One for the hosts or Solo play.

Note that a train timed to enter at 00.00 will enter, so maybe best to write a timetable with no entry and then simply add an entry time when required.

Peter

There isn't a generic interface that could be used unchanged, but what comes to mind as a possibility is making your Depot Manager look like a chained simulation at each depot entrance and exit. This would have to be added to each simulation that wanted to make use of the idea.

From memory, all that currently goes across is train ID, speed, length, and whether it's running with loss of power, but if this became a go-er then other things could be added.

First Capital Connect have been known to run Class 317s in place of a Class 313 (I should know as I had the pleasure of travelling on it) on rare occasions..and yes the Class 317 stopped at all stations from KingsX to WelwynGC. So I don't believe that there is anything stopping this being run by a Class 321 spare from Hornsey that could just cover the one working then run ECS back to Hornsey TMD.

In the previous version of KX I built in the timetable the provision for upto 2 x 6 car standby sets to be made available from the maintenance pool, but timetabled using the percentage run feature, so that I got a random availability each time I played it.

From memory, it was something like - run 5X80 (6 car set) runs at 40% likelyhood, then using a rule that said if 5X80 runs 5X90 won't, then run 5X90 (3 car set) runs at 80% likelyhood. This still leaves a chance that no cars are available and you get no standby.

I repeated the above process for the 2nd standby and positioned the sets at Hornsey Rev Sdg or Gordon Hill (depending on era and timetable requirements).

Effectively, I then had either:-
- 2 x 6 car standby sets
- 1 x 6 car & 1 x 3 car standby sets
- 2 x 3 car standby sets
- No standby sets

To make it just a little bit harder, I then imposed some rules on the game, such as:-
- If a train reports "running with loss of power" it had to be sent back to the maintenance depot at the conclusion of its current run (to be replace by a standby).
- If a train reports mechanical or similar trouble, and is delayed by between 10-20 minutes, it can continue to operate its run, but at some stage (usually outside the peak) be sent to a depot for inspection (replaced by a standby).
- If a train reports mechnical or similar trouble and stands for more than 20 mins (rare but sometimes happened), it was to be cancelled as a passenger run (and once the train was "fixed" and moving again, go empty to the depot for further repairs (replaced by a standby).
- In all cases, after arrival at the depot, it could return as a standby after 2 hours.

This variation gave the game some added excitement, because while the standbys made it easier, the breakdowns gave some added heartache sending standbys out to replace the trains. And on those occasions when no standbys were available (or a longer distance set that didn't have a standby setup failed, like a HST) the above rules would still apply, but that's where stepping up stock or making alternate arrangements added an extra layer to the caos.