period represented a set of lines merged (TT251 signal) from sidings connected to Nottingham Goods Yard signalbox. The crossover (No. 3) was only used for maintenance and emergency working such as single-line working

The Tyers/SGE illuminated signal repeaters are represented along with a facsimile of the analogue train describer connected to Trent PSB. A simplified CCTV control panel is featured to help indicate the state of the crossings. A higher-resolution Windows screensaver version will follow later this year

A video record of the signalbox in the early to mid 1980s is available here - a video of the simulation in action is available here

Use sneinton.exe /?  for help

Download  (4351Kb ZIP) - Please virus scan before using!
MD5: 4c5fe10aace51f3a76037e74a4143f91

To run the simulator. Extract the contents to a convenient folder, virus scan and when confirmed safe, run the associated 'exe' file.  To exit the simulation, press the ESC key. For help use <exename>.exe /?

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