An Italian Line!

What might need changes in the core code is any means of representing non-UK signal aspects.  But even that would fairly easily be overcome by enforcing compulsory panel indications.

If this went ahead, Venice (with the long bridge between the mainland and the Island) or Florence would be interesting and ones I wouldn't mind seeing done.

kbarber said:

What might need changes in the core code is any means of representing non-UK signal aspects.  But even that would fairly easily be overcome by enforcing compulsory panel indications.

Not sure if I've misunderstood you there but I note that with CScot the mechanical signalling is represented with the 'two aspects'. Surely something similarish to this could simply be used?

kbarber said:

What might need changes in the core code is any means of representing non-UK signal aspects.  But even that would fairly easily be overcome by enforcing compulsory panel indications.

Not sure if I've misunderstood you there but I note that with CScot the mechanical signalling is represented with the 'two aspects'. Surely something similarish to this could simply be used?

Do any of them actually mean stop now - or is that not the Italian way!

My understanding of Italian signals is:
* Yellow indicates stop at the next signal.
* Flashing yellow is our double yellow - stop at a signal after the next one, but you may need to start braking now.
* Yellow over green means reduce to 30 km/h by the next signal.
* Yellow over green, both flashing together, means reduce to 60 km/h by the next signal.
* Yellow over green, flashing alternately, means reduce to 100 km/h by the next signal.
* Double yellow indicates you are going into a bay, siding, or occupied track.
* A red light above any of these aspects means you are taking the diverging route. But you also get multiple-head signals.
* At some junction signals, a white bar below the signal indicates a 60 km/h divergence and two white bars a 100 km/h, in each case repeating the limit shown by the preceding signal. No bar but a red at the top then says to obey the limit given by the preceding signal.

The core code contains facilities to allow aspects to be shown in any way the developer likes - I could create a sim where the G aspect was shown as green over yellow, the Y aspect as red, and the R aspect as a triangle of blues! Anyone who's seen SimSig Euston will have seen the non-standard signals there. The displayed aspect can also depend on anything else, such as which route is set. So I could, for example, display "Mirfield" signal aspects in a simulation. The only restriction is that only the FY and FYY aspects can be made to flash in the sim (hence, so far, no flashing greens on Peterborough).

Stop and proceed can be done by a subsidiary which you don't draw.

Omitting overlaps and flank locking is trivial. Speed signalling would be rather more tedious, but I can think of a way to do it with the present core code.

Queensland (signalling): Follows UK practice, except that flashing yellow allows simultaneous entry into a crossing loop with no overlaps.

Just as the railways of Australia has suffered issues from incompatible rail gauges, the different states have tended to go their own way regarding railway signalling practice.
...
Railway signals in New South Wales broadly follow British route signalling practice, with certain American influences and local innovations.
...
The railways of Victoria use a mix of railway signalling practices: British route signalling with home and distant signals (2 position signalling) and American speed signalling (3 position signalling).

Still, as UK signalling is closest to our own practice, it shouldn't be too difficult to adapt SimSig to it without becoming ultra-realistic. Other UK signalling sims such as PC Rail have an Australian sim. Anyone else interested in helping create one?