Cheshire Lines FAQ

During busy running the best technique seems to be to keep the crossing closest to where the trams are passing down and raise the other one. So if a tram is exiting to Trimley and one is entering keep the Deansgate Lane Barriers down and raise the Navigation road barriers and vice versa. This way the barriers are generally only down for about 3/4 minutes each time.

Think I've found two errors in the locations coding around Northwich.

1) It doesn't seem possible to timetable a train directly into the Up Reception line from Northwich station. It appears only to be possible via the UGL, though the signalled route exists.
2) Timetabling a train from Oakleigh to the Sandbach line seems to throw up problems between Hartford East Jn and Northwich West Jns. Please see error message associated with 0Z00MWFO-1010 in the attached draft timetable.

Still fun though!

whatlep in post 129395 said:

Think I've found two errors in the locations coding around Northwich.

1) It doesn't seem possible to timetable a train directly into the Up Reception line from Northwich station. It appears only to be possible via the UGL, though the signalled route exists.

1 - I can't remember numbers here, but the point work to get to the up reception towards the UGL is quite short. There is no point worth that I'm aware of that would have allowed a train to go in without first having a reversal.

James

Questions re Mickle Trafford-Mouldsworth section. Is there aspecific algorithm to prioritise traffic over the single line section or is it simply "first come, first served"? Is there any way to modify what's in, or is that hard-coded into the Sim?

Thanks

pedroathome in post 129413 said:

whatlep in post 129395 said:

Think I've found two errors in the locations coding around Northwich.

1) It doesn't seem possible to timetable a train directly into the Up Reception line from Northwich station. It appears only to be possible via the UGL, though the signalled route exists.

1 - I can't remember numbers here, but the point work to get to the up reception towards the UGL is quite short. There is no point worth that I'm aware of that would have allowed a train to go in without first having a reversal.

James

Hi James. My 1990 documents suggest UGL was situated between 19m48ch & 19m77ch (1914 feet), with Up sidings access at 20m07ch and access to the Up reception loop from Northwich station at 20m33ch. For positioning, I also have Northwich station at 20m49ch.

whatlep in post 129530 said:

Questions re Mickle Trafford-Mouldsworth section. Is there aspecific algorithm to prioritise traffic over the single line section or is it simply "first come, first served"? Is there any way to modify what's in, or is that hard-coded into the Sim?

Thanks

When a train is approaching Signal MT1 or MT2, the onward route is set towards Mickle Trafford from Mouldsworth after a random time factor of between 30 and 60 seconds.

A train, to enter from Mickle Trafford, must have the single line clear, and the off sim points set Normal, so that a train can continue its way into sim.

There is no way to change this, however, I suspect that from the nature of your question, you're having a couple regulation issues because of it?

whatlep in post 129426 said:

pedroathome in post 129413 said:

whatlep in post 129395 said:

Think I've found two errors in the locations coding around Northwich.

1) It doesn't seem possible to timetable a train directly into the Up Reception line from Northwich station. It appears only to be possible via the UGL, though the signalled route exists.

1 - I can't remember numbers here, but the point work to get to the up reception towards the UGL is quite short. There is no point worth that I'm aware of that would have allowed a train to go in without first having a reversal.

James

Hi James. My 1990 documents suggest UGL was situated between 19m48ch & 19m77ch (1914 feet), with Up sidings access at 20m07ch and access to the Up reception loop from Northwich station at 20m33ch. For positioning, I also have Northwich station at 20m49ch.

Sorry its taken me a couple days to get back to you here, and this may not be a full answer.

By my measurements, the access point, which are trailing, towards the Up Reception Sidings, I have in as 280 meters. What I don't have however, is anything to suggest that a train could go directly into the Up Reception sidings without either a reversal within the Up Reception Line or going onto the Up Goods Line. As someone that sounds like you know the area, could you clarify if trains would have reversed on the Goods Loop, or would have gone just ahead of the point work on the Up Goods, and reversed there (Possibly with the signaller setting a route into the Up Goods if needed). Should it be the latter, I can easily add in an extra reversal location.

James

Thanks for the notes re Mickle Trafford - Mouldsworth. Yes, regulation is a problem without the junction and control of what enters at Mickle Trafford! Gives me something to think about this rainy afternoon....

Re the Up Sdgs, you're correct that access was solely by reversal. My query was more about the inability to timetable via the Up Reception line through to the UGL, but in the overall scheme of things, that's a nit. The issues around Greenbank, Plumley West and Altrincham reversals are much higher importance - though possibly only to an audience of old-timers!

Really like this simulation. I created one for the line around 20 years ago using the (long discontinued) Track Builder/ Train Dispatcher software and still have fun with that, but yours is in a different league.

Realistically a train from Mickle Trafford would be prioritised to avoid having it blocking the 'main' lines, and to keep services on time heading towards Stockport and Manchester (especially in modern TTs which have 50 minutes in Chester but only 10 in Piccadilly).

Hi,

Firtsly, thank you to developers and testers for this sim, which I find fascinating, especially the differences in traffic between eras, especially differnces between use of Hazel GRove and Hartford Junctions.

At Altrincham up trains arriving @ P3 report wrong platform as do down trains arriving @ P4.