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Creating timetables

You are here: Home > Forum > General > General questions, comments, and issues > Creating timetables

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Creating timetables 19/12/2016 at 17:53 #90996
Vortexhaha
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Do u guys have any tips for making timetables?
Because I felt like writing a timetable, but I don't know where to start.

Nathan ( Vortexhaha / VORX (In-game)). 2nd year uni student
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Creating timetables 19/12/2016 at 18:34 #90998
JamesN
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Vortexhaha in post 90996 said:
Do u guys have any tips for making timetables?
Because I felt like writing a timetable, but I don't know where to start.
1) Start simple. If you can't write a decent timetable for Royston, you won't be able to make one for Trent. Get used to timetable writing on a smaller sim, so you understand how the editor works then move up to a larger one once you feel you're ready. (You don't necessarily have to release the practice WTT)

2) Try and create something unique - there is little point 8 different people writing 8 versions of a particular weekday in June for Royston, because apart from the odd typo here and there, by and large they'll be the same.

3) Write a timetable for a sim you know well. There are timetabling "rules" (Called paths) built in to every sim - Mandatory timing locations, places where path/platform/line codes are required etc... If you understand these timetabling rules; it'll make error hunting a lot easier.

4) Do all your research first, then write the Timetable. Firstly it means you haven't got to dash back to realtimetrains 5 weeks 6 days later when the data is being deleted tomorrow to find the timings for that one tamper you missed off, and secondly it prevents "Scope creep" - where you set out to do one thing, and that evolves into something else.

5) Be consistent. For example - pick a style in which you'll write your train descriptions, and stick to it. The 15th October 2009 Timetables for example all have:

Time Orgin - Destation (Operator Cars/Stock)

for passenger trains, and something very similar for freights. Other writers have followed in a similar vein, but that doesn't make it mandatory. So long as it looks consistent, you'll be fine.

6) Finally, don't underestimate how much work is involved in writing a timetable. Sims like Kings Cross, Victoria and so on can easily have 1000 trains in them over the course of the day. Each one of those will have a description to write; maybe 10 or more timing points to put in... It will take many, many hours of work to complete a timetable for a large sim to a high standard.

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Creating timetables 27/12/2016 at 10:56 #91129
Vortexhaha
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Hi,

Another question is that Real-time trains don't give me a lot of information about the freight train But it only tells me that it is:

Timed for 60mph max
Diesel locomotive, trailing load 1200 tonnes

Link: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H22283/2016/12/21/advanced (For more info)
So, how do I put this in my timetable?

Vortexhaha

Nathan ( Vortexhaha / VORX (In-game)). 2nd year uni student
Last edited: 27/12/2016 at 10:59 by Vortexhaha
Reason: Putting in links

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Creating timetables 27/12/2016 at 11:07 #91130
Steamer
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You can try searching YouTube for that working, and estimating a length from any videos you find. To be honest, on my TTs I just assign freight a train type based on the traffic conveyed (Engineers, in this case), and assign a generic length for all trains of that traffic type based on either existing timetables, personal observation or best guess. 60mph, 400m, Very Low acceleration would probably be fine for this one.

Note that for passenger workings, RTT shows what the service is timed for, which isn't always the class that will actually work 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)
Last edited: 27/12/2016 at 11:29 by Steamer
Reason: .

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Creating timetables 27/12/2016 at 11:46 #91131
58050
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If you want to create a proper freight train the one thing you will need is a freight train loads book. Not too sure how you could get one or the info from Network Rail. I have about 30 different ones covering from the 1960s through to 1996-1997. I got these from my time on the railways as well as other people I know who worked on the railways gave them to me. Freight train loads books will list the maximum permitted tonnage for each class of loco over selected routes. Furthermore it will also state the maximum length of the train over the specified route. Then using the length calculator on the Sim-Sig website you can create a train. Once you have got the length of the train then transfer that info onto the timetable you are creating by creating a train in the 'train type' tab. It all depends on how realistic & accurate you want your timetable to be. I don't do ficticious timetables & I try & make my timetables as realistic as possible. The more official data you can get then the more accurate the timetable will be.
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Creating timetables 27/12/2016 at 16:09 #91133
postal
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JamesN in post 90998 said:
6) Finally, don't underestimate how much work is involved in writing a timetable. Sims like Kings Cross, Victoria and so on can easily have 1000 trains in them over the course of the day. Each one of those will have a description to write; maybe 10 or more timing points to put in... It will take many, many hours of work to complete a timetable for a large sim to a high standard.
And then don't underestimate the time it will take to test the TT. You need to thoroughly test the TT to try and catch the errors and omissions which will inevitably occur when something is created by manual entry. Even when you have tested it to death yourself and let some of your friends have a draft copy to test, it is still more than likely that you will see the TT published followed immediately by a posting on the Forum noting an error that all of the testing has failed to spot.

“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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Creating timetables 28/12/2016 at 23:55 #91150
bill_gensheet
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I kept a 'diary' and have collated the methods I used for my Kings Cross 1964 timetable.

The 'diary' is a thread here:
https://www.SimSig.co.uk/Forum/ThreadView/39076

And there are also some more files on my website
http://www.gensheet.co.uk/SimSig.htm

Bear in mind that this is passenger only (at present) and only loosely based on reality. It still took a while getting stock to balance and I could to an extent cheat.

There's plenty of other valid approaches, each to their own. I should also add that currently some of the older timetabling methods (Convdata) do not work on 'new' sims.

Bill

Last edited: 28/12/2016 at 23:56 by bill_gensheet
Reason: url fix

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