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| Rules for Off-Screen Trains 22/06/2023 at 00:02 #152237 | |
Gwasanaethau
509 posts |
Hi all, I am messing around with a timetable and writing some rules that dictate the amount of time certain trains are off the sim before they return. I initially did this to stop return services entering at a fringe before the corresponding (late-running) outbound service had exited. I started off doing just local services but now have managed to get into the rut of tracking all services across the country using RTT and calculating the minimum time it will take for each respective service to run its course and return and plugging that calculation in, but honestly, I am getting bogged down with it. My initial idea was to ignore any services that ended up in sidings or depots off screen, as I assumed that any late-running services could be replaced by other rolling stock from the sidings/depot. But then I realised that there is potential for this to happen to any service, and that services could also potentially be turned early (again, off screen) if it is really severely disrupted. My question to all you fellow timetable writers out there is: is there a cut-off point (in distance or time) beyond which you tend to assume the rule no longer actually matters, and if so what would it be? Would you tend to use a shortened rule if, for example, there is a known place where a train could be turned back early or would you still use the full service length? Cheers all! Mark (Gwasanaethau) Log in to reply |
| Rules for Off-Screen Trains 22/06/2023 at 06:43 #152240 | |
kaiwhara
587 posts |
For me it depends entirely on the location, the operator and to some degree the type of stock. The question I apply is, "Beyond the fringe, is there a realistic opportunity to effect transposing, short turn trains, Dock up a spare train or perform some other reasonable action to recover the service?" Taking Central Coast for example, the Hunter Valley trains probably should have a handful of rules applied, because they only have 7 railcars to work with, the first opportunity to turn a train is at Maitland, which is only one station short of the terminating station for the majority of trains anyway, and all of the fleet is based in Newcastle. Compare that to lines around Sydney, and the major Southern terminals in London, operators have comparatively great flexibility to take action to recover delays, with the main exception being the circular services. Usually, for that reason, I'll apply the minimum time between dropping off sim and re-entering sim, taking out any recovery time that may be applied in the schedule, but I'll generally not worry about the rest as there often a lot that an operator can do to fix things. I usually aim to balance total realism with flexibility to recover Sorry guys, I am in the business of making people wait! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: Gwasanaethau |
| Rules for Off-Screen Trains 22/06/2023 at 08:11 #152241 | |
marychristmaseverybody
45 posts |
I find that this a huge problem with Birmingham New Street simulation with the cross city line trains, it is almost impossible to play with delays turned low - medium, as cross city line trains are often 20 minutes late or more, which is often almost impossible to recover.
Log in to reply The following user said thank you: Gwasanaethau |
| Rules for Off-Screen Trains 22/06/2023 at 10:08 #152242 | |
bill_gensheet
1413 posts 
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Personally, I would only look for rules where the stock is obviously captive. Two reasons With the older timetables I tend to write I do not usually have stock or crew diagrams. Again I do not know where any spare stock (hot-spares) or crews might be - and there would be more of them about anyway. I did consider that kind of rule for CSCOT / EDIN sim covering the Glasgow - Edinburgh shuttles, but decided against it. One of the train failure decisions on EDIN 1984 has a chance of a 'hot spare' use at Kirkcaldy, they borrow the Rosyth works DMU which then gets swapped over. In-sim yards I see differently, those I would always have a rule for unload / shunt / load / tea. Bill Log in to reply The following user said thank you: Gwasanaethau |
| Rules for Off-Screen Trains 22/06/2023 at 16:23 #152243 | |
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Gwasanaethau
509 posts |
Thank you all for your replies! There is a fair bit to mull over there. I like the idea of being a bit flexible in the rules to allow the SimSignaller to recover the service - having the service perpetually late and getting later can feel like a bit of a slog - it's only meant to be a simulation after all! And I also like the idea of keeping the rules to where the stock is obviously captive - makes a lot of sense. Thanks again! Back to the grind, so! Mark (Gwasanaethau). Log in to reply |