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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 12:14 #153188
bugsy
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I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, because of my settings in F3 Failures, I’m having to shuffle trains about quite a bit in Carlisle station.
Now. I am diligently advising drivers of platform changes, but irl does this actually happen? Do drivers expect to be advised or is it something that doesn’t really matter to them?

Secondly, owing to a signal failure at Caldew Jn. I have a train sitting in platform 1 at a red signal and awaiting ‘Right Away’. If he was sitting at a different red signal and not in a station, I might be able to ask him to ‘pass signal at danger’, but I don’t have that option in this situation in my game.
So, what would happen in these circumstances irl?

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 12:48 #153189
i26
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bugsy in post 153188 said:
I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, because of my settings in F3 Failures, I’m having to shuffle trains about quite a bit in Carlisle station.
Now. I am diligently advising drivers of platform changes, but irl does this actually happen? Do drivers expect to be advised or is it something that doesn’t really matter to them?

Secondly, owing to a signal failure at Caldew Jn. I have a train sitting in platform 1 at a red signal and awaiting ‘Right Away’. If he was sitting at a different red signal and not in a station, I might be able to ask him to ‘pass signal at danger’, but I don’t have that option in this situation in my game.
So, what would happen in these circumstances irl?
Pretty sure as long as the train fits they would have no reason to question/challenge it.

Why don't you have the option to tell him to pass? F2 > Signalling > Pass signal?


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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 15:08 #153190
Andy174
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Re platform changes unless things have changed from when I was driving in BR days as long as the platform accommodated the length of your train and suited the route you were taking there was no need to be told of platform changes. Indeed on our diagrams your weren't told which platform numbers you were stopping at it was down to your route knowledge. Eg at London Victoria on the Eastern side you could enter any platform whatever your train was as all of them led out onto the same routes but 2 of them only had length for 8 carriages so if you had an 8 car train and got the calling on signal outside it was down to the driver to challenge it.
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 15:42 #153191
bugsy
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In future I will just send a train into an available platform and not advise the driver.

I think that you get penalty score for sending a train into the 'wrong' platform, but this doesn't bother me as I don't take any notice of the scoring. I just enjoy playing the sim

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 16:23 #153192
Andy174
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I know that on the Derby & Woking sims there's now a telephone call that can be made to the station supervisor advising of a platform change, not sure if it negates any penalty but it sure adds realism.
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 17:25 #153193
Soton_Speed
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bugsy in post 153191 said:
I think that you get penalty score for sending a train into the 'wrong' platform, but this doesn't bother me as I don't take any notice of the scoring.
It may bother the passengers that wish to board the train but who have been sent to the wrong platform...

In Zone 6, no one can hear you scream...
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 17:46 #153194
Steamer
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Andy174 in post 153192 said:
I know that on the Derby & Woking sims there's now a telephone call that can be made to the station supervisor advising of a platform change, not sure if it negates any penalty but it sure adds realism.
That feature hasn't been implemented on Carlisle as of yet.

It comes hand-in-hand with another feature that extends the dwell time of wrong-platformed trains to simulate passengers crossing to the correct platform. Calling ahead starts this clock in advance of the train arriving, so reduces (if not eliminates) the additional dwell.

"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)
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 19:54 #153195
bugsy
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Soton_Speed in post 153193 said:
bugsy in post 153191 said:
I think that you get penalty score for sending a train into the 'wrong' platform, but this doesn't bother me as I don't take any notice of the scoring.
It may bother the passengers that wish to board the train but who have been sent to the wrong platform...
That's very true. I'll endeavour to send passenger trains to the correct platform. However, this won't always be possible. Irl, wouldn't the signaller phone the station staff before advising the driver. I can advise the driver but I can't advise the station staff as that's not an option. So passengers will have to be inconvenienced.

Let's hope that they don't take their frustration out on the station staff.

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 04/09/2023 at 20:48 #153196
BenWright
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Having just started as station staff, I'd rather they didn't!
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 05/09/2023 at 07:42 #153201
kbarber
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bugsy in post 153195 said:
Soton_Speed in post 153193 said:
bugsy in post 153191 said:
I think that you get penalty score for sending a train into the 'wrong' platform, but this doesn't bother me as I don't take any notice of the scoring.
It may bother the passengers that wish to board the train but who have been sent to the wrong platform...
That's very true. I'll endeavour to send passenger trains to the correct platform. However, this won't always be possible. Irl, wouldn't the signaller phone the station staff before advising the driver. I can advise the driver but I can't advise the station staff as that's not an option. So passengers will have to be inconvenienced.

Let's hope that they don't take their frustration out on the station staff.
Not sure what timetable you're playing but if it's Pascal's (58050) magnum opus it'll be 'old railway' rules; in those days there would be a box supervisor who would probably make the replatforming decisions (it would be his job to sit there playing with the platforming options while the signalmen actually signalled the trains) and there would also be an 'Assistant Controller' - in reality a glorified booking boy - sat beside him, who would be on the phones to the station staff. Up to you, of course, how much of those worthy's jobs you decide to give to the long-suffering Simsignaller.

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 05/09/2023 at 10:21 #153203
bill_gensheet
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Which of those, if any, would be amending the station departure monitors ?

Was that be the same staff who would do the announcements as well ?

Bill

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 05/09/2023 at 15:57 #153206
Red For Danger
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As you are unable to call the station staff you could instead amend the timetable to the platform you are planning on sending the train to. That could be a sensible substitute as it would probably take the same amount of time, will give the passengers some warning, and also avoid any penalty points from wrong platforming. Just remember not to save the timetable when closing though to avoid the change becoming permanent……
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 05/09/2023 at 19:50 #153207
bugsy
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Red For Danger in post 153206 said:
As you are unable to call the station staff you could instead amend the timetable to the platform you are planning on sending the train to. That could be a sensible substitute as it would probably take the same amount of time, will give the passengers some warning, and also avoid any penalty points from wrong platforming. Just remember not to save the timetable when closing though to avoid the change becoming permanent……
I was actually doing that but it became tedious at busy times when I was having to alter nearly every timetable to get other trains into the station. It was easier just to send them into any available platform without altering timetables.

I understand that others might not like me doing that but when it isn't so busy, I do alter the timetables.

Good point about not saving the timetable when closing. I rarely do that in any case and just rely on my automatic 10 minute saves

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 06/09/2023 at 07:54 #153211
kbarber
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bill_gensheet in post 153203 said:
Which of those, if any, would be amending the station departure monitors ?

Was that be the same staff who would do the announcements as well ?

Bill
I think it differed from box to box (and possibly related to the era the box was built).

Large stations (for some reason I have Waterloo in mind) would have someone whose job was to update platform displays ('the Solari', named after the flap indicators that were once ubiquitous). I've an idea they were co-located with the station announcer; certainly there was no announcer in the box. The 1951 box at York had a soundproofed glass cubicle for the announcer (not sure what platform indicators there were in those days). Later boxes (St Pancras in 1957 for one) did away with the soundproofing (St Pancras had no booking boy, just Regulator and Announcer on the back row looking after a single signalman). That could give rise to some embarrassment at times... railway language could be graphic, to say the least. Of course technological advances might bring about changes within the life of a box. So broadly, unless you have definite information, you pays your money and takes your choice...

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 06/09/2023 at 09:38 #153212
ajax103
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kbarber in post 153211 said:
bill_gensheet in post 153203 said:
Which of those, if any, would be amending the station departure monitors ?

Was that be the same staff who would do the announcements as well ?

Bill
I think it differed from box to box (and possibly related to the era the box was built).

Large stations (for some reason I have Waterloo in mind) would have someone whose job was to update platform displays ('the Solari', named after the flap indicators that were once ubiquitous). I've an idea they were co-located with the station announcer; certainly there was no announcer in the box. The 1951 box at York had a soundproofed glass cubicle for the announcer (not sure what platform indicators there were in those days). Later boxes (St Pancras in 1957 for one) did away with the soundproofing (St Pancras had no booking boy, just Regulator and Announcer on the back row looking after a single signalman). That could give rise to some embarrassment at times... railway language could be graphic, to say the least. Of course technological advances might bring about changes within the life of a box. So broadly, unless you have definite information, you pays your money and takes your choice...
Peterborough had a interesting setup and I have no idea if it was the same at Doncaster, York or Newcastle but Peterborough had the CIS setup so the screens/announcements could be updated from Peterborough PSB itself but they also had a satellite setup doing the same but from what was the platform office on Platform 4/5 before said office got converted to passenger accommodation and the setup got moved to the platform office on what is now Platform 1.

St Albans, Luton and Bedford can adjust CIS information locally but route wide is only possible from Three Bridges ROC.

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 06/09/2023 at 10:50 #153213
bill_gensheet
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kbarber in post 153211 said:
bill_gensheet in post 153203 said:
Which of those, if any, would be amending the station departure monitors ?

Was that be the same staff who would do the announcements as well ?

Bill
I think it differed from box to box (and possibly related to the era the box was built).

Large stations (for some reason I have Waterloo in mind) would have someone whose job was to update platform displays ('the Solari', named after the flap indicators that were once ubiquitous). I've an idea they were co-located with the station announcer; certainly there was no announcer in the box. The 1951 box at York had a soundproofed glass cubicle for the announcer (not sure what platform indicators there were in those days). Later boxes (St Pancras in 1957 for one) did away with the soundproofing (St Pancras had no booking boy, just Regulator and Announcer on the back row looking after a single signalman). That could give rise to some embarrassment at times... railway language could be graphic, to say the least. Of course technological advances might bring about changes within the life of a box. So broadly, unless you have definite information, you pays your money and takes your choice...
I was thinking more of say Carlisle or Preston which had TV monitors and so did have 'Platform Alteration' element to the information, in that the platform number flashed in inverted graphics (black on light background)


To digress......
Ah yes, Solari. Those would just give the new platform though I think ?
For Solari fans.... Liverpool St (first) - multilingual, surprised someone had not done Moskva in cyrillic !
http://www.gensheet.co.uk/shows/LST/images/LSTimg5.jpg

I had to make/buy one once for work. The displays group were making LCD displays and wanted to contrast with conventional (then Solari) under different lighting conditons. So off to Collectors Corner to get a suitable 'train' from the bin of Solari flaps they had there, and then screw them onto a black painted ply sheet.
The things you can get paid to do.....

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 06/09/2023 at 14:28 #153214
clive
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When we visited Donny box some years ago, the station announcer was a young (well, compared with me) lady sitting at a desk and watching what was going on on the main panel. I don't recall if she controlled the displays as well or not.
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 06/09/2023 at 15:03 #153215
ajax103
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clive in post 153214 said:
When we visited Donny box some years ago, the station announcer was a young (well, compared with me) lady sitting at a desk and watching what was going on on the main panel. I don't recall if she controlled the displays as well or not.
I can't speak for Doncaster but that's was the setup at Peterborough where higher graded platform dispatchers would do shifts in Peterborough PSB where they would manually announce every train plus update the CIS screens as and when needed.

There were times though when this was carried out on the station itself so I would say 99% sure that the lady you saw at Doncaster would be in the same position as her Peterborough counterparts being responsible for the CIS system.

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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 06/09/2023 at 15:40 #153216
GeoffM
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Yoker (talking mid-2000s here so it's probably changed) had a desk on the operating floor next to the signallers. The announcements were automated but s/he could dial into any station to make a manual announcement. S/he could also update any other relevant information to any station on the network including platform changes.

Slough IECC, as was, didn't have room for an announcer AFAICR - barely room for the signalling and electrical desk as it was!

SimSig Boss
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A couple of questions regarding the regulation of trains in Carlisle station 06/09/2023 at 16:34 #153217
Hap
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GeoffM in post 153216 said:
Yoker (talking mid-2000s here so it's probably changed) had a desk on the operating floor next to the signallers. The announcements were automated but s/he could dial into any station to make a manual announcement. S/he could also update any other relevant information to any station on the network including platform changes.
Announcements are now done via the two CCTV centres at Paisley and Dunfermline (With the exception of the main city stations).

There's a two desks in the WSSC now to deal with the CIS system, East desk & West desk.

Waverley is done from EDB IECC, Central is done from WSSC calling down to the NR announcner for platform alts. QST control their own boards with the signaller phoning down any alterations. Perth, Dundee, Stirling, Aberdeen and Inverness to name some examples, are all controlled by the stations themselves and input it through their own LLPA system IF there's changes to the main docker. Although the two desks in the WSSC will normally try keep on top of it. (There's a bit of stepping on each others toes during degraded working).

How to report an issue: www.SimSig.co.uk/Wiki/Show?page=usertrack:reportanissue
Last edited: 06/09/2023 at 16:35 by Hap
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