STOCK JOINS

I am sure I'm not alone when I say the biggest cause of problems with SIMSIG games generally is the number of occasions trains won't join - either following a loco R/R or stock joins. All one sees on the F2 list is "Waiting for XXXX" or "Train in front". Sometimes it is possible to reverse the incoming loco/stock to behind a signal and retry the join but at other places this is not possible. Sometimes, by shunting the empty stock forward or shunting one half of an intended join forwards a join can be effected but often not.

A case in point is at Redford Junction in the Edinburgh Sims. In the 1985 PAID sim at least three of the locos on the Class 8 trains from Westfield will not rejoin the stock following a R/R in the DGL via ET968/953, prior to working into Thornton Yard. Equally, I've got the same problem with 0G27/7G27 at the same location in the 1993 Sim.

So what is one supposed to do in these situations other than remove the train?

I've seen various references on Forum pages in relation to this problem (not specifically Edinburgh) and the only answer which is given is "Try this" or "Try that" or "Sometimes this will work". The reason Joins do not work is because there is a fault in the writing of the Programme - if they are correctly written trains should always join.

Surely somebody (the writer of the Sim) should be capable of identifying why there is a problem and giving a definitive, once and for all, instruction as to what should be checked and corrected in order for these movements to succeed. If this information was included in Manuals then the all too frequent SIMSIG response of "Read the Manual" would be fair.

In the case of "Paid-for" Sims there is definately no excuse - they should work straight out of the box.

Am I making fundamental operating errors or am I lacking a key piece of information? Do other people encounter the same difficulties?

What is the remedy for such problems generally and, specifically, at Redford Junction?