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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released

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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 12/12/2020 at 22:01 #134663
whatlep
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377 posts 		Two "heritage" timetables for the free Swindid (Swindon A & B) simulation are now available for download. They are for September 1978 and summer 1986. Lots of freight trains and crew changes that will really stretch you if late running and failures are permitted. With the simplest, default parameers applied, both timetables are easy for a single user to master, though with some interesting shunting and occasional busy periods when ARS may not be your friend.

In light of a separate forum topic, I'd like to make it clear that all timings and other operational specifications are taken straight from the relevant WTTs. Both timetables ave been repeatedly tested for operability under ARS. There are some "work rounds" noted in the timetable, plus occasional nonsenses from the WTTs that I doubt were ever observed by the signalling staff of the day, but that just adds to the intellectual challenge.

As always, suggestions for improvements or corrections will be appreciated.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 13/12/2020 at 12:54 #134677
Dionysusnu
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577 posts
Online 		just a little note on 1986, 5F17 mysteriously gains a carriage after running round at Didcot Parkway
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 13/12/2020 at 15:18 #134685
whatlep
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377 posts 		Dionysusnu in post 134677 said:
just a little note on 1986, 5F17 mysteriously gains a carriage after running round at Didcot Parkway
Good spot. Thank you. A late change to 5F17 that I failed to echo in 1F17. It doesn't affect the sim's operation, but I will fix in V1.1

Also for V1.1 the missing words in ARS item 3: Foxhall Jn! 10 points to anyone who guessed that.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 13/12/2020 at 22:45 #134702
Albert
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1315 posts 		1986: 1A15 is scheduled to call rather than pass Loco Yard Jn.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 14/12/2020 at 19:06 #134743
whatlep
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377 posts 		Albert in post 134702 said:
1986: 1A15 is scheduled to call rather than pass Loco Yard Jn.
Many thanks. 1A22 appears to have the same error. 5F52 also has an unscheduled stop at Didcot East Jn.
All noted for V1.1.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 14/12/2020 at 19:06 #134744
whatlep
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377 posts 		Albert in post 134702 said:
1986: 1A15 is scheduled to call rather than pass Loco Yard Jn.
Many thanks. 1A22 appears to have the same error. 5F52 also has an unscheduled stop at Didcot East Jn.
All noted for V1.1.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 19/12/2020 at 16:52 #134897
hotwellian
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211 posts 		HI,

Is it / was it standrad practice to have crew changes on main lines or on the Didcot aoiding line rather than in stations?
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 19/12/2020 at 16:56 #134898
JamesN
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1607 posts 		hotwellian in post 134897 said:
HI,

Is it / was it standrad practice to have crew changes on main lines or on the Didcot aoiding line rather than in stations?
Yes, and remains so even today.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 19/12/2020 at 19:25 #134912
hotwellian
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211 posts 		Thanks for this information, James.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 19/12/2020 at 20:31 #134925
Albert
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1315 posts 		I think many TTs for this sim pre-date crew changes in SimSig, so we haven't seen this feature on modern TTs so far.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 20/12/2020 at 11:55 #134945
Albert
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1315 posts 		One train to watch out for, especially on ARS: 1F39 is scheduled to go right behind 2C29 on the relief line. It's better routed on the main line to avoid being stuck behind a slow train until Reading.

EDIT: 1986 TT
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Last edited: 20/12/2020 at 11:56 by Albert
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 21/12/2020 at 05:12 #135013
whatlep
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377 posts 		Albert in post 134945 said:
One train to watch out for, especially on ARS: 1F39 is scheduled to go right behind 2C29 on the relief line. It's better routed on the main line to avoid being stuck behind a slow train until Reading.

EDIT: 1986 TT
There are a few trains in both 1978 and 1986 timetables where the WTT insists that a faster train follow a slower and it will get delayed. In some cases the following train was timetabled to switch to the main lines at Scours Lane Jn, about 2 miles west of Reading, but in one instance a class 9 freight trundles along happily blocking the Up Relief for ages. The WTT implies trains fly over it! No updates in the relevant supplements to the WTT, so I assume operating staff did exactly what you've suggested. As you imply, ARS is of no assistance at all in these situations.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 23/12/2020 at 09:02 #135101
Albert
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1315 posts 		In the description you mention that ARS has trouble with the parcels siding. I have just been told in another thread that that is sort of fixed by setting the line code DG: https://www.SimSig.co.uk/Forum/PostView/135066
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 23/12/2020 at 10:58 #135121
whatlep
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377 posts 		Albert in post 135101 said:
In the description you mention that ARS has trouble with the parcels siding. I have just been told in another thread that that is sort of fixed by setting the line code DG: https://www.SimSig.co.uk/Forum/PostView/135066
Aha. Thanks. I will investigate over the festering season.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 23/12/2020 at 17:58 #135161
Albert
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1315 posts 		2C38 somehow becomes 'off planned path' at signal 2203. Given other Didcot Parkway - Oxford services don't do so, I suspect an issue with path or line codes as well.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 24/12/2020 at 00:35 #135191
whatlep
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377 posts 		Albert in post 135161 said:
2C38 somehow becomes 'off planned path' at signal 2203. Given other Didcot Parkway - Oxford services don't do so, I suspect an issue with path or line codes as well.
Curious. Timetable validates perfectly, but there are missing line codes. Should be RL in path & line at Didcot (Parkway) and CL in the path at North Jn.

Regarding your other post re routing trains for the parcels line at Swindon to line GL, that works as far as getting a route set of the Down Main, but the signals into and out of the Parcels platform then have to be set manually as ARS appears not to know what to do. Good enough for a work round pending an ARS fix IMHO.

Both in the V1.1 revisions.
Last edited: 24/12/2020 at 00:37 by whatlep
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 26/12/2020 at 15:06 #135399
Albert
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1315 posts 		'86 TT: Is 6O87 missing through line ticked at Swindon or supposed to use a platform?
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 27/12/2020 at 01:52 #135419
whatlep
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377 posts 		Albert in post 135399 said:
'86 TT: Is 6O87 missing through line ticked at Swindon or supposed to use a platform?
Yes, through line stop for crew change. Tick now added. Thanks for the heads-up. Judging by the time of that train, you have presumably worked your way through the 1986 timetable. Any other items I should be aware of before getting V1.1 into shape?
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 27/12/2020 at 10:59 #135426
Albert
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1315 posts 		I don't recall anything suspicious. None of the trains required intervention through F2.

Had some questions though:
- A few times in the timetable I see a train from Paddington and a train from Oxford reversing in opposite platforms at Didcot. In modern era TTs I know this is because one is electric and the other runs on diesel. However in this TT both are DMUs of the same type; do you know of a reason why only few of them (mostly in peaks) are running through Paddington-Oxford?
- Is it possible to use signal 6407 instead of 6404/6405 for trains reversing from platform 4 into 5 or the other way around?

ARS doesn't route 6V30 into the loop at Hullavington, and wanted to route it into platform 1 at Swindon at some point - but the latter I fail to reproduce.

EDIT: I should note that I ran the Monday version.
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Last edited: 27/12/2020 at 11:23 by Albert
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 27/12/2020 at 11:29 #135427
Albert
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1315 posts 		Just having a look at the '78 TT. Its description contains the words "Chipping Sodbury was not a timing point in 1986", surely this should be 1978 for the 78 TT?

Edit: and the notes about 5A06-1321, 6B32MX and 7B23 are duplicated in the TT description.
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Last edited: 27/12/2020 at 11:36 by Albert
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 27/12/2020 at 13:01 #135435
JamesN
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1607 posts 		Albert in post 135426 said:

- A few times in the timetable I see a train from Paddington and a train from Oxford reversing in opposite platforms at Didcot. In modern era TTs I know this is because one is electric and the other runs on diesel. However in this TT both are DMUs of the same type; do you know of a reason why only few of them (mostly in peaks) are running through Paddington-Oxford?
The stoppers running through to Oxford all day was only introduced by Thames Trains in the late 90s / early 2000s - there wasn't (and arguably to this day still isn't) the demand for daytime intermediate - intermediate journeys; it just required more units to run the multitude of shuttle services; a luxury that could be ill afforded as passenger numbers picked up under Thames' reign, and Turbos were having to be doubled up on more and more services.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 27/12/2020 at 13:17 #135437
bill_gensheet
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1413 posts 		I think it was just 'how it was'. The DMU's were purely for local travel often doing Paddington - Reading (advertised Twyford only), a separate Reading - Didcot and then again Didcot - Oxford. Seems about half the trains (1984TT) turned at Didcot, and very few through ran right through to London.

Could be as simple as crew sticking with their unit for the shift or that if a 'Reading'; went through to Oxford there might not be an Oxford - Didcot to bring it back for the next Didcot - Reading.
The timetable is not a pure 'clockface'.

Bill
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 27/12/2020 at 15:46 #135447
whatlep
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377 posts 		Albert in post 135426 said:
I don't recall anything suspicious. None of the trains required intervention through F2.

Had some questions though:
- A few times in the timetable I see a train from Paddington and a train from Oxford reversing in opposite platforms at Didcot. In modern era TTs I know this is because one is electric and the other runs on diesel. However in this TT both are DMUs of the same type; do you know of a reason why only few of them (mostly in peaks) are running through Paddington-Oxford?
- Is it possible to use signal 6407 instead of 6404/6405 for trains reversing from platform 4 into 5 or the other way around?

ARS doesn't route 6V30 into the loop at Hullavington, and wanted to route it into platform 1 at Swindon at some point - but the latter I fail to reproduce.

EDIT: I should note that I ran the Monday version.
It's just a feature of the timetable design, for whatever reason made sense at the time. When I was a user of the line, almost all the locals ran all the way through from Paddington to Oxford and v.v. At Oxford they were only advertised as running to Slough IIRC, though at Didcot they were advertised as Paddington trains. Passed by at least one faster train en route of course.

6407 signal hasn't been included as a timetable location by the simulation's developers, so no, it can't be used as a timetabled reversing point.

6V30 is correctly timetabled at Swindon, so I don't understand why it would try to use platform 1. At Hullavington, I'd used the standard technique for pre-ARS timetables to allow the signaller a choice. ARS is rather more dogmatic, so I've revised the timetable information accordingly. The train should now always use the goods loop.

I was aware of the text issues with 1978's timetable, but thanks for mentioning them.
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 28/12/2020 at 05:09 #135452
Soton_Speed
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285 posts 		whatlep in post 135447 said:
6407 signal hasn't been included as a timetable location by the simulation's developers, so no, it can't be used as a timetabled reversing point.
Have you tried using "Didcot East Jn" as the reversing point?
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Swindon/ Didcot timetables released 28/12/2020 at 05:45 #135453
whatlep
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377 posts 		Soton_Speed in post 135452 said:
whatlep in post 135447 said:
6407 signal hasn't been included as a timetable location by the simulation's developers, so no, it can't be used as a timetabled reversing point.
Have you tried using "Didcot East Jn" as the reversing point?
If that was a guess, it was a rather good one! Using a location further east does indeed get a train to reverse at 6407 signal. The move still locks up the section of line across East Jn (as I'd expect) and doesn't seem to save much time, but it does look better. I'll investigate further. Thank you.
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