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New website section?

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New website section? 24/01/2012 at 08:14 #28096
guidomcc
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I was thinking there could be a forum/website section for screengrabs of collossal "screw-ups" caused by failures.
They could then be discussed, perhaps. I know I've had great situations going when a point fails, et cetera.
Any thoughts?

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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 09:22 #28097
maxand
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Do you mean events in SimSig sims or events in real life?
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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 09:32 #28099
Stephen Fulcher
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Real life photos of panels during a failure situation are hard to come by, although I have got one of Leamington WestCad with everything on the entire area failed somewhere.

I think this is a good idea for SimSig screenshots, to show how to "work around" failures for instance.

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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 11:15 #28104
Aurora
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I'm working on one at the moment in Exeter with a track circuit failure across the crossover to the left of Exeter St Davids from the line that runs into Platform 4 to the Platform 1 line in I believe the up direction. So that means no trains whatsoever between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.
Nil.
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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 15:24 #28115
headshot119
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4869 posts
" said:
I'm working on one at the moment in Exeter with a track circuit failure across the crossover to the left of Exeter St Davids from the line that runs into Platform 4 to the Platform 1 line in I believe the up direction. So that means no trains whatsoever between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.
Easy to work round that one. Divert everything through Westbury, Castle Cary and Yeovil

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 15:47 #28118
Sam Tugwell
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Like I did albeit when the line between Taunton and Castle Cary/Bridgewater was shut.

Sam

"Signalman Exeter"
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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 16:02 #28119
guidomcc
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246 posts
" said:
Real life photos of panels during a failure situation are hard to come by
i mean SimSig failures and the resulting work-arounds. i find failures the most exciting parts of SimSig :evil: my most recent was a PF on santon FOT jn on south humberside, had to hold everything at barnetby for over an hour

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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 17:12 #28128
Laryk
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I can see that becoming quite a popular subject in the forum if it were to be created. If anyone does this they should be perma-banned, though. :D


*Turns all failures to maximum*

*Entire screen covered in red*

"Hey guys! Check out my sim!"

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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 17:30 #28132
Steamer
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There is a section in the downloads area for saved games, that suggests posting saves where things have gone very badly wrong indeed, but no-one's actually uploaded anything like that to it.
"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 18:50 #28138
Laryk
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" said:
There is a section in the downloads area for saved games, that suggests posting saves where things have gone very badly wrong indeed, but no-one's actually uploaded anything like that to it.
Damn, I'd better go and populate that! ;D

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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 19:45 #28139
delticfan
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476 posts
In playing the sims so far I've been a bit of a coward in that I have only ever selected late-running and certain other problems and have never tried points and other track failures. I suppose I should try these, if the bit of hair I've got left will stand it.
Mal.

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Re: New website section? 24/01/2012 at 21:01 #28148
UKTrainMan
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Shouldn't need a new section for this, just start up a thread and invite people to post up their images/screenshots and maybe saves of the problems they've come across whilst enjoying the delights of SimSig. I know I've got a few images I could share...
Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
Last edited: 25/01/2012 at 03:34 by UKTrainMan
Reason: added word "their"

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Re: New website section? 25/01/2012 at 02:53 #28160
maxand
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Rather than a new section of the forum, I think the most appropriate place for such a failure would be in the appropriate sim Category; however, to clearly identify it as a failure, the thread title should start with "Failure:" followed by a short description of the TC or whatever caused it.

E.g., If you're playing Bristol and have a track failure in Chipping Sodbury, post in the Bristol Category a thread starting "Failure: TC Chipping Sodbury" or maybe "TC Failure: Chipping Sodbury".

Last edited: 25/01/2012 at 03:02 by maxand
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Re: New website section? 25/01/2012 at 14:22 #28198
Aurora
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" said:
" said:
I'm working on one at the moment in Exeter with a track circuit failure across the crossover to the left of Exeter St Davids from the line that runs into Platform 4 to the Platform 1 line in I believe the up direction. So that means no trains whatsoever between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.
Easy to work round that one. Divert everything through Westbury, Castle Cary and Yeovil ;)

The challenge here is in the regular trains that run between Exmouth and Paigton because the trains back up around St Thomas as well as at Exeter Central so I ended up switching train runs and running them back.

BTW, not quite sure where Westbury and Yeovil are around the Exeter sim.

Nil.
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Re: New website section? 25/01/2012 at 14:32 #28199
Laryk
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" said:
BTW, not quite sure where Westbury and Yeovil are around the Exeter sim.
Hopefully this map will enlighten you!

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Re: New website section? 25/01/2012 at 15:13 #28201
headshot119
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4869 posts
" said:
" said:
" said:
I'm working on one at the moment in Exeter with a track circuit failure across the crossover to the left of Exeter St Davids from the line that runs into Platform 4 to the Platform 1 line in I believe the up direction. So that means no trains whatsoever between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.
Easy to work round that one. Divert everything through Westbury, Castle Cary and Yeovil ;)

The challenge here is in the regular trains that run between Exmouth and Paigton because the trains back up around St Thomas as well as at Exeter Central so I ended up switching train runs and running them back.

BTW, not quite sure where Westbury and Yeovil are around the Exeter sim.
Not actually on the Exeter Sim, Westbury is the sim which chains to Exeter at Castle Cary.

A train can depart Exeter St Davids head to castle cary then towards Yeovil on the Westbury sim and reappear from Honiton on Exeter.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 08:43 #28286
Aurora
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" said:
" said:
BTW, not quite sure where Westbury and Yeovil are around the Exeter sim.
Hopefully this map will enlighten you! :D

Thanks, took me a minute to find Exeter St Davids :D, but after that it was clearer sailing. :)

So where's Honiton?

Nil.
Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 08:43 by Aurora
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 08:50 #28287
Aurora
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" said:
I'm working on one at the moment in Exeter with a track circuit failure across the crossover to the left of Exeter St Davids from the line that runs into Platform 4 to the Platform 1 line in I believe the up direction. So that means no trains whatsoever between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.

Here's a pic:

[attachment]C:\fakepath\ExeterSD-BW-MajorTrackCircuitFailure.png[/attachment]

There's no uploading on here is there? I'll save it and repost shortly.

Nil.
Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 09:00 by Aurora
Reason: Last Edit: Today 19:51 by Aurora. Reason: Trying to get image up, but I've got some work to do in order to figure out how to do it properly...

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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 08:54 #28288
AndyG
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" said:
" said:
" said:
BTW, not quite sure where Westbury and Yeovil are around the Exeter sim.
Hopefully this map will enlighten you! :D

Thanks, took me a minute to find Exeter St Davids :D, but after that it was clearer sailing. :)

So where's Honiton?
http://www.SimSig.co.uk/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=usertrack:mans:maps may help in conjunction with above.

The line runs Exeter SD-Central-Pinhoe-Honiton-Yeovil Jn (line to Yeovil Pen Mill-Castle Cary)-Salisbury (lines from here to Westbury and Southampton)-London

I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either.
Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 09:00 by AndyG
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 09:08 #28289
Aurora
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Oh yeah, I see on the Western England pdf map.

" said:
" said:
I'm working on one at the moment in Exeter with a track circuit failure across the crossover to the left of Exeter St Davids from the line that runs into Platform 4 to the Platform 1 line in I believe the up direction. So that means no trains whatsoever between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.
Easy to work round that one. Divert everything through Westbury, Castle Cary and Yeovil ;)

I also see what you meant going via Castle Cary and Yeovil, though wouldn't that likely end up taking so long in running around Taunton, Castle Cary and Yeovil that it would be quicker just to delay around Exeter St Thomas until the failure is gone (just to go to Exmouth)?

How long would that take roughly?

Nil.
Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 09:09 by Aurora
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 09:12 #28290
Aurora
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183 posts
" said:
I'm working on one at the moment in Exeter with a track circuit failure across the crossover to the left of Exeter St Davids from the line that runs into Platform 4 to the Platform 1 line in I believe the up direction. So that means no trains whatsoever between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.

Okay, here we go with that pic:


Nil.
Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 09:22 by Aurora
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 13:52 #28312
maxand
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Sorry to sound obtuse but I can't see the TC failure you're referring to, only trains, one with what looks like a nondescribed TD at P5 ExSD.

Would you be able to indicate the failure with an arrow or something and repost? Thanks.

(Thinks) Maybe SimSig should display TC failures in magenta rather than red.

Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 13:53 by maxand
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 14:14 #28314
Aurora
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" said:
Sorry to sound obtuse but I can't see the TC failure you're referring to, only trains, one with what looks like a nondescribed TD at P5 ExSD.

Would you be able to indicate the failure with an arrow or something and repost? Thanks.

(Thinks) Maybe SimSig should display TC failures in magenta rather than red.

There are two failures on the screen. P5 which you mentioned and another one on the crossover into P1 on the immediate left of Exeter St Davids. The actual failure is at the top of the crossover. The failure followed a train operating on the up from the main to P1.

Nil.
Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 14:17 by Aurora
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 14:43 #28319
Laryk
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" said:
(Thinks) Maybe SimSig should display TC failures in magenta rather than red.
I may be wrong, but I think the reason there is no distinction between occupied track and a failure is because in real life there is no distinction - a failure reverts the circuit to it's "occupied" state. In the event of a failure there is no way to know whether it is a TCF or a train. You can make an assumption that because there hasn't been a train in the area for 20 mins, it's likely to be a TCF, but you cannot be sure. (Part of making the system fail-safe, I believe.) This is why you would use the "inspect track" option at the first instance to ascertain that it is in fact a TCF.

Of course, this is then going to a realism/play-ability issue.

Edit- General question: Regarding Aurora's TCF - since it doesn't actually extend onto any points, is there a way to clear the route that was set, thus allowing trains in/out of St Davids and Central?

Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 15:01 by Laryk
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Re: New website section? 27/01/2012 at 17:22 #28333
Steamer
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" said:

Edit- General question: Regarding Aurora's TCF - since it doesn't actually extend onto any points, is there a way to clear the route that was set, thus allowing trains in/out of St Davids and Central?
Since Exeter is equiped with the Incident Control Panel (F11), one could unoccupy the failed circuit, which would allow the route to release, and then immediately re-occupy it.

I think (not certain though) that real signallers could use an emergency control to the same end, or S&T could fiddle with the wires to make the system momentarilly *think* the track is clear.

" said:
I may be wrong, but I think the reason there is no distinction between occupied track and a failure is because in real life there is no distinction - a failure reverts the circuit to it's "occupied" state.

Your right- the failure is caused by a fault (perhaps a broken wire) causing the relay controlling the track circuit to de-energise and make the TC show as occupied. The signaller will then deduce that it is a TCF. Very occasionally, what is called a "Wrong-Side failure" occurs, where the track is occupied but a fault causes it to show as unoccupied, however with the amount of fail-safes used, these are highly unlikely, and don't feature in SimSig to my knowledge.

" said:
You can make an assumption that because there hasn't been a train in the area for 20 mins, it's likely to be a TCF

Sometimes TCs fail randomly (a section of track suddenly changes to the 'occupied' state), sometimes a train will pass and the TC will not clear.

EDITED TO ADD: Also, in SimSig, you will get a message advising you of a failure. This will always appear in F7, and also elsewhere depending on your settings in the 'Messages' tab of F3. END EDIT

For a basic circuit diagram and explanation of how a Track Circuit works, please see this Wikipedia page.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
Last edited: 27/01/2012 at 21:26 by Steamer
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