Traffic Control: Early Diesel/Electric Era (1970-1985) (DOS)

Birmingham 1971 - Based on 1982 version, but before HSTs and the introduction of the Cross-City service, with several largely independent local services, and plenty of loco-changing on the cross-country services. (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Birmingham 1982 - A real challenge! Five routes to be handled in 12 platforms, some of which can hold two trains. Your task is to fit a 15-minute interval local Cross-City service, and other local services, in between main-line services on the former Midland and North-Western routes, with the added complication of loco-changing on the cross-country routes to the south and west. (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Bristol 1981 - Temple Meads on a summer Saturday when most services were still loco-hauled. Frequent Regional Railways services between Cardiff and Portsmouth have to reverse and change engines, and have to compete for platform space with Inter-City HST services from Paddington, also loco-hauled services between the South-West and North-East. There are also local services and occasional other Regional Railways services. Some parcels traffic uses the parcels platform, while engines visit Bath Road depot for servicing or refuelling. (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Silver Series: Cambridge 1981 - An interesting comparison with our Cambridge 1952, on which it is based, this is set before major remodelling at Cambridge, and shows most of the old layout in use by diesel-hauled passenger and freight traffic and diesel multiple units. (Difficulty ####) Price £30

Platinum Series - Carlisle 1973 - A worthy successor to Reading 1954 and Lincoln 1952, with again several yards and private sidings to provide trip freight traffic, as well as the major Kingmoor Yard. It covers the West Coast main line from Upperby Junction in the south to Gretna Junction and Quintinshill in the north. There are ten track screens, each with a details screen where necessary. (Difficulty ######) Price £50

Silver Series: Crewe 1971 - An interesting comparison with our Crewe 1985 and 1992, as well as the steam era one we hope to produce one day, this is set in the middle diesel/electric period, with the station layout much as in steam days, and much engine changing between diesel and electric. At this time the lines to London, Liverpool and Manchester were electrified, but not that to Preston and Glasgow, or of course the North Wales line. (Difficulty ####) Price £30

Silver Series - Crewe 1983 - An interesting comparison with our Crewe 1985, this is set just before the 1985 remodelling, with the station layout much as in steam days or in our 1971 version, but most main line traffic powered by electrics. Loco changing was of course still required on the North Wales line. (Difficulty ####) Price £30.

Crewe 1985 - Perhaps the best known station in the country, seen in late summer 1985 just after the remodelling. Your shift is a full twelve hours, from midnight to midday, so it includes the overnight sleeper and parcels trains as well as the usual daytime traffic. Your task includes rather more engine changing than in 1992. (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Doncaster 1985 - A similar volume of traffic to 1992, but very different motive power: "Heritage" DMUs, HSTs, loco-hauled cross-country services. (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Edinburgh 1985 - This is perhaps the most interesting station on ScotRail, with a mixture of local services and through and terminating long-distance services on several routes. Several of these services are loco-hauled, including the regular Dundee service. Haymarket depot is just outside the area you control, and you have to request locos from there as required to handle the traffic. . (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Euston 1971 - probably the busiest terminus in the country for loco-hauled trains, set on a weekday to give a taste of rush-hour operations at the beginning and end of a 9-5 shift. Class AM10 on suburban services and all the early AC electric classes in evidence. Warning - this one is complex and difficult; please try one of our easier games first! Not recommended for beginners!! (Difficulty ####) Price £20

Highland Line 1984 - Control the busy single line between Perth and Inverness, assigning priorities and planning crossings to minimise delays. (Difficulty #) Price £20

Silver Series: Inverness 1970 - One less screen than the 1954 version, but still plenty to do. There are a few through freights, but all passenger trains except one occasional charter special terminate at Inverness, which is operated as two stations side by side, one for the north and one for the south and east. Freight traffic included is substantial, particularly on the Perth main line. You have a full 24 hour shift to operate, though it gets quiet at times. The new diesel depot is on the site of the former Lochgorm Works. Some track simplification had taken place, including singling of the Forres line, with the passenger service to Aberdeen now operated by diesel multiple units. (Difficulty ###) Price £30

Silver Series: Inverness 1981 - One more screen than the 1970 version, as the growth of North Sea oil traffic increased the demands on Inverness TMD. There are a few through freights, but all scheduled passenger trains terminate at Inverness, which is mainly operated as two stations side by side, one for the north and one for the south and east. Freight traffic included is substantial, particularly on the Perth main line. You have a full 24 hour shift to operate, though it gets quiet at times. The diesel depot is on the site of the former Lochgorm Works, and has a lot to do. Some track simplification had taken place, including singling of the Forres line. The passenger service to Aberdeen had reverted to loco haulage, and the increased traffic had brought an increase in the number of sleeper and Motorail services, as well as extra freights. (Difficulty ####) Price £30

Kings Cross 1970 - early diesel days, with the old track layout, and through passenger workings over the Metropolitan line. When necessary you can call on motive power from that available at Finsbury Park: classes 31, 45,46,47 and 55 are plentiful, with occasional visitors of classes 37 and 40 and the occasional "Baby Deltic". (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Kings Cross 1978 - in the early days of the HST, when most services were still loco-hauled, often by Deltics. The challenge here is to keep enough platforms clear for incoming trains, while refuelling locos when necessary, all in a layout with very limited shunting space. (Difficulty ##) Price £20

Silver Series - Newton Abbot 1970 - Another in our "Summer Saturdays in the West" series, but this time set in the seventies. Note the contrast with steam in our 1955 version. The layout was largely unchanged from steam days, except in the shed area, and at the north end of the station where a Motorail terminal now existed. This was at the height of Motorail services, with no less than five calling at Newton Abbot and needing shunting. Due to the lack of refuelling facilities in the Paignton area, you also have to change engines on some Torbay services. (Difficulty ####) Price £30

Norwich 1982 - Before electrification, manage this busy terminus on a summer Saturday. Through trains to and from Yarmouth all need a change of engine, and these and the terminating London trains compete for limited platform space with local services on the coast lines and from the Ely direction, as well as through holiday trains from the Midlands to Yarmouth. (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Paddington 1972 - before the HST made life easy! In the days of classes 52 (Western) and 35 (Hymek), all trains are loco-hauled, and incoming locos must be refuelled when necessary. (Difficulty ###) Price £20

Penzance 1984 - diesel era operation, with Inter-City 125 and class 50 prominent. The singling of the main line in 1974 created a bottleneck which can be quite a problem at times. (Difficulty #) Price £20

Preston 1983 - Seen on a summer Saturday in 1983, this always busy centre has even more happening than usual. As well as the usual weekday local and through services, you have to deal with extras to and from Blackpool, some of which reverse at Preston. Your task includes engine changing on main line services from Blackpool North.(Difficulty ###) Price £20

Gold Series - Reading 1972 - This has eight track screens, and includes West and General stations, the DMU sidings that host most of the London area units, and the diesel depot and engineers’ sidings on the site of the old steam shed. All trace of the Southern station, shed and yard have gone, and Southern trains mostly use platform 4A at the east end of platform 4. There is still substantial freight traffic at West Junction Yard, and as well as the former GWR main line from London to Didcot for Swindon and Reading there are the Berks and Hants line towards Newbury and Westbury, the line to the Southern at Basingstoke, and the Southern Region lines to Waterloo and to Guildford and Redhill. Some passenger and freight services still require an engine change at Reading. (Difficulty #####) Price £40

West Highland Line 1984 - Control the single line from Glasgow to Fort William, including the branch to Oban. You have to plan crossings to minimise delays, deciding where to hold freights and how to handle conflicting movements at the junction at Crianlarich. (Difficulty #) Price £20