GWR Gds Didcot-Newbury Assist/Pilot and Shunting duties

Very loosely based on the chapter 'Over The Branch' in 'Didcot Engineman' by Bernard Barlow, Wild Swan.
An early morning turn worked by Didcot Shed in Sept 1943 recalled by Bernard Barlow, Fireman.
Detailed articles about Newbury operations in GWR Journals 100,101,102 and 91.

You are driving 2221 and will be assisting 2289 on the 3.05 am Didcot - Winchester goods as far as Newbury.
This will be followed by station pilot duties and shunting at Newbury before bringing a passenger service back to Didcot.

You are responsible for setting the points, there is no AI. The scenario start time can be safely altered if you want to do it in the dark.

"During the summer months, if we could smell the sewage works the wind was in the east and we knew we had good weather."

Drive 2221 to shed exit signal, then bring up 2289 close behind.
Reverse 2221 to couple to 2289 behind (so you will be driving the lead engine).

Check points to 'Didcot Shed Entrance REVERSE' and on to 'Didcot-Ox Running Loop Shunt'
Stop when clear of the Shed Entrance points and set them for 'Didcot Ox Branch Siding 1'
Reverse onto your wagons in 'Didcot Centre Yard Siding5 South'

The guard reports the train has 40 wagons: 20 No.1's (coal)
15 No.2's (other minerals)
5 No.3's (general goods)

Set the GWR 'F' headcode: 1 under chimney 1 in centre below.

Set the points onto the 'Didcot Newbury and Southampton' Down line and drive non stop to Newbury junction.

Join then Main Line and stop by the water column.
Uncouple and set the way into the Down Platform.
Pull forward then reverse to stop beside the cutting bank.
Don't allow your loco to blow off or 'Annie' who lives in one of the terraces above may empty the contents of her chamber pot over you.

Change roles.
Drive the goods train forward to stop beyond the points at 'Newbury Down Main Goods Shed REVERSE'
Reverse into the empty 'Newbury Goods Shed Siding 2'. Stop with the 8 green coal wagons and van beyond the Goods Shed and uncouple.
Pull forward and then reverse onto the wagons and brakevan in the adjacent Shed Siding 1.
You have just dropped off coal which the local pickup goods will deliver along the southern DNS.
You also collected wagons, which had been forwarded from Reading, for delivery to Winchester and Southampton.

Drive to take water at 'Newbury Down Through Water'.
Check points and continue to Embourne Junction stopping at 'Embourne DNS Down 1'.

Change roles.
Take the Up passenger train, waiting at Embourne Junction, to 'Newbury Up Platform' and stop close to the footbridge.

Change roles.
Fly east to Newbury Racecourse Station. Check points and drive the 'newspapers and milk empties' train into Newbury Down Platform.
Leave the rear most van at the platform then drive to stop at the signals near where the Lambourne Branch diverges on the right.

Change roles.
Drive the Lambourne branch passenger train, waiting at West Park Halt, into the Lambourne Bay at Newbury.
Uncouple the horseboxes.

Take over 2221 again. You will have had your breakfast off the shovel.
Collect the van left in the Down Platform. Pull forward beyond the bridge then set back into the Up Platform where porters wait to unload it.
Take it back to the Down side and leave it in 'Newbury Down West Dock'.
Collect the 2 horseboxes from the back of the Lambourne train and add them to the rear of the coaches in the Up Platform.

Reverse through the station and beyond the Goods Shed then drive into 'Newbury Goods Shed Siding 2'. Couple to the Brakevan and coal wagons.
In Goods Yard sidings 1-4 there are rakes of wagons for 4 stations.
Your goal is to add 2 of these coal wagons to each rake and then build the train: Siding4+Siding3+Siding2+Siding1+brakevan.
Pull the now complete train into the Down Platform and take water.

You now swap footplates with the (patient) Didcot passenger service in the Up platform so you both work back to your home sheds.

There is another horsebox to collect at Compton.
At Didcot go to the Shed's ash line.


This page can be re-shown by clicking the blue button on the HUD