S I A M Railway Simulations

Traffic Control: Steam Era (Windows)

Bangor 1958 – This through station on the LMS North Wales main line crams a lot of interest into a small space, the layout being limited by a tunnel at each end. This simulation shows it at its peak, with several through services to and from Holyhead to connect with each of the Irish ferries, and regular services on the branch to Caernarvon and Afonwen, the latter offering connections to Pwllheli and Portmadoc. Due to lack of space at Bangor, local freight marshalling is handled at a small yard at Menai Bridge, which you also control. Due to lack of a turntable at Afonwen or Penychain, all through services on the branch need an engine change at Bangor. Engine-changing has to be slick, with often only five minutes from arrival to departure; on Saturdays this presents a real challenge. (Difficulty ###) Price £30

Platinum Series: Birmingham Western 1953 - In this simulation you control all traffic on the Great Western lines in the Birmingham area, from Tyseley in the south to Handsworth Junction in the north. This area was covered by fifteen manual signal boxes, plus the first generation panel box at Snow Hill. The simulation is set before main line diesels had intruded on the scene, though Tyseley had the first batch of the BR 350hp diesel shunters, and a batch of standard tanks. Most services in the area continued largely as they had done for decades past. Most stations still had goods yards for local traffic. Traffic was marshalled mainly at the extensive Bordesley Junction yards, but some shunting will also be required at Hockley, Queens Head and Handsworth. Tyseley has a shed with two roundhouses, and extensive carriage sidings. The shunting of both goods and passenger traffic will keep you very busy at times. The nature of the traffic changes markedly on a Saturday, with extras on all lines, and returning holiday trains keeping Snow Hill busy until well into the evening. Local spotters kept the road bridge at Tyseley occupied all day – I was one of them! This simulation has eleven track screens, each some 20% larger than was possible with DOS.
(Difficulty #####) Price £50

Platinum Series: Cambrian Railways 1953 - Covering the whole working day, this is set in the summer of 1953. Your control area covers the ex-Cambrian Railways main line from Oswestry to Aberystwyth, with the quarry complex at Porth yWaen near Oswestry and junctions for several branches and the secondary lines to Shrewsbury, Brecon and the coast line to Pwllheli – no less than fifteen screens in all. You can choose between increasing difficulty levels, also a choice of Sunday, weekday or Saturday schedules. There is a fair bit of local goods traffic, serving local yards, and some daily through passenger and freight traffic, which can present some pathing challenges on a line that is mostly single track. Heavier trains may require assistance from a pilot or banker over the summit at Talerddig, and may need to take water at Welshpool, Moat Lane Junction or Machynlleth. Keeping the traffic moving is not easy on ordinary days, but becomes close to impossible on a Summer Saturday with holiday extras, especially if at harder levels you find yourself dealing with the weekend at the start or end of the Birmingham holiday fortnight.

You have control of the sheds at Oswestry and Machynlleth, and the subsheds at Welshpool, Moat Lane Junction and Aberystwyth, and also have to ensure engines receive coal and water as necessary. As usual bonus points are available for allocation of locos of the correct type, and for correct placement of incoming freight. (Difficulty#####) Price £50
To download a sample version, click here.

Platinum Series: East Cornwall 1950 - Covering the whole working day, this is set in the summer of 1950. Your control area covers the ex-GWR main line from Burngullow to Saltash, including the Looe, Bodmin and Fowey branches and the Newquay branch from Par, plus all the surviving mineral branches serving the china clay industry – no less than sixteen screens in all. You can choose between increasing difficulty levels, also a choice of Sunday, weekday or Saturday schedules. There is a fair bit of local goods traffic, particularly on the clay branches, and substantial daily through passenger and freight traffic, particularly on Saturdays. Keeping the traffic moving is not easy on ordinary days, but becomes close to impossible on a Summer Saturday with holiday extras, especially if at harder levels you find yourself dealing with heavy delays to arriving trains due to congestion east of Plymouth.

You have control of the shed at St Blazey, and have to ensure engines receive coal and water as necessary. As usual bonus points are available for allocation of locos of the correct type, and for correct placement of incoming freight. (Difficulty#####) Price £50

Platinum Series: Hertford East 1953 - In this simulation you control all traffic on the Hertford East branch from Broxbourne, plus the Liverpool Street to Cambridge main line from just north of Cheshunt in the south to Burnt Mill, on the outskirts of Harlow, in the north, a distance of about eight miles. In addition, you have to handle the branch from St Margarets to Buntingford, and the goods-only connection from Hertford East to Hertford North, including sidings around ther original Hertford GN station, now closed. The simulation is set before nationalisation had brought much in the way of changes; most services in the area continued largely as they had done for decades past. There were still several goods yards for local traffic. Several daily goods trains cover the needs of local yards, with some remarshalling at Broxbourne. To represent the typical traffic flows in this sort of area, a new feature is that most of the return traffic is left to you to allocate to a suitable departure for one of the London yards. The shunting of goods traffic will keep you very busy at times. You have a choice of schedule and difficulty level. This simulation has ten track screens. (Difficulty #####) Price £50

Gold Series: Isle of Wight (East) 1932 - Covering the whole working day, this is set in the summer of 1932, perhaps the high point of operations on the island. Your control area covers the whole of the line from Ryde to Ventnor, including the Bembridge branch and parts of the lines from Smallbrook Junction and Sandown to Newport - seven screens in all. Increasing difficulty levels give you a choice of Sunday, weekday or Saturday schedules. The single lines on the island were some of the most intensively worked in the country, and you will have to be alert to avoid causing delays. For this reason most freight traffic is early or late in the day. You have control of the shed at St John’s Road, and also have to ensure engines receive water as necessary. As usual bonus points are available for allocation of locos of the correct type, and for correct placement of incoming freight. (Difficulty ###) Price £40

Silver Series: Leicester Central 1957 - The Great Central was the last main line built to London, and sadly didn’t last very long; there’s little trace of much of it now. This simulation shows it at its peak, with an intensive freight service between Annesley, focus of the coal traffic, and Woodford Halse, where the traffic splits to go several ways. At this time Annesley had recently taken delivery of a large batch of the BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 locos, and these almost monopolise this traffic. Fitted in with the freight, and almost replacing it on Saturdays, is a range of passenger services, both local and long-distance. Right from the start it was GC policy to change engines at Leicester on most passenger services, and this still continued, though to a lesser degree. Engine-changing has to be slick, with often only five minutes from arrival to departure. In most cases where the engine is not changed it has to take water. This simulation has four track screens. (Difficulty ###) Price £30

Liverpool Lime Street 1958 - Back to steam days at this busy terminus on two main routes, with local and long-distance passenger and parcels services. This one has a single track screen, though of the larger size possible with Windows, covering the station and approaches. Turning and watering of engines can be done at Lime Street; for more than this engines must go to Edge Hill. At this time stock for most long-distance services was cleaned at Downhill Sidings, not in the station, so there are many empty stock workings, and also light engines to and from Edge Hill. Schedules are provided for weekday, Saturday and Sunday; the rush hour is quite a challenge! (Difficulty ###) Price £30

At this time, just before the war, the electric passenger service is at its zenith and will provide you with a challenge in its own right, but you also have to fit in a busy freight service over all the routes, handle freight traffic at the many yards including placing traffic for (un)loading at Poplar Docks. You are also responsible for the engine shed at Devon's Road, home to a large stud of 'Jintys'.
Please note that due to the complicated track layout, the screens are necessarily large and we regret that we must recommend a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768. Whilst it may run at 800x600 the font will be very small and hard to read and won't do the program justice. (Difficulty ######) Price £50

Platinum Series: Norwich 1952 - In this simulation you control all traffic on the Great Eastern lines in the Norwich area, from Trowse Upper and Trowse Lower Junctions in the west to Brundall Junction in the east. This area was covered by ten manual signal boxes. The simulation is set before diesels had intruded on the scene, with the Britannia pacifics the only sign of standardisation, and before the schedules and traffic patterns had been revised to speed up services between London and Norwich. All the local branches were still open to passenger and goods traffic. Norwich had three goods yards for local traffic, Thorpe, Victoria and Trowse, and three yards where traffic was marshalled, Thorpe, Trowse and Wensum; for transfer purposes several services called at two of the yards, but some separate transfer trips may be required. The shunting of both goods and passenger traffic will keep you very busy at times. As you'd expect in a holiday area, the nature of the traffic changes markedly on a Saturday, with extras to and from the North and the Midlands via March, as well as a more intensive London service. This simulation has seven track screens, each some 20% larger than was possible with DOS. (Difficulty #####) Price £50

 Penzance 1950 - Covering the whole working day, this is set in the summer of 1950. Your control area covers the first mile or so of the ex-GWR main line from Penzance as far as Marazion, including the Long Rock depot. You can choose between increasing difficulty levels, also a choice of Sunday, weekday or Saturday schedules. There is a fair bit of goods traffic, serving the yards at Penzance station, Ponsandane and Marazion, and substantial daily through passenger and freight traffic, particularly on Saturdays. Keeping the traffic moving is not easy on ordinary days, but becomes close to impossible on a Summer Saturday with holiday extras, especially if at harder levels you find yourself dealing with heavy delays to arriving trains due to congestion east of Plymouth.

 You have control of the shed at Penzance, and have to ensure engines receive coal and water as necessary. As usual bonus points are available for allocation of locos of the correct type, and for correct placement of incoming freight. (Difficulty###) Price £30
To download a sample version, click here.

 Platinum Series: Perth 1953 - In this simulation you control all traffic in the Perth area, from Bridge of Earn and Hilton Junction in the south to Stanley Junction in the north. This area was covered by twelve manual signal boxes on the main line, plus Bridge of Earn, and Orchardbank and Barnhill on the Dundee line. The simulation is set before nationalisation had brought much in the way of changes, though Perth had a batch of standard Class 5 4-6-0s. Most services in the area continued largely as they had done for decades past. There were still several goods yards for local traffic. Traffic was marshalled mainly at the North and South yards, but some shunting will also be required at Middle Yard, Coal Yard and in the sidings and Wagon Works at St Leonards Bridge Junction. To accommodate this, a new feature is that much of the return traffic has a specified route, but it is left to you to allocvate it to a suitable departure, and when necessary to trip it to the appropriate yard. The shunting of both goods and passenger traffic will keep you very busy at times. Very few passenger trains to or from the Highland line to Inverness avoid some remarshalling, and there is parcels traffic on all lines. The nature of the traffic changes somewhat on a Saturday, with extras mainly to Aberdeen and the coast, and less goods traffic during the day. Sunday is rather quieter. This simulation has eleven track screens. (Difficulty #####) Price £50
To download a sample version, click here.

 Gold Series: Shrewsbury 1959 - Set in the summer of 1959, in this busy crossroads, with weekday, Saturday and Sunday schedules, this covers the whole Shrewsbury area, including the yards at Coton Hill, Crewe Bank and Coleham, and the Crewe line as far as Harlescott Crossing. Handle through services on the Paddington to Birkenhead and Aberystwyth routes and the Crewe to Bristol and Cardiff route, as well as local services to Crewe, Stafford and Chester. There are also occasional trains on the Central Wales line to Swansea, the Severn Valley line and to Aberystwyth and Wolverhampton. Many services need their engines changing; you select appropriate motive power from that available in Shrewsbury depot (84G). (Difficulty #####) Price £40
To download a sample version, click here.

Gold Series: Stafford 1958 – This through station on the LMS West Coast main line is a busy junction, where the later direct Trent Valley line leaves the original Crewe to Birmingham line which with the London & Birmingham Railway formed the original main line to the north. There is also a busy branch to Wellingon and Shrewsbury, carrying traffic for the Central Wales line to Swansea, and the truncated Uttoxeter branch now serving several local industries and an RAF Maintenance Depot. The engine shed provides motive power mainly for local passenger and goods services.

This simulation shows it at its peak, particularly on Saturdays when there are many extra holiday trains from both London and Birmingham serving Blackpool, the Lake District and the resorts along the North Wales coast. The up and down marshalling yards handle traffic to and from local yards and industries as well as some interchange of portions between through services. There are five track screens.
(Difficulty ####) Price £40
To download a sample version, click here.

Gold Series - Stirling 1953 - In this simulation you control all traffic in the Stirling area, from Polmaise Junction in the south the bridges over the Forth just north of the station. This area was covered by four manual signal boxes: North, Middle and South, plus Polmaise Junction, serving the colliery branch. The simulation is set before nationalisation had brought much in the way of changes; Caledonian and North British classes are still much in evidence. Most services in the area continued largely as they had done for decades past. There were still several goods yards for local traffic. Traffic was marshalled mainly at the Up and Down yards, but some shunting will also be required at Shore Road. Some empties for the collieries will arrive at Stirling and will need to be added to one of the trips to Polmaise Junction. A new feature is the presence of two collieries on the Polmaise branch, for which you will have to handle all the shunting. The shunting of both goods and passenger traffic will keep you very busy at times. Several passenger trains to or from Oban carry a through portion to or from Edinburgh, and there is some parcels traffic. The nature of the traffic changes somewhat on a Saturday, with extras mainly to Aberdeen and the coast, and less goods traffic during the day. Sunday is rather quieter. This simulation has five track screens. (Difficulty ####) Price £40
To download a sample version, click here.

Platinum Series: Waverley Route 1953 - Covering the whole working day, this is set in the summer of 1953. Your control area covers the ex-North British Railway line (“The Waverley Route”) from Galashiels to St Boswells, Hawick, Riccarton Junction and Longtown, with the junctions for the Peebles, Selkirk, Greenlaw, Kelso, Hexham, Langholm and Gretna branches – nine screens in all. You can choose between increasing difficulty levels, also a choice of Sunday, weekday or Saturday schedules. There is a fair bit of local goods traffic, serving local yards, but the main feature is a constant flow of heavy goods trains running through between Edinburgh and Carlisle, many of them through to or from further north. These trains may require banking assistance from Hawick or Newcastleton to the summit at Whitrope, and often pause at Hawick for water or to change crews. There are at least two daily through trains in each direction between St Pancras and Edinburgh, as well as stopping trains between Edinburgh and Carlisle and additional services as far as Hawick. At weekends there may be excursions, and work trains on Sundays.

 You have control of the sheds at Hawick, Galashiels, St Boswells and Riccarton Junction, though only Hawick is of any size, and also have to ensure engines receive coal and water as necessary. As usual bonus points are available for allocation of locos of the correct type, and for correct placement of incoming freight. (Difficulty####) Price £50
To download a sample version, click here.

Platinum Series: West Cornwall 1950 - Covering the whole working day, this is set in the summer of 1950. Your control area covers the ex-GWR main line from Penzance to Truro, including the St Ives, Helston and Falmouth branches and the Newquay branch as far as Perranporth – no less than thirteen screens in all. You can choose between increasing difficulty levels, also a choice of Sunday, weekday or Saturday schedules. There is a fair bit of local goods traffic, serving local yards, and substantial daily through passenger and freight traffic, particularly on Saturdays. Keeping the traffic moving is not easy on ordinary days, but becomes close to impossible on a Summer Saturday with holiday extras, especially if at harder levels you find yourself dealing with heavy delays to arriving trains due to congestion east of Plymouth.

You have control of the sheds at Penzance and Truro, and have to ensure engines receive coal and water as necessary. As usual bonus points are available for allocation of locos of the correct type, and for correct placement of incoming freight. (Difficulty#####) Price £50
To download a sample version, click here.

Gold Series: Woodford Halse 1957 - The Great Central was the last main line built to London, and sadly didn’t last very long; there’s little trace of much of it now (though it is proposed to use part of the route between Aylesbury and Brackley for HS2). This simulation shows it at its peak, with an intensive freight service between Annesley, focus of the coal traffic, and Woodford Halse, where the traffic splits to go several ways. At this time Annesley had recently taken delivery of a large batch of the BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 locos, and these almost monopolise this traffic. Fitted in with the freight, and almost replacing it on Saturdays, is a range of passenger services, both local and long-distance. The marshalling of freight traffic was the reason for the existence of Woodford Halse, and the shunting, more complex than any of our others except perhaps Carlisle 1957, will keep you very busy at times. Most freights terminate here, and there is a marked contrast between the single route north and the multiple destinations to the south and west. This simulation has four track screens, each some 20% larger than was possible with DOS. (Difficulty ####) Price £40