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Authority to proceed - Spalding.

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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 14/06/2017 at 22:17 #95842
VInce
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Hi all,

This is a strange one - I'm very familiar with the Peterborough sim and this has not occurred before and even after trying a few things I still cannot get to the bottom of it.

During the course of a test run for a timetable with settings in "perfect" mode, the following sequence of events occurred (see the attached backup):-

18:22:27 - Driver of 2K43 (1802 Spalding - Peterborough) calls asking for "authority to proceed" from Spalding.

After thinking for a bit and fearing the worst at:

18:22:51 Authority to proceed given.

As I sort of expected, at:

18:24:27 train description XXXX appears in the berth approaching SD25 on the DOWN Spalding i.e. the wrong line, indicating the train is proceeding in the wrong direction

Around 1841 another XXXX appears on the down Spalding followed at 18:42:50 by a track circuit becoming occupied on the down Spalding, confirming the train is indeed running in the wrong direction.

This has never happened to the Spalding turn-rounds before in my experience. Its as if the forming train has never "arrived" at Spalding but it is returning without crossing over

The only thing that may be a contributory factor, but I don't see why, is that, for the first time I have put a "next train" activity in the timetable for Spalding which is "off sim".

Is this a known issue in such circumstances?

I'm aware of several locations, generally sidings, where trains require the signallers authority to proceed towards an outlet signal, usually on a non-track-circuited line but this is a new one on me.

I'm currently running a test without the "next train" activity at Spalding and I'll publish my findings as soon as it is concluded, but its an odd one...

Backup attached

Vince

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I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me
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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 14/06/2017 at 22:29 #95843
Steamer
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VInce in post 95842 said:

The only thing that may be a contributory factor, but I don't see why, is that, for the first time I have put a "next train" activity in the timetable for Spalding which is "off sim".
I suspect that's the problem. 'Fringe' locations usually aren't fully simulated, so the train won't be crossing over to the Up platform at Spalding on arrival as it would in real life- there isn't even the ability to specify the platform number at Spalding.

To simulate terminating trains, timetable the Spalding-bound service as usual, but without the next working. Enter the return working as a train entering at Spalding, and use a 'Must not appear until X minutes after train Y leaves the area' rule to prevent the return working appearing before the outbound one.

"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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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 14/06/2017 at 22:41 #95844
VInce
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Steamer,

Thank you - I can indeed confirm that that is the issue.

Having the removed the "next train activity" from 2K44 and run it, 2K43 returns quite normally from Spalding.

Quite exciting really!

Vince...

I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me
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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 15/06/2017 at 15:05 #95850
clive
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Okay, I haven't tried to reproduce this, but ...

Steamer is quite right. In the simulation, there are just two plain tracks from Werrington Junction to the edge of the sim, with no pointwork. What I suspect has happened is that the train has done the next activity and reversed direction. The core code then looks ahead of the train for either a signal or a set of points. Since it's facing up the down line, the first thing it finds is the points at Werrington and so phones for authority. Steamer is also right that you should treat these as two separate services and use a rule to link them.

Have you tried Analyse on the timetable? I hope it's going to complain that 2K43 never was at Spalding. If not, there's a core code bug.

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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 15/06/2017 at 17:32 #95851
VInce
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Clive,

Yes, "analyse" produces the warning "not safe to have activities at Spalding". I should have done that before making fuss, sorry.

I did have a rule in place for the return working. The timetable is one I found on the site which was well put-together (and doesn't seem to have had many downloads, if the figures are to be believed) but was lacking in nearly all the rules required to make it run properly. There were issues too with trains at Biggleswade and a few platform and running line conflicts which I've now resolved.

I wanted to make it into a use-able timetable for my own use and I've nearly done that now. I've never added a activity at Spalding before and it was just intended for user information really.

Just a point - I'm also in the process of revamping an old Derby timetable in a similar vein to the one above (for my own use again) - does Matlock accept activities, being a single line? I might try it and see.

Thanks again Clive and Steamer, sorry for wasting your time when I could have found out myself.

Is there any sign of an updated Peterborough sim to rectify the Flyash routing issues?

Vince

I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me
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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 15/06/2017 at 17:52 #95852
headshot119
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VInce in post 95851 said:

Just a point - I'm also in the process of revamping an old Derby timetable in a similar vein to the one above (for my own use again) - does Matlock accept activities, being a single line? I might try it and see.
Matlock does indeed accept activities, or every timetable would struggle to work.

"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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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 15/06/2017 at 21:26 #95854
Steamer
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headshot119 in post 95852 said:
VInce in post 95851 said:

Just a point - I'm also in the process of revamping an old Derby timetable in a similar vein to the one above (for my own use again) - does Matlock accept activities, being a single line? I might try it and see.
Matlock does indeed accept activities, or every timetable would struggle to work.
To expand slightly, Matlock itself is not an entry/exit point. There is an entry point at the end of the branch, but this is at the interface between Network Rail and the Peak Rail preserved line, not for Matlock (Network Rail) station.

"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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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 16/06/2017 at 15:14 #95860
clive
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VInce in post 95851 said:

Yes, "analyse" produces the warning "not safe to have activities at Spalding". I should have done that before making fuss, sorry.
Ah, good.

VInce in post 95851 said:

Just a point - I'm also in the process of revamping an old Derby timetable in a similar vein to the one above (for my own use again) - does Matlock accept activities, being a single line? I might try it and see.
The problem would occur at places where double track reaches the edge of the sim. So on Peterborough that's Hitchin, Whittlesea, Ketton, Grantham, Spalding, and Peterborough Yard. I would expect the same behaviour in each case (except possibly for Hitchin Up Slow, where a train reversing would be facing a shunt signal many miles away, which might mean no phone call).

Similarly, I would expect it at both ends of the Royston sim.

As others have said, Matlock is a different situation.

VInce in post 95851 said:

Thanks again Clive and Steamer, sorry for wasting your time when I could have found out myself.
Don't apologize: it was an interesting issue and worth querying. It was quite possible that the timetable analyser would have missed it.

VInce in post 95851 said:

Is there any sign of an updated Peterborough sim to rectify the Flyash routing issues?
Yes. Geoff and I just need to coordinate a couple of things.

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Authority to proceed - Spalding. 17/06/2017 at 08:40 #95883
VInce
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Clive,

Very grateful for your help - thank you.


Vince.

I walk around inside the questions of my day, I navigate the inner reaches of my disarray, I pass the altars where fools and thieves hold sway, I wait for night to come and lift this dread away : Jackson Browne - The Night Inside Me
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