Dispatching in Streckenzentralstellwerk Mathilde

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Before you get your approval to run the service on a signal box, you need to find out about the local characteristics. After training as a general trainee signalman, dispatchers were always paired with a person skilled in the signal box. This chapter is the brief introduction to the area. Read it carefully. It contains very important information.

The text is "peer to peer" written as if you are in the signal box, the first day after training.

Have a more detailed look at the Das Sp Dr S 60-Stellwerk Mathilde panel here.

Introduction

Welcome to Streckenzentralstellwerk Mathilde. Let's have a more detailed look on our panel.

The PSB Mathilde is responsible for dispatching the freight train traffic in the area of the western Ruhr between Bottrop, Essen-Altenessen, Oberhausen-Osterfeld Süd, Oberhausen Hbf, Duisburg Wedau, Duisburg Hochfeld, Duisburg Hbf, Duisburg Ruhrort-Hafen and Moers safely and efficiently.

The PSB is operated 24 hours per day. Each shift at PSB Malthide (Maf) consists of four employees. Two of them are the actual dispatchers controlling the railway traffic in their dispatching area. The others are a "train announcer" and an assistant-dispatcher. The assistant dispatcher will travel to the remotely controlled PSB of either PSB Fri, PSB Abzw. Sigle or PSB Bf (Duisburg-Beeck) to operate it from there in case remote controlling fails or local system failure. The "train announcer" operates the communication systems, and is taking care of telephone calls with the neighboring dispatchers as well as announcing the trains to them in case the ZNP801 system fails.

PSB Mathilde (Maf) controls three PSB's remotely : PSB Essen-Frintrop (Fri) located nearby Abzw. Essen-Dellwig, PSB Sigle near Abzw. Sigle and PSB Duisburg-Beeck (Bf). These areas are shown on the panel as dark grey tiles.

Neighbouring Dispatching Areas

The neighbouring signal boxes are:

In the South:

• PSB Wsnt (Duisburg-Wedau)
• PSB Hd (Duisburg-Hochfeld)
• PSB Dhf (Duisburg Hauptbahnhof)
• PSB Bt (Duisburg-Ruhrort-Hafen)
• PSB of the Duisburger Hafen AG (Hafag) (Private rail network of the Port of Duisburg)

In the West:

• PSB Mf (Bahnhof Moers).

In the East:

• PSB Ebf (Essen-Bergeborbeck, ferngesteuert von Essen-Altenessen)
• PSB Wt (Essen-Vogelheim)
• PSB Bsf (Bottrop Süd)
• PSB Bof (Bottrop Hbf)

In the North:

• PSB Ost (Oberhausen Osterfeld Süd).

Peculiarities in the dispatching area of PSB Mathilde

Abzw. Essen-Horl (EEHR)

• Track 872 towards Essen-Bergeborbeck is out of order. You may not send trains there!
• A870 is the field for offering trains on track 802!!!
• Track 885 leads to Oberhausen-Osterfeld Süd. Trains will come back into our dispatching area via track 272/273.
• Switches 824 and 826 are locked!

Abzw. Gerschede (EGED)

• Track 799 is the connection to "Klöckner". Here we communicate with the supervisor over there. Only communication by telephone is possible (no ZNP801).

Abzw. Prosper-Levin (EPRL)

• Tracks 756 and 668 are very short (300 m)! Make sure that you are not 'locking' things there!
• Note: on the panel "Prosper-Lewin" is shown. Apparently they made an error when assembling the panel, as it should have been "Levin".

Abzw. Essen-Dellwig and Haltestelle (EEDL)

• You may send trains towards Essen-Altenessen via the Passenger tracks (via track 652) instead of via 672->696.
• The entry tracks of "Gute Hoffnungs-Hütte" (501-504) are permanently out of order!
• The switches 641, 642, 643 are permanently locked (towards "Gute Hoffnungs-Hütte" /Essen-Frintrop)

Abzw. Oberhausen Hbf Bahnhofsteil "Obo" (EOB O)

• Tracks 501, 502, 503, 504, 505 are permanently out of order / earthed. (towards "Gute Hoffnungs-Hütte")
• Track 565 is very short in length (50 M). This track is only used to exchange locs between Maf and Oberhausen.
• Tracks 565 and 560 is in fact a scissors crossing. The other half of this crossing is controlled by Oberhausen Hbf.
• Track 562: Auto fleeting at signal 562 for trains with Steering number 1 (towards Oberhausen-West track 421) does not work here.
• There is a little slope upwards at signal 462. Heavy trains can not will not be able to start up from stand-still here. So, only operate 562 when the entry towards track 421 is not occupied.
• For orientation : Track 663 is the same as track 563, track 662 is the same as 562.

Abzw. Oro (EOBRB)

• Oberhausen-West Stellwerk Oro accepts trains on both tracks 422 and 421. 421 is standard.
• Tracks 421 and 423 are considered to be a double track line!
• Track 422 is bi-directional track. Train number window A424 is used for offering trains on track 422.
• Track 480 is a very short track for running around.

Abzw. Mathilde (EMAF)

• The Station Button for Maf is located above switch 140. You need this one to be able to set auxiliary signal aspects.
• Train number indicator A173 is used for offering train on track 171 (to/from Duisburg Ruhrort Hafen)

Abzw. Walzwerk (EWAZ)

• Here you will note how many trains are on their way between Oberhausen-West and Oberhausen Osterfeld-Süd.
• For orientation: Track 623 is the same one as 323, track is the same one as 314.

Abzw. Ruhrtal (ERTL) / Abzw. Lotharstraße (ELOT)

Abzw. Ruhrtal

Abzw. Lotharstraße

• You can route the trains over this 4-track route just as you like.
• Train number indicator A156 is used for offering trains on track 154 (towards Duisburg Ruhrort Hafen).
• Track 109 is the same as 009, 106 similar to 006, 137 similar to 037, 135 is the same one as 036.

Abzw. Sigle (ESI)

• Train number indicator A145 is used for offering trains on track 042. ( towards Duisburg Hbf)
• Train number indicator A152 is used for offering trains on track 051. ( towards Duisburg Hafen)

Abzw. Meiderich Ost (EDMO)

• Train number indicator A188 is for offering trains on track 186 ( towards Oberhausen-West Orw).
• Track 197 leads to Oberhausen Hbf.
• Please note track 188! You have to route trains towards Duisburg Ruhrort Awanst (191) via track 188.

Bahnhof Duisburg Beeck (EDBG)

• This freight station is remote controlled from Streckenzentralstellwerk Mathilde.
• Track 989 is the same as track 189, 984 is the same one as 184.

Some Tips from the Expert

Trains, which do not run into the single track lines whilst auto fleeting at the signals is enable, should be offered and accepted first before setting the route manually! Offering a train is done by telephone call or with the ZNP801 system.

In case the Auto fleeting light near a signal is flashing and a train route is not set, deactivate the auto fleeting by pressing the signal button together with the SBRT button. Then press the signal button again, followed by the SBET button. The train route should now be set if all conditions for doing is are available. In that case you will not have to set the train routes manually.

In case two trains, running from the right to the left with steering number "9", are directly behind each other consider sending the first from signal 665 towards track 697 (toward 696), and sending the second one over the passenger tracks by offering it on A653. The first train will then follow its normal route, the second one will be diverted via the Passenger tracks ("exit" track 652). This will ensure that the tracks are cleared faster in case more trains are following.

Trains with exceptional loads (known as Lü-trains) require special attention. It can be an advantage to re-route such trains with exceptional loads (Lü) within the dispatching are of Mathilde. For example: a train with exceptional loads is coming out of the direction of Duisburg Hochfeld Süd (031). There may not be any other Lü traffic on the adjacent tracks then. We might run into big problems when another Lü-train is on its way out of the other direction. In this case, send the first train to 005 instead of 035. In this case the other train can go via track 034.

A Lü-train always has steering number "0" assigned. This means that the auto fleeting system won't work for those trains, and that you have to set any part of the route yourself.

Finally one more tip: Zum Schluß noch ein Tipp: Try to stay calm! Even when the train drivers keep calling frequently telling you that are waiting in front of a signal at danger. So what? You decide which train can drive, and which one has to wait. And don't be afraid, there are no passenger on board the trains. So you can coordinate and dispatch in the most optimal way!

Steering Numbers

The steering numbers (identifiers used to automatically route traffic) are as follows:

Steering numbers	Used for	Target track
1	Freight trains into direction of EOBRO (-->) Freight trains into direction of EOBRW (<--)	421 , 422 , 282 , 292 139 ,186
2	Freight trains into direction of KMO (-->) Freight trains into direction of EOS (<--)	988 273 (565??)
3	Freight trains into direction of EDHD (-->)	030
4	Freight trains into direction of EDWD (-->) Freight trains into direction of EDRH (<--)	002 154
5	Freight trains into direction of EDRH (-->) Freight trains into direction of EBTH (<--)	173 758
6	Freight trains into direction of EOB (-->) Freight trains into direction of EBTS (<--)	560 749
7	Freight trains into direction of EOBN (-->) Freight trains into direction of EOB (<--)	571 418
8	Freight trains into direction of EOS (-->) Freight trains into direction of EDHA (-->)	885 051
9	Freight trains into direction of EEAL (<--) Freight trains into direction of EEVL (<--)	696 , 652 (über Pz) 802
0	Any train requiring special attention or single train routes. The auto fleeting system will not set routes. (trains turning around, trains with exceptional loads)	-

Steering numers for trains entering the panel are set by the neighbouring dispatchers. The steering numbers are normally handled automatically, but it is the dispatcher's responsibility to detect and correct any errors as compared with the timetable.

Note the numbered white field on the panel. Those are reminders with respect to the steering numbers.

Abbreviations

Short Name	Full Name
EBTH	Bottrop Hbf (758)
EBTN	Bottrop Nord (392)
EBTS	Bottrop Süd (748, 749)
EDG	Duisburg Hbf (042)
EDHA	Duisburg Hafen (051)
EDHD	Duisburg Hochfeld-Süd (031, 030)
EDMO	Duisburg Ruhrort (191)
EDRH	Duisburg Ruhrort Hafen (173, 154)
EDWD	Duisburg Wedau (002, 003)
EEAL	Essen-Altenessen (696)
EEVL	Essen-Vogelheim (802)
EKKR	Anschluss Klöckner (799)
EOB	Oberhausen Hbf (565, 560, 419, 197)
EOBN	Oberhausen Hbf, Bahnhofsteil Obn (571)
EOBRO	Oberhausen West, Stellwerk Oro (291, 281, 292, 282, 421, 422, 423)
EOBRW	Oberhausen West, Stellwerk Orw (138, 139, 186)
EOST	Oberhausen-Osterfeld Süd, Stellwerk Osw (885)
EOSW	Oberhausen-Osterfeld Süd, Stellwerk Owo (272, 273)
KMO	Moers (901, 988)

Track lengths

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