Contacting drivers

Would it be possible to get a driver to contact you immidiately?

I understand that SimSig currently replicates how the railway used to be before GSM-R, driver wouldnt contact the signaller unless detained for a few minutes and then they'd use the SPT... all time consuming.

It would be nice to have a more modern approach due to more modern timetables being so busy, when a train is detained at a signal, id love to be able to get the driver to contact immidiately via a request.

The only reason I see for a driver to call immediately would be wanting to authorise it to SPAD. However this can already be done without a call, using F2 > signalling options > authorise train to pass signal at danger

The only reason I see for a driver to call immediately would be wanting to authorise it to SPAD. However this can already be done without a call, using F2 > signalling options > authorise train to pass signal at danger

Dionysusnu in post 136908 said:

The only reason I see for a driver to call immediately would be wanting to authorise it to SPAD. However this can already be done without a call, using F2 > signalling options > authorise train to pass signal at danger

There are other situations where a quick call is appreciated, rather than driver sitting there for 2 (or 4 on London sims) minutes.

"Driver, I need you to proceed at caution as far as the next signal, once I clear this signal, because of trespassers/report of rough riding/report of something on or near track/possible flooding/sighting issues to next signal etc. etc."

Obviously in the game exact situations are not specified to the driver, just a simple 'examine line', but in multiplayer and with an imaginative host, it is possible to create the above sort of scenarios, where it would be helpful to speak to the driver as soon as they stop at the signal.

I don't mean to shoot anyone down in flames or anything, but honestly I don't really get this.

The rules in real life remain the same. If a train is detained on a running line, the driver must contact the signaller immediately, unless he can see an obvious reason why the signal is remaining at danger, such as a conflicting movement taking place ahead, in which case he should wait 2 minutes, unless another time is specified on signs or in the sectional appendix. I'd say the SimSig approach of always waiting 2 minutes is simple, effective and the right approach especially on a busy sim, where you don't want a phone call every time a train is brought to a stand on a sim like London Bridge or Three Bridges.

The GSM-R does allow the driver to send a standing at signal message and SimSig does that already, it already pops up with a message to say a train is waiting at a signal.

Yes the GSM-R does also allow the signaller to send a contact signaller message to ensure the driver contacts you promptly on being detained, but I don't see what that allows you to do that SimSig doesn't. Because if we don't want a driver to wait 2 minutes on being brought to a stand at a signal which we know we're going to have to talk the train past (for example), we have the F2 (as has already been mentioned). The F2 window allows us to call the driver ourselves as soon as we get the message that SimSig already provides us with to say the train is waiting at the signal.

Now it might be said that I might not see that message straight away because I'm busy elsewhere, but can't you miss the phone call as well. Surely if you're right in the middle of dealing with something, it'll have to wait anyway. I mean, I suppose I can see how it could be of some marginal benefit to someone, especially when you add sounds into it, which I've never done so I don't know if they would affect anything. But, as I've said before, in real life, doing all the safety critical communications and getting everything repeated back takes quite a long while, especially if you want the line examined or whatever it is, so unless you're sitting there doing all the safety critical comms with yourself at your desk (which I do sometimes do for practice ) then I don't really see that passing a signal at danger in just a couple of clicks is making things more realistic and I'd just let the extra 20 seconds it might take you to notice the train has stopped represent a (likely) extremely low quality safety critical conversation.

I don't really see that passing a signal at danger in just a couple of clicks is making things more realistic

TUT in post 136923 said:

I don't really see that passing a signal at danger in just a couple of clicks is making things more realistic

I don't think anyone has asked to make it quicker or easier to get a train to perform that action. The way I understood the OP's request was that it be possible to initiate an actual phone call with a driver, as GSM-R now allows, before the allocated time period currently programmed into Simsig has elapsed. Now without checking you may be correct that F2 allows this phone call to be carried out, but from memory I thought F2 window was more a simple 'pass at danger' command. Which detracts from the realism a touch. But I will check when I next play.

For certain sims where replacement controls aren't provided for every signal, it would be nice to pull up a driver to perform adjacent inspection under caution.

Perhaps to stop a driver at a controlled signal, with command to draw up to next signal head and call back?

Thanks
Jamie

20.1 When the line is to be examined

If the train signalling regulations require a line to be examined, this can be achieved by one of the following.
• You can see the line is safe for trains to pass.
• You can get a competent person to check the line is safe for trains to pass.
• You can get the driver of a train passing over the affected line to check the line is safe for trains to pass.

You will tell the driver of that train to report back to you as soon as possible if they see anything wrong, but they are not examining the line, you're just cautioning them, and cautioning a train is not something that SimSig generally allows you to do anyway.

TUT in post 136931 said:

You will tell the driver of that train to report back to you as soon as possible if they see anything wrong, but they are not examining the line, you're just cautioning them, and cautioning a train is not something that SimSig generally allows you to do anyway.

My misunderstanding of the Rule Book wording but I don't think it detracts from the point which you emphasise about it not being possible within SimSig to carry out a commonly given instruction.

Quite a number of sims have AHBC's that can fail if a TCF causes occupation timers to expire, but very few have seem to have replaceable controls at the relevant block and it would seem sensible to always caution drivers on lines opposite to SOWC's in those cases.

On a slight tangent, "proceed and examine" always authorises drivers to proceed at up to 20mph. I guess IRL this would not always be the case, for instance if a cracked rail were suspected.

Thanks
Jamie

If instructed to proceed at caution, you must, as well as not exceeding any specified speed, proceed at a speed which takes account of conditions (such as the distance you can see to be clear), that will allow you to stop the train short of any train, vehicle or other obstruction, or the end of your movement authority.

I'm sorry, but under what circumstances does the Rule Book permit examination of an adjacent track?

Rule Book Module TS1 General signalling regulations says:

Quote:

20.1 When the line is to be examined

If the train signalling regulations require a line to be examined, this can be achieved by one of the following.
• You can see the line is safe for trains to pass.
• You can get a competent person to check the line is safe for trains to pass.
• You can get the driver of a train passing over the affected line to check the line is safe for trains to pass.

The rule book (GERT8000-TS1, section 20.6.2) gives the following instructions for a train due to pass a TCF on an adjacent line:

If the first train to pass on a line immediately next to the affected
line before the affected line is examined, the driver of this train
must be told:
• what is happening
• the locations between which the adjacent line is affected by the
track circuit
• to pass the affected portion of line at caution
• to report as soon as possible if anything is wrong.

seagull in post 136925 said:

TUT in post 136923 said:

I don't really see that passing a signal at danger in just a couple of clicks is making things more realistic

I don't think anyone has asked to make it quicker or easier to get a train to perform that action. The way I understood the OP's request was that it be possible to initiate an actual phone call with a driver, as GSM-R now allows, before the allocated time period currently programmed into Simsig has elapsed. Now without checking you may be correct that F2 allows this phone call to be carried out, but from memory I thought F2 window was more a simple 'pass at danger' command. Which detracts from the realism a touch. But I will check when I next play.

You can tell the driver to examine the line and pass the signal at danger from F2 so F2 does already allow you to dive in without waiting for the call, so I don't really see the need to add a contact signaller functionality when you have the F2 and SimSig already tells you when the train has come to a stop. Of course anyone's entitled to open up a thread and offer a suggestion for something that they would like to have for whatever reason, but with the F2 already so powerful, it just feels like a feature for the sake of a feature, especially as SimSig has taken the (in my opinion) right decision not to attempt to explicitly simulate GSM-R or anything else.