Difference between revisions of "Wherry Lines"

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[[Category:Simulations in the United Kingdom]]
 
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Latest revision as of 22:14, 29 July 2022

Wherry Lines
DescriptionThe Wherry Lines, East Suffolk Line and Bittern Line
Country United Kingdom
Time period2022
Train Operating CompanyGreater Anglia, East Midlands Railway
Simulation difficulty5/10 stars
AuthorOxalin
WebsiteWherry Lines
Route map

Norwich
Jubilee Carriage Sidings
Thorpe Yard
Riverside Freight Depot
Fuel Siding
Crown Point Depot
Loco Neck
Trowse Swing Bridge
Trowse Tarmac
One Mile Bridge
Breckland Line
Thorpe Bridge
Victoria Sidings
Great Eastern Main Line
Brundall Gardens
Salhouse
Brundall
Wxoxham Viaduct
Hoveton & Wroxham
Buckenham
Worstead
Lingwood
CLH Pipeline Systems
Cantley
North Walsham
Acle
Gunton
Reedham
Roughton Road
Berney Arms
Great Yarmouth Carriage Sidings
Reedham Swing Bridge
Great Yarmouth
Haddiscoe
Cromer
Somerleyton Swing Bridge
West Runton
Somerleyton
Sheringham
Oulton Broad North
North Norfolk Railway
Lowestoft
Oulton Broad Swing Bridge
Lowestoft Sidings
Oulton Broad South
Beccles
Brampton
Halesworth
River Blythe Bridge
Darsham
Leiston
Saxmundham
Wickham Market
Melton
Woodbridge
Ipswich

The Wherry Lines are a collection of branch lines in Norwich. Strictly speaking, only the lines between Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft are included in the Wherry Lines, however this simulation also includes the East Suffolk Line from Lowestoft to Ipswich as far as Woodbridge, the Bittern Line to Sheringham, and a small part of the Great Eastern Main Line in the Norwich area.

The lines are formed of a mix of single-track and double track - care must be taken to ensure trains are in the correct places to pass at all times!

The Wherry Lines are rather unique in the UK for having several railway swing bridges over navigable waterways. While in real life these are typically set to allow trains to pass and only opened for boats when required, for the purposes of the simulation they have been modelled using the level crossing feature. As such, be sure not to set a route across them too early or a penalty will await at the end!

Timetable

A full day timetable for May 2022 has been included, with the following standard off-peak services.

Wherry Lines Services
Train Operating Company Origin Destination Frequency (tph)
East Midlands Railway Norwich Liverpool Lime Street 1
Greater Anglia London Liverpool Street 2
Stansted Airport 1
Sheringham 1
Great Yarmouth via Acle 1
Lowestoft 1
Ipswich 1

Additional services operate during peak periods, particularly to Great Yarmouth via Berney Arms. Occasionally freight services operate over various sections of the route in the morning, and there's a special midday service from the North Norfolk Steam Railway to Cromer.

Operational Tips

Norwich

  • Platform allocations have been included in the train descriptions. It is suggested you stick to these, even where they recommend platform sharing, to avoid blocking platforms for other trains.
  • Sometimes where trains platform share, you may struggle to get the calling-on signal to activate. In these cases, it is often because the first train to arrive has already changed direction ready to depart. Simply take this train under signaller control and you should be able to call the second train into the station.
  • Trains join and split throughout the day - make sure to route trains into the correct platforms to allow for these to occur.
  • Trains from the Wherry Lines and Bittern Line typically have several extra minutes "padding" allowed for in the timetable on the approach to Norwich - often these will have to be held outside the station to allow a departure to clear the platform first. The train should still be able to arrive on time in these cases.
  • All three lines into Norwich are bi-directional. There are times where you will have to use all three lines in both directions to allow for parallel moves to occur - be careful to set the points correctly so you don't block other services accidentally.

Cromer

  • Trains reverse here to head up to Sheringham.
  • Make sure you set the route the correct way out of Cromer.

Great Yarmouth

  • Be careful to route trains the correct way - either via Acle or Berney Arms.

Lowestoft

  • Recommended platform allocations are provided in the train descriptions.
  • Trains often switch between the Wherry Lines and East Suffolk Line here - make sure you route them out the correct way.