--- |---|                                                      7, BITTON AVENUE
| D | K |  DEE KAY SYSTEMS                                     TEIGNMOUTH,
|---| ---                                                      S. DEVON,
                                                               TQ14  8HD


                          R.T.C. BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET


Birmingham New Street often described as the workhub of British Rails intercity
system lies at the intersection of six major trunk routes (see Figure 1).  Add
an extensive suburban network, including a dedicated cross city service, and
you have a situation where rail traffic control really must be got right.  Set
on a Summer Saturday in the mid 1980's the simulation allows you to control
traffic for a four hour shift which we think you will find challenging as you
keep traffic flowing smoothly with the minimum of delay to booked timings.

The layout of New Street station and Proof House Jct. immediately to its east,
is shown in Figure 2.  Five main input and output routes are represented on the
plan as WV, GL, AS, CV and DY (standing for Wolverhampton, Gloucester, Aston,
Coventry and Derby respectively).  It is these abbreviations along with the
platform number codes which are used to set up movements within the simulation.
Most platforms are signalled for bi-directional and multi-train working, but in
order to represent the basic service patterns then operating, we have put
restrictions on the use of certain platforms as detailed in Table 1 below.  A
list of final destination codes and originating points is given in Table 2.


                     TABLE 1 : RESTRICTIONS TO PLATFORM USE

  PLATFORMS DEDICATED TO                          PLATFORMS DEDICATED TO
  TERMINATING LOCAL SERVICES                      CROSS-CITY SERVICE
  --------------------------                      ------------------

  PLATFORM    FROM/TO
  --------

    P1A       Walsall                              P5    Eastbound

    P1B       Hereford,Malvern,Worcester               (to Four Oaks,Blake St
                                                      & Litchfield.
    P3A       Coventry

    P3B       Kidderminster,Stourbridge            P12   Westbound

    P4A       Euston (EMU's)                          (to Longbridge,
                                                     Redditch & Bromsgrove.
    P4B       Wolverhampton,Stafford (+Preston EMU)


                               OTHER RESTRICTIONS
                               ------------------

P2 can only be used by trains from WV line to the CV line)Note these trains
P6 can only be used by trains from CV line to the WV line)may use other
                                                         )platforms.


Terminating trains from East Anglia must use P8        )Other trains may
Terminating trains from East Mids and Lines must use P9)also use these
                                                       )platforms.


Trains are referred to by their four digit reporting codes, the first digit
if a 1 denoting a main line express and if a 2 secondary stopping service.  A
hash (#) symbol has been added for two services from the North West which, with
no locomotive change, take the DY exit and the Camp Hill line to the South West
rather than the more conventional GL route.  Details of motive power are given
as you issue movement directives with locomotive changes and associated light
engine movements occurring behind the scenes.  D.M.U's are given TOPS style
identifications in the simulation even though these were not carried by most
units; an additional prefix of a plus sign denotes units coupled together.

The simulation runs from 10.00 hrs to 14.00 hrs but until you gain experience
you may find this hard going so there is a special 'quit' option where after
more than an hour's operation you can terminate the simulation and obtain a
rating of your performance.  Press Q on Commodore and Spectrum, escape once on
BBC and escape twice on Amstrad machines for this facility.


TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS
-----------------

For each input up to 15 minutes' identification is given of the next arrival.
As each working nears Birmingham N. S. you will be informed, you then have
three minutes to set a route before the train is checked at the approach, there
is then a further two minutes to set the route before the train is held at the
approach signals (penalties will not be incurred if checked).  The procedure
for setting a route is to press the space bar (after accept on Spectrum), and
then in response to prompts enter the appropriate two or three digit code of
the desired input and exit points using the enter/return key (pressing
enter/return alone after either prompt restarts the simulation without penalty
and may thus be used to give thinking time or to take a break from play).  If a
route is correctly set for this working, and does not conflict with previously
set up movements, the train will be signalled in and in due course (with a
running time of typically 2 minutes) will traverse the route.  As a reminder
that a route or routes are set a small square is shown on the appropriate side
of the station until all movements on that side of the station are complete.


LOADING THE PROGRAM
-------------------

SPECTRUM      The program is loaded by typing LOAD""
BBC/ELECTRON  The program is loaded by typing CHAIN ""
COMMODORE     The program is loaded by pressing RUN/STOP and SHIFT keys
              together.
AMSTRAD       The program is loaded by typing CHAIN "RTCBNS"


GETTING STARTED
---------------

Having loaded take a note of traffic conditions and then press any key as
instructed, now wait for the screen to fill with trains due to arrive and
depart.  Press the space bar on input prompt (after accept on Spectrum) the
clock should read 10.00 hrs.  Check carefully to see if any train is due to
arrive or is ready to depart.  Depending on lateness any of the trains due
displayed on the screen may be moved as "due" changes to "app".  When this
happens type in route input e.g. WV for the 1Y71 Liv-Pgn, press enter/return
and in answer to EXIT key in a platform code e.g. P7 then enter/return.  If
nothing else can be moved let the clock tick on.  At 10.02 1V68 Brm-Cdf becomes
ready to depart, in answer to input (after accept on Spectrum) key in P9 then
enter/return, in answer to EXIT type in GL, the train will now move out.  As
arrivals become available, this is when "due" changes to "app" you should be
able to move 2G57 Wal-Brm from AS to P1A and the 1012 Bdf-Wey (DY) to P11 and
2G45 (CV) to P3A etc. using the methods described.


                                    TABLE 2

                       ORIGINATING AND DESTINATION CODES

          WV                                        CV
          --                                        --

   Stb     Stourbridge            Eus  Euston              Cam  Cambridge
   Kid     Kidderminster          Cov  Coventry            Nor  Norwich
   Her     Hereford               Pad  Paddington          Pet  Peterborough
   Mal     Malvern                Bgn  Brighton            Yar  Yarmouth
   Wor     Worcester              Ple  Poole               Lec  Leicester
   Wlv     Wolverhampton          Pts  Portsmouth          Lcn  Lincoln
   Stf     Stafford               Wey  Weymouth            Not  Nottingham
   Shw     Shrewsbury                                      Dby  Derby
   Abw     Aberystwyth
   Lld     Llandudno                  AS                        GL
   Hol     Holyhead                   --                        --
   Man     Manchester
   Liv     Liverpool              Wal  Walsall             Brg  Bromsgrove
   Blk     Blackpool              Foa  Four Oaks           Lgb  Longbridge
   Prs     Preston                Bst  Blake St.           Red  Redditch
   Car     Carlisle               Lch  Litchfield          Cdf  Cardiff
   Gla     Glasgow                                         Tby  Tenby
   Inv     Inverness                                       Wst  Weston-S-Mare
                                      DY                   Plm  Plymouth
                                      --                   Pgn  Paignton
                                                           Nqy  Newquay
                                  Bdf  Bradford            Pnz  Penzance
                                  Hul  Hull
                                  Lds  Leeds
                                  New  Newcastle
                                  Yrk  York
                                  Cle  Cleethorpes


             Figure 1:     Principal routes in the Birmingham Area.
             ---------     ----------------------------------------

Please refer to the image file rtcbirm1.png for routes through Birmingham New
Street.


               Figure 2:     Schematic plan of the Station Layout
               --------------------------------------------------

Please refer to the image file rtcbirm2.png for a plan of Birmingham New Street
station.
