New to Simsig and signaling

Hello everyone.

I'm new to Simsig and signaling simulations in general. I've been a huge fan of trains all my life and also a fan of aircraft control simulators (TRACON, VATSIM), but I'd never realized that they had something similar for trains -- now I can combine two of my passions!

I'm across the pond from most of you -- I live in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. As a result, I'm struggling a bit since I don't have a frame of reference for most of the simulations. I started with Royston, but even with the speed turned up, I got bored with the lack of variety pretty quickly. I then took a stab at Gloucester and got completely overwhelmed (I still have trouble with scrolly -- paged seems easier for some reason). I'm now working with the "obsolete" Swindon and enjoying it a lot.

However, I have a few questions (actually, I have a lot, but I don't want to spam you with everything at once):

1) I can't figure out how to install some of the simulations that I saw suggested in the forums as good for beginners (Westbury, LKX, Stafford). I see some of the timetables in the user-contributed section, but no actual simulations. Are these references to old sims that are no longer available?

2) I've read through everything I could find on the wiki, but I couldn't find any description of what the following buttons are used for: ROV, REM, ISO. Are these useful for anything or just cosmetic?

3) In the Swindon Sim, some of the trains come through with a Swindon Platform of "TL" instead of 1, 2, or 3. What does this mean?

4) Also in the Swindon Sim, trains heading down the main line from Uffington towards Swindon seem to constantly get stuck at switch 24 and I can't seem to clear a route past it to Swindon. The only way I can get them to go on is to tell them to go through the danger signal. Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong here?

ARS is different, this is automatic route setting which 'knows' the normal timetable and will set whatever route is required for each train as in the timetable

Thanks also, Simon, for the tip about auto route -- I was driving myself crazy clearing routes for first train, then moving the next on up to the back it, then going back and moving the next one up, ad nauseum. This should help a lot.

BTW, is that what is sometimes called ASR, or is that something different?

Googling for ASR it would appear to be something different - Approach Stick Relay - although it remains de-energised when in fleeting (auto) mode. Is this the ASR you mean? A fair amount of relay terminology is equivalent between the UK and the US but ASR is new to me.

I tried to find the information about REM etc in the Wiki but I can't find it which is somewhat embarrassing! We'll have to do something about that. In the meantime please feel free to ask as many questions as you like. If anything, it will help us to help others as well as yourself.

REM= Reminder. Used on a signal, points, etc, a reminder is exactly what it says, to remind you of something. Ie, if you have a track circuit failure placing a reminder on the previous signal will remind you to stop the train and auth driver to pass signal at danger. or a signal failure, placing a reminder on will remind you that the signal has failed and to deal with accordingly.
A reminder also prevents you from using whatever it is on, for example will prevent you clearing a signal, or if you have a reminder on a sets of points that are 'locked' in a certain position it will prevent you from accidently moving the points.

ARS is different, this is automatic route setting which 'knows' the normal timetable and will set whatever route is required for each train as in the timetable

read the other replies in the post geoff!!

NR_signaller said:

read the other replies in the post geoff!!

I did, which is why I haven't repeated anything that has already been stated. Instead you appear to have quoted large blocks of text which is somewhat hypocritical.