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| At what point does it become too much to handle? 20/04/2024 at 05:43 #156093 | |
George Joachim
9 posts |
I have purchased Hunts Cross and Victoria Central. As a beginner, I can handle Liverpool Lime Street and Hunts Cross but I feel that Victoria Central is a bit overwhelming. Additionally, for the aforementioned sims I didn’t need to load a timetable before things started happening but in the case of Victoria Central nothing happens unless I load a timetable. Now, when I do that the timetable loads but isn’t correctly compatible somehow. I want to use Victoria Central as the others, without loading a timetable. Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 20/04/2024 at 07:09 #156095 | |
Peter Bennet
5402 posts |
George Joachim in post 156093 said:I have purchased Hunts Cross and Victoria Central.What do you mean by "things started happening", what things? What timetable are you trying to load that's not correctly compatible? Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 20/04/2024 at 07:14 #156096 | |
Steamer
3985 posts |
You need to select a timetable when you start a simulation, otherwise you won't get any trains in the simulation. I'm not sure what you did on Hunts Cross, but you will have selected a TT somewhere if trains started appearing. The TT for Victoria likely includes a lot of trains already in the area at the start of the simulation, is this what you mean? Victoria Central has a number of eras. It sounds like you've selected a timetable but not selected the correct era- when selecting the timetable on start up, check the description, then in the next set of options choose the appropriate era before starting the simulation. EDIT: See this Wiki page for more details: https://www.SimSig.co.uk/Wiki/Show?page=usertrack:ssrun:simrun0 Victoria is much more complex than HC, however it does feature Automatic Route Setting (ARS https://www.SimSig.co.uk/Wiki/Show?page=usertrack:ars) which can do much of the work for you. I'd recommend getting some practice in on HC, Lime St and possibly some other medium size simulations (Swindon is a good one and also free) before returning to Victoria. "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) Last edited: 20/04/2024 at 08:26 by Steamer Reason: None given Log in to reply The following user said thank you: George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 20/04/2024 at 13:02 #156097 | |
lazzer
634 posts |
George Joachim in post 156093 said:I have purchased Hunts Cross and Victoria Central.As Victoria Central has ARS, my usual MO is to start a new game at midnight with all the ARS areas turned off, and route all trains myself. Then as it starts to build up in the morning, I switch on everything to the left of Balham in stages, and only deal with Balham to Victoria, and Clapham Junction to North Pole. In the F3 settings I have ARS turned on for class 1, 2, and 9 trains. That means I still control all freight trains and ECS movements in ALL areas, so they don't get in the way. It usually works out OK :-) Log in to reply The following user said thank you: George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 20/04/2024 at 17:12 #156099 | |
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George Joachim
9 posts |
Steamer in post 156096 said:You need to select a timetable when you start a simulation, otherwise you won't get any trains in the simulation. I'm not sure what you did on Hunts Cross, but you will have selected a TT somewhere if trains started appearing. The TT for Victoria likely includes a lot of trains already in the area at the start of the simulation, is this what you mean?Yes, understood, apologies, I am new to this. Yes without a timetable, nothing happens. Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 20/04/2024 at 20:57 #156101 | |
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George Joachim
9 posts |
After a few hours with Victoria Central I managed a score of 91% at easy and ARS...I think that is not too bad.
Last edited: 21/04/2024 at 11:18 by George Joachim Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 22/04/2024 at 15:31 #156110 | |
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George Joachim
9 posts |
Cracking on with Victoria C my score reduced to 59%, as I faced some rather serious traffic management issues. Not anticipating, or properly understanding some routes around Streatham and other areas, I have caused a serious local choke point of trains. This had a progressive damaging effect on other lines as well. I think an understanding of the regional train routes layout and the various places would be helpful. Furthermore, I ignored the telephone calls, as they distracted me from the work at hand. If one manages to solve the choke points using proper routing, would the ignored telephone calls, slowly disappear?  Post has attachments. Log in to view them. Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 22/04/2024 at 15:36 #156111 | |
flabberdacks
636 posts 
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You should try to answer all telephone calls, as a train trying to enter will be buried in a stack of 'standing at signal' calls. As a shortcut, you can press A to answer the next call in the queue, and use the arrow keys and Enter to select the response. Make sure you read every call though! A standing at signal call can safely be told to wait 15 minutes, but make sure that's what the call actually is about. Good on you for taking on a difficult corridor. The London to Brighton main line is busy, but you'll learn a lot from trying to sort it out. Stick with it! Last edited: 22/04/2024 at 15:42 by flabberdacks Reason: None given Log in to reply The following user said thank you: George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 23/04/2024 at 07:47 #156116 | |
kbarber
1742 posts |
George Joachim in post 156110 said:Cracking on with Victoria C my score reduced to 59%, as I faced some rather serious traffic management issues.From what I used to hear (OK, this is going back over 30 years, when my father was Chief DI) the locals would sometimes regard 59% as a fairly decent day... Log in to reply The following user said thank you: George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 24/04/2024 at 09:17 #156120 | |
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TimTamToe
664 posts |
George Joachim in post 156110 said:Cracking on with Victoria C my score reduced to 59%, as I faced some rather serious traffic management issues.Yes the Streatham Jcns are a bugbear and difficult to handle and causes lots of delays IRL too, as it's where a lot of the routes all converge. Depending on which timetable you are using, there should be patterns with the headcodes to help you work out which shoould go where in advance. Eg in older tt's 2Exx go off the mainline at Streatham to go via Epsom. I know ARS can be sensitive around these junctions and not always get the order you want, so (rightly or wrongly) I sometimes collar some of the junctions signals to try and not block up Streatham North and South Jcns on to the Sutton loop too much. As others have said answering the phonecalls can help. Not only if there are trains waiting to enter from sidings or depots, but can also help alert you to where your attention needs to go. Don't be afraid to turn the sim speed down, to give yourself more time to learn and even use the pause button. As a quick guide trains travelling to Brighton, East Grinstead, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Ore, Caterham, Tattenham Corner will all stay on the main corridor Good luck! kbarber in post 156116 said: Us locals would be glad of 59% today too! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 25/04/2024 at 03:43 #156128 | |
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Jriver
50 posts |
TimTamToe - You obviously have an excellent knowledge in UK signalling principles. Bit I spotted the word 'corridor'. Are you in the Southern Hemisphere as well now 
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| At what point does it become too much to handle? 26/04/2024 at 08:40 #156137 | |
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TimTamToe
664 posts |
Jriver in post 156128 said:TimTamToe - You obviously have an excellent knowledge in UK signalling principles. Bit I spotted the word 'corridor'. Are you in the Southern Hemisphere as well now :)I wouldn't say I have excellent knowledge, I know a bit in signalling principles but just happen to know some locations well. London is very multicultural so we just absorb phrases and words from all of the globe and then spit them back out randomly. Still firmly in the NH, but partial to the odd VB and TimTam (not together  )
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| At what point does it become too much to handle? 27/04/2024 at 09:43 #156139 | |
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trolleybus
150 posts |
To answer your original questions, I've now done every simulation from beginning to end (including several that are no longer available). ALL can be done solo, although you need practice and you can expect to cause delays at peak times with the busiest sims and timetables. If necessary you can reduce the sim speed to quite a bit less than real time. I tend to configure a low rate of failures and I never look at my score. For me it's about doing the best job I can managing the service. So start easy and gradually move to more challenging sims/TTs. Good luck, and try not to become addicted - it's easy to do. FWIW my favourite games are the BR era timetables for Motherwell and Carlisle. At Carlisle there are a lot of splits/joins of sleeper, Motor-rail and parcels trains. Motherwell also has several of these as well as lots of freight based around Ravenscraig. The TTs have very effective rules that, e.g., won't allow a pilot to enter until it's completed its earlier workings. These add to the sim, in my opinion. Last edited: 27/04/2024 at 09:45 by trolleybus Reason: None given Log in to reply The following users said thank you: bill_gensheet, postal, Dick, George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 27/04/2024 at 10:32 #156140 | |
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jonathanp
19 posts |
That's quite an achievement! I would be interested to know what your thoughts are on these questions: - What is the smallest sim which is still engagaging to operate? - What is the most complex sim relative to control area size? - What is the most complex sim to operate overall? My prediction, purely based on looking at the diagrams: Huddersfield/Birmingham New Street/London Bridge Last edited: 27/04/2024 at 10:32 by jonathanp Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 27/04/2024 at 13:04 #156141 | |
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trolleybus
150 posts |
I need to think about the first but I agree with you on 2 and 3. Huddersfield is certainly a candidate for question 1. Birmingham is quite a small area but complex, especially with an old TT with locos to worry about. I haven't played it with a modern timetable for some time but Kings Cross is very hard to get right, with trains in the peak crossing from fast-slow and slow-fast at various points. Again, I prefer the BR-era timetables for this sim. The old Euston and Lverpool St. stand-alone sims were quite intense operations in a small area. Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 27/04/2024 at 15:35 #156142 | |
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lazzer
634 posts |
trolleybus in post 156141 said:I need to think about the first but I agree with you on 2 and 3. Huddersfield is certainly a candidate for question 1. Birmingham is quite a small area but complex, especially with an old TT with locos to worry about. I haven't played it with a modern timetable for some time but Kings Cross is very hard to get right, with trains in the peak crossing from fast-slow and slow-fast at various points. Again, I prefer the BR-era timetables for this sim.King's Cross 1977 is easy. Between midnight and 07.00. And then you need a couple of extra people :-) Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 27/04/2024 at 15:53 #156143 | |
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bill_gensheet
1413 posts |
jonathanp in post 156140 said:That's quite an achievement! I would be interested to know what your thoughts are on these questions:I would say much can depend on the timetable. Once you have 'cracked' a modern clockface timetable then it is only the peaks to worry about unless you run with a high failures factor. Something less predictable can change how you see a whole sim, say my Wolverhampton 1975 or Westbury 1964 compared to the various GHD ones. Bill Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 28/04/2024 at 12:14 #156144 | |
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traindriver17
36 posts |
Royston,Penzance and Oxted easy,Three Bridges and London Bridge much harder but probably Crewe hardest in my opinion
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| At what point does it become too much to handle? 28/04/2024 at 13:07 #156145 | |
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flabberdacks
636 posts
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London Bridge is the most difficult for me - sheer volume of traffic, tight schedules, tight turnarounds, and making full use of the track layout means you can't have too many signals in auto. Playing it with a good crew of friends is amazing though Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 28/04/2024 at 21:55 #156146 | |
dmaze
88 posts |
Quote:What is the smallest sim which is still engagaging to operate?Cheshire Lines might win this one for me. It's not a tiny little sim; but there's only 1-2 tph running between Manchester and Chester. There's also a noticeable amount of goods traffic, plus the end of the Manchester Metrolink service at Altrincham. You rarely if ever get up to as many as 10 trains in the sim, and you can heavily lean on the "F" key to pass time. But: every time a train passes a signal box within the sim, the next one is a little bit different. Do you need to manage goods trains at Northenden Junction? The level crossings at Altrincham? Long absolute block sections through Northwich? The connection to the WCML at Hartford Junction? If a goods train is heading towards Northenden, do you need to hold it all the way back at Northwich? There's a lot going on in this little area, and you do need to do a fair bit of thinking through your next steps even if there aren't that many trains moving about. Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 03/05/2024 at 15:15 #156180 | |
Giantray
347 posts |
George Joachim in post 156110 said:Cracking on with Victoria C my score reduced to 59%, as I faced some rather serious traffic management issues. Cannot do that in real life as any telephone call could be a potential emergency call. You wouldn't know until you answered it. Professionalism mean nothing around a bunch of Amateur wannabees! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 03/05/2024 at 15:27 #156181 | |
HST125Scorton
1191 posts |
I began using Carlisle instead of Royston using what was provided, geographically I knew Carlisle and it's layout. I them started exploring more complex simulations like Kings Cross, Stafford (Paged) & Sheffield (Paged), in which took me back as I had to learn a whole new area along with a timetable. I found it easier learning the areas by joining multiplayer hosts in which you can learn a little quicker with each workstation you went on. Then Manchester Piccadilly came along and that was it a very complex simulation considering I travel through Piccadilly most days!. This one I struggled with along with Motherwell. Luckily I'm now very confident on Piccadilly but Motherwell I'm still a touch rusty in certain areas. I know for a fact I can't run any of the Southern simulations as I find them a little too much to handle in my eyes. Personally I just stick with local simulations in which I know the areas geographically and maybe have touch run of other simulations to break things up.
Aaron (AJRO) | Timetable Writer Last edited: 03/05/2024 at 15:28 by HST125Scorton Reason: None given Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 03/05/2024 at 15:28 #156182 | |
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Giantray
347 posts |
flabberdacks in post 156145 said:London Bridge is the most difficult for me - sheer volume of traffic, tight schedules, tight turnarounds, and making full use of the track layout means you can't have too many signals in auto.I spent 32 years signalling the London Bridge area both in NX and WestCad for real, loved it. Everyday was different. Busy was classed as quiet. Simsig only shows you part of what Signalmen/Signallers looking after that location did. The individual Panels marked in Simsig are the same as the real thing when at London Bridge ASC and had one signaller on each panel. During the quieter periods, they were de-manned so one Signaller did two panels in someparts. At TBROC, the area controlled were changed and had no ARS for the first six years, never had ARS at London Bridge ASC. Even with ARS it is still very busy to look after, ARS just removes a lot of the repetitive route setting. What Simsig doesn't replicate are the endless phone calls from Drivers, on-track staff and station controllers. All the while the Signaller has to keep signalling trains. Professionalism mean nothing around a bunch of Amateur wannabees! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: George Joachim |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 17/07/2024 at 04:45 #157867 | |
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KneeOn
20 posts |
I come and go from various games and recently I've picked this back up after doing a lot of NimbyRails. I find the Brighton free SIM engaging enough when I do come back. No ARS, not a huge amount of panels, and some regulation challenges. I've made a good go at KGX on the 1977 and the Saturday 1995(?) TT but had to do a lot of very slow speed/pause as you have so many pinch points and moves between lines. Like most (I think), I'd pay for an updated KGX with additional post TL era and ARS to be able to do a more modern one. Newer TTs tend to have less loco shunt moves, but are more service intense. Older ones can be less service intense but the 77 TT on KGX has shunt moves at KGX and at Hitchin to contend with. I've been toying with buying one of several for ages: Three Bridges, Victoria (either), West Hampstead or LTS. Having done the demos for LTS and West Hampstead, these are the ones I'm most likely to go for. West Hampstead is a similar distance to the Kings Cross - Hitchin, without the additional loop and branches to manage, meaning ARS is probably not needed. LTS still gives a "whole service" feel so service recovery is in the remit (as per KGX with the inners) and has some nice yard/freight/conflicting moves to grapple with. I find it's too much when you have 20+ trains and 5/6 main decision areas without ARS. Having to jump from KGX, to Finsbury, to Ally Pally and Bowes Park, to Hertford, to Stevenage, to Welwyn, to Hitchin and lastly to Letchworth while managing the Fast/Slow line changes at various places including one or two not listed above is too much. Chuck in a failure and that becomes a recipe for disaster. Log in to reply |
| At what point does it become too much to handle? 17/07/2024 at 09:44 #157871 | |
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bill_gensheet
1413 posts |
KneeOn in post 157867 said:I come and go from various games and recently I've picked this back up after doing a lot of NimbyRails.Maybe give one of my Kings Cross 1964 'lite' TT's a go. It is the 1964 timetable, so less trains, not clockface, but is set up with modern operating that suits the layout - ie unitised trains. Whether you see those 'units' as 309's on an electrified ECML, Deltics operating push pull or a whole fleet of blue pullmans is up to you ! There is a passenger-only and one where I included freight to keep it active overnight. Log in to reply |