New SimSig beginners' tutorial using Royston

SimSig is proud of its claim to be as authentic as possible, yet still permits things like this to happen. You can't have it both ways, so let's not deprive newbie users of extra workarounds - they need them more than we do!!

Once they try all these methods and finally hit on the way they were supposed to do it (the programmer's vision), they will usually use it from then on as it is usually simplest and quickest. But how much they learned in the process! This makes SimSig a true learning simulator, not one where the user applies cut-and-dried set routes mindlessly.

A beginner's tutorial really shouldn't describe things as "weird", "contrary to expectations", "cause great frustration to the newcomer", etc

Similarly, when you talk about calling-on routes, describe the right way to do it first before going into details of Huddersfield control.

For blocking off LCs when needed, I tend to collar only the signal after the LC, since it prevents you from setting routes either to or from it.

I agree with everyone else: don't document the "brute force" options

Recommending some "next" sims in the conclusion could be nice.

However, if I'd been presented from Day One with a set of work-arounds or snazzy but non-prototypical tricks, I really think I'd have dismissed it as flawed goods and not worth further attention. I'm sure that's not your intention, but it may be an unwanted side-effect.

With just a little bit of editing, your work could be very valuable, but I do think that prototypical operation must always be recommended.

All seems very simple to me. Those who want to use SimSig as the next best thing to reality can take advice from people like a signaller in one of the busiest boxes on the UK network. Those who want to take SimSig as a game and do not want to try and follow the rule book can follow the work rounds in the tutorial.

If we can all understand that, we don't need to start falling out with each other.

First: signallers or signalmen? I somehow got the impression from forum posts that the UK term was signalmen, whereas signallers is used in the USA. However, after reading some of the RGS publications, I notice they say signallers. Which is the preferred term?

" said:

First: signallers or signalmen? I somehow got the impression from forum posts that the UK term was signalmen, whereas signallers is used in the USA. However, after reading some of the RGS publications, I notice they say signallers. Which is the preferred term?

Depends on whether you subscribe to the Harriet Harmanperson school of newspeak.

I'm surprised you don't find a signal map all that useful. I rely on it a lot for new sims, mainly to scan across it to learn locations without affecting my position in the View window.

Since Royston is simply an NX (eNtry-eXit) panel with no divergence, it contains no junctions.

I'm still unclear on why we need two choices in SimSig: "pass signal at danger" and "examine line and pass signal at danger". I haven't yet seen a need to use the latter. Can anyone clarify this?

Sherriff's siding has two entry points, one above the other. The grey exit arrowhead is next to the upper one, yet you never see a train exiting there, since K249'S berth is located on the lower one

I still don't understand your explanation of NX panels. Are you referring to ARS here?
Are these Entrance and Exit buttons terms used in SimSig, or are they the product of a different manufacturer?

Quote:

I still don't understand your explanation of NX panels. Are you referring to ARS here?
Are these Entrance and Exit buttons terms used in SimSig, or are they the product of a different manufacturer?

No it has nothing to do with ARS.

There are 3 basic interfaces for signal route setting.

1 levers
2 By Operating a switch (One Switch Control)
3 Entrance Exit Panels (NX)

If Royston was a lever box there would be lever for every set of points and every signal. The signaller would have to set the points and then pull the signal lever.

If Roston was an OCS panel there would be a switch for every set of points and a switch for every route from every signal.
To set K246 to the siding you would simply turn the switch that says K246 to siding. To set K246 to the main line, you'd turn a different switch saying K246 to Main Line. These switches would not be on a diagram of the railway, they'd usually be arranged in number order.

Royston is however an NX panel so the signaller routes trains by pushing an ENTRANCE button at K246 and then pushes an EXIT button to complete the route setting process. (lets say K249). Having chosen the entrance and exit the system will set the route.

VDU based systems also operate on NX principles in that for every route you must push an entrance and an exit button.

Is this any clearer? I'm off to work now, pictures and drawings later if required!

FF

" said:

" said:

First: signallers or signalmen? I somehow got the impression from forum posts that the UK term was signalmen, whereas signallers is used in the USA. However, after reading some of the RGS publications, I notice they say signallers. Which is the preferred term?

Depends on whether you subscribe to the Harriet Harmanperson school of newspeak.

It might seem like unnecessary pandering but I would tend to resent being referred to as a signalman. I know some heritage railways will only use 'signalman' because that's the historically-accurate job title, but that's because - historically - women didn't work on the railways. There still aren't all that many of us, but we do exist these days :)

It might seem like unnecessary pandering but I would tend to resent being referred to as a signalman. I know some heritage railways will only use 'signalman' because that's the historically-accurate job title, but that's because - historically - women didn't work on the railways. There still aren't all that many of us, but we do exist these days :)

Tom, thanks for suggesting an intriguing alternative for 6R02. However, I can't see how this can work as you describe it. I can't set a route into the loop from K977 to K253 without getting a "waiting for correct route to be set" message, so I need to abandon the timetable. Signalling 6R02 into the loop causes it to stop at K253, fouling the track behind. It's just too long for the loop. Setting a route from K253 to K981 doesn't get it out of the way for approaching traffic on the Down line.

On the subject of what can be done and what should not be done, the overwhelming impression I got from SimSig's forum and Wiki when I sat down to write this tutorial was that the only thing that matters to the software is that a train passes its waypoints (is there a railway-specific term for this?) assigned to it in its TT, in the correct order. How[/i] it gets to these waypoints is up to the signaller. Therefore the newbie should not feel he is doing anything wrong by signalling the driver to carry out manoeuvres even as unorthodox as reverse shunting past a LOS. It might not be the [i]recommended way, but it gets him home and boosts his confidence!

SimSig is proud of its claim to be as authentic as possible, yet still permits things like this to happen. You can't have it both ways, so let's not deprive newbie users of extra workarounds - they need them more than we do!!

i do think you have a good point though max...it would be nice to see more detail regarding loop and platform lengths in manuals, im SLUs or metres.

There are 3 basic interfaces for signal route setting.

1 levers
2 By Operating a switch (One Switch Control)
3 Entrance Exit Panels (NX)

Not forgetting the style common in the Western Region - turn and push. The entrance is a rotary switch, turned through 90 degrees to register the entrance, then the signaller presses a button next to the exit signal (which might also have a switch if it's the entrance to more routes). The switch would turn either of two directions if a main and a shunt route were possible. Hmm, do call-on routes get selected automatically from the main? I think the only way to get a warner route is to physically prevent the full overlap from setting, usually by use of a points switch or another route, where available.

[ One I'm in the process of removing at the moment is Richmond, setting the route on No. 6 would always set the Warner, setting the forward route steps it up to a main.

Not forgetting the style common in the Western Region - turn and push.

What does he know or care about Route Tables? The only one I've seen provided so far is Royston's, and even that's inaccurate as K986 is left out of the first column, so there's no mention of the second "long route" (which was inaccurately described in the manual - I've corrected it). He shouldn't have to resort to them - that's programmers' stuff.