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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone?

You are here: Home > Forum > Simulations > Timetables > Westbury > Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone?

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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 26/01/2014 at 13:22 #54249
maxand
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Drivers of 2M80 and 2V10 have both been "on the telephone" for about 15 mins and show no sign of getting off. This has completely stuffed up the game with trains banking up behind them and there's no way I can tell either them or their controller to shut up and get on with it. All I can think of doing is using HOG (Hand Of God) to remove them both.
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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 26/01/2014 at 13:55 #54250
Steamer
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Just to confirm, you did reply when they reported the ACOA, as opposed to just closing the dialogue box? When I loaded the game, they re-reported the ACOA, and were on their way within a minute. I then caused an ACOA in front of another train, and it re-started within 2 minutes of reporting.

As an aside, you might want to make more use of the Auto buttons at places like Somerton- they make the area easier to handle.

"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: 26/01/2014 at 13:55 by Steamer
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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 27/01/2014 at 02:58 #54272
maxand
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Thanks Steamer. Honestly, I can't recall whether I confirmed their ACOAs or not, I was so far behind at that time. In view of your reply, I probably didn't. I thought "driver on telephone" meant he was trying to contact his Controller, not me.

Bearing in mind that first notice of an ACOA is given in the Message Box and that many phone calls from drivers can be suppressed by setting a route when driver is stopped at a red, I may not have had time to check the Telephone Calls window for those particular trains. I will give this more careful attention from now on.

I've played Westbury and other sims a lot in pre-loader versions and never encountered this telephone delay before, so it makes me wonder whether the rules changed slightly in the loader version to make it compulsory to acknowledge the ACOA, although GeoffM will probably say they haven't.

Might it not be an idea to distinguish between the two types of calls by labelling one "driver on telephone to signaller" and the other "driver on telephone to Controller" so as to avoid this type of gotcha in future?

Last edited: 27/01/2014 at 03:07 by maxand
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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 27/01/2014 at 07:36 #54278
John
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" said:
Might it not be an idea to distinguish between the two types of calls by labelling one "driver on telephone to signaller" and the other "driver on telephone to Controller"
:huh:

If the driver is on the telephone with the signaller -- which is you, remember -- why would you need a visual reminder of that fact?

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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 27/01/2014 at 09:56 #54281
postal
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" said:
I may not have had time to check the Telephone Calls window for those particular trains.
Max

Did you know that pressing the "A" key answers the first call in the list without having to open the Telephone Calls window?

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 27/01/2014 at 17:16 #54302
Steamer
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" said:
Thanks Steamer. Honestly, I can't recall whether I confirmed their ACOAs or not, I was so far behind at that time. In view of your reply, I probably didn't. I thought "driver on telephone" meant he was trying to contact his Controller, not me.
"On Telephone" means that the driver is either contacting control (which only happens after an ACOA), or when the driver is phoning you. In the latter case, the telephone icon at the top left will be flashing, and you'll hear a phone ringing (if you've set a sound up for it in F3).

Quote:
I've played Westbury and other sims a lot in pre-loader versions and never encountered this telephone delay before, so it makes me wonder whether the rules changed slightly in the loader version to make it compulsory to acknowledge the ACOA, although GeoffM will probably say they haven't.
It was introduced a while ago that if you gave a driver an ACOA he would ring up and complain (which had to be acknowledged), after which the train would remain stopped for a few minutes while the driver notified his Control.

"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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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 28/01/2014 at 08:07 #54352
maxand
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Thanks for all your helpful comments.

Quote:
Did you know that pressing the "A" key answers the first call in the list without having to open the Telephone Calls window?
I did, then forgot as I tend to select the order in which I answer them!

Quote:
It was introduced a while ago that if you gave a driver an ACOA he would ring up and complain (which had to be acknowledged)
I didn't realize it had to be acknowledged before the driver contacts the controller.

Quote:
If the driver is on the telephone with the signaller -- which is you, remember -- why would you need a visual reminder of that fact?
Only to remind me to check my Telephone Calls window more often when under pressure! But then again, the lesson is to check it frequently. I think I'll add a sound .wav file.

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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 28/01/2014 at 09:40 #54357
Peter Bennet
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" said:
I think I'll add a sound .wav file.

That would certainly help

Peter

I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs!
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Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 28/01/2014 at 13:31 #54368
y10g9
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895 posts
" said:
" said:
I think I'll add a sound .wav file.

That would certainly help

Peter
A telephone normally rings. Simsig left the option for you to add one so you could choice one that you preferred

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