Cheshire Lines Timetables

Four "heritage" timetables are now available for downloading for the Mid Cheshire line and its appendage to Stockport. If you find any bugs or issues, document them here, but PLEASE, check the supplied guidance notes in the General tab of the timetable first!

The timetables are:
1985 (May) - all passenger trains using the direct route to Manchester and the Skelton-Warrington Arpley route still in use (simulated by cheating and using Partington as an entry/ exit substitute). Very intense evening service on the Down line, intermixing scheduled freight and passenger traffic. Peak hour trains originate/ reverse at Greenbank and Knutsford (Plumley West).
1985 (September) - as May, but the Arpley route is closed with some trains re-routed via Deansgate Jn and Northwich.
1989 - Chester services now re-routed via Stockport adding to conflicts at Deansgate Jn. More rush hour services of both DMUs and EMUs require careful terminus platforming at Altrincham. Rather tricky!
1992 (May) - a cheeky little timetable from the end of the six-month period when the Altrincham line was being downgraded to tram operation. Good for getting your bearings on the simulation's curiosities.

In every case, it's much more fun if you keep to the default options: level crossings and Absolute Block on; TORR off. The level crossings at Navigation Road and Deansgate Lane in particular will keep you alert even when traffic is light.

The Holy Grail is to recreate the 1977 timetable, but that will have to wait for some Mantis activity. In 1977, there was more freight, plus peak hour DMU reversals from the Chester direction at Altrincham as well as the usual reversals at Greenbank and Knutsford (and also Northwich in reality).

Running the May 1985 TT Monday TT, 6M15 0155 Lindsey - Oakleigh needs a rule to prevent the Northwich - Oakleigh train calling up ready at Northwich before the Lindsey - Northwich train has arrived at Northwich Reception Sdgs.

Phil-jmw in post 129347 said:

Running the May 1985 TT Monday TT, 6M15 0155 Lindsey - Oakleigh needs a rule to prevent the Northwich - Oakleigh train calling up ready at Northwich before the Lindsey - Northwich train has arrived at Northwich Reception Sdgs.

There's a rule already in the timetable for exactly that purpose! Evidently it isn't working as anticipated. I will investigate. Thank you for the feedback.

whatlep in post 129348 said:

Phil-jmw in post 129347 said:

Running the May 1985 TT Monday TT, 6M15 0155 Lindsey - Oakleigh needs a rule to prevent the Northwich - Oakleigh train calling up ready at Northwich before the Lindsey - Northwich train has arrived at Northwich Reception Sdgs.

There's a rule already in the timetable for exactly that purpose! Evidently it isn't working as anticipated. I will investigate. Thank you for the feedback.

Couple of questions.

1) Do trains drop off the sim at Northwich Reception Sdgs or do they remain in sim with an N working?
2) If they drop off, Is the rule "must enter x minutes after 6M15 arrives at Northwich" or "must enter x minutes after 6M15 leaves the area"?

I can't remember the exact whys and wherefores about whether it is how the data in the sim is constructed, but I have worked on a TTs in the past where you must use the "leaves the area" option for locations where trains drop off the sim as the "arrives at Northwich" doesn't seem to work. If 6M15 forms a N working you can just enter a dwell time in the Northwich Reception Sdgs time on the return leg rather than setting up a rule.

Disclaimer: that could be rubbish if the core code has moved on since my problems many moons ago.

Is there a layout diagram or signal plan for the Cheshire Lines sim?
I seem to recall seeing something somewhere, but that may just be my memory up to its usual tricks.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with the "leaves the area" issue. By "N" working, do you mean a next working?

I can't remember the exact whys and wherefores about whether it is how the data in the sim is constructed, but I have worked on a TTs in the past where you must use the "leaves the area" option for locations where trains drop off the sim as the "arrives at Northwich" doesn't seem to work. If 6M15 forms a N working you can just enter a dwell time in the Northwich Reception Sdgs time on the return leg rather than setting up a rule.

Disclaimer: that could be rubbish if the core code has moved on since my problems many moons ago.

Phil-jmw in post 129347 said:

Running the May 1985 TT Monday TT, 6M15 0155 Lindsey - Oakleigh needs a rule to prevent the Northwich - Oakleigh train calling up ready at Northwich before the Lindsey - Northwich train has arrived at Northwich Reception Sdgs.

There's a rule already in the timetable for exactly that purpose! Evidently it isn't working as anticipated. I will investigate. Thank you for the feedback.

whatlep in post 129348 said:

Phil-jmw in post 129347 said:

Running the May 1985 TT Monday TT, 6M15 0155 Lindsey - Oakleigh needs a rule to prevent the Northwich - Oakleigh train calling up ready at Northwich before the Lindsey - Northwich train has arrived at Northwich Reception Sdgs.

There's a rule already in the timetable for exactly that purpose! Evidently it isn't working as anticipated. I will investigate. Thank you for the feedback.

I must admit I didn't look to see if there was a rule, I just assumed there wasn't one because the outward working called up from Northwich Sdgs before the inwards arrived.

It's nothing to do with the core code. It's whether the data developer has included that final location just before the train exits. There are pros and cons to including it versus letting the train fall off without ever arriving at that location. Case-by-case basis really.

GeoffM in post 129391 said:

It's nothing to do with the core code. It's whether the data developer has included that final location just before the train exits. There are pros and cons to including it versus letting the train fall off without ever arriving at that location. Case-by-case basis really.

It's a bad day when you don't learn something new!

What's a UTU?

Peter (a schoolboy)

What's a UTU?

Peter (a schoolboy)

Peter Bennet in post 129414 said:

What's a UTU?

Peter (a schoolboy)

I have a suggestion. Perhaps those 'in the know' who use abbreviations like this could educate/inform others by putting an explanation in parentheses.

For example: TUT (Totally Unrelated Topic)

Sorry about that. Just my little joke :)

bugsy in post 129422 said:

Peter Bennet in post 129414 said:

What's a UTU?

Peter (a schoolboy)

I have a suggestion. Perhaps those 'in the know' who use abbreviations like this could educate/inform others by putting an explanation in parentheses.

For example: TUT (Totally Unrelated Topic)

Sorry about that. Just my little joke :)

UTU's appear in many of the Simsig TT's, bugsy, and have been discussed in various threads in this forum so it was fair of me to assume many of you would know what one is (unless people run sims without knowing what some of the trains are), without having to potentially insult people's intelligence with a long-winded explanation in parentheses to satisfy the needs of anyone who feels they should have everything handed to them on a plate (like you, it would appear, do) rather than answer a polite question (as Peter asked) to expand their knowledge base.

Just my little joke.

(And yes, totally unrelated to the original topic).

Peter Bennet in post 129414 said:

What's a UTU?

Peter (a schoolboy)

Peter - thanks for asking. That's the trouble with TLAs, no-one has the balls to ask.