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| Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 05:22 #25852 | |
maxand
1637 posts |
Out of all the countdown timers I've played with on my PC, I settled for Quick Timer. This is a sidebar gadget for Windows 7/Vista. Looks nice, easy to use, can stay on top, contains two timers distinguished by red/white numbers. Ideal for when you are so busy you might forget you lowered LC barrier gates ten minutes ago and only progressively louder and more agitated honking alerts you to this fact. (use your imagination) Maybe SimSig should have sticky timers as well as sticky notes? Nah. Real signallers use their fob watches. Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 09:03 #25860 | |
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Late Turn
696 posts |
It's not as unrealistic as you might think. Plenty of boxes rely on some sort of timing to lower LC barriers for a train coming out of an Absolute Block section (for example, start sequence four minutes after 'train entering section' received from box in rear) where there's no other means of indicating the position of the train mid-section. I've come across more tha one box that possesses a cheapo stopwatch fixed to the block shelf, reset to the required time after the passage of each train and started (to count down to zero) upon receipt of TES. I read about one box that used the (empty) microwave for this purpose each time - I don't know whether the eventual appearance of a 'proper' stopwatch was a result of the microwave eventually expiring!
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| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 09:11 #25862 | |
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Firefly
521 posts |
Quote:Maybe SimSig should have sticky timers as well as sticky notes? Nah. Real signallers use their fob watches.Glad to see you're learning 
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| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 10:07 #25873 | |
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Zoe
251 posts |
" said:Plenty of boxes rely on some sort of timing to lower LC barriers for a train coming out of an Absolute Block section (for example, start sequence four minutes after 'train entering section' received from box in rear) where there's no other means of indicating the position of the train mid-section. Truro is a good example of this as once Roskear Junction sends TES the next indication that the train is approaching is the track circuit in read of the Up Home. This signal is actually a three aspect colour light though and the signalman here does not have to check the train at this signal so at worst they would just have to check the train at the Up Intermediate Home before allowing it into the platform. Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 20:21 #25901 | |
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UKTrainMan
1803 posts |
This thread with this idea (a feature request?! - in the Newcomers area of the forum...) reminds me of a certain thread I started with a similar idea I had back when I was still a bit of a newbie (thread started within only a few months of being a member). I got some interesting responses.
Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for. Last edited: 20/12/2011 at 20:23 by UKTrainMan Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 20:30 #25902 | |
jc92
3629 posts |
to save a bit of discussion. time, and effort coding etc, cant we list this program as a link? then its purely optional for players to download and use it. i use the inbuilt clock to tell me when to lower crossings as long as i know how long to wait "We don't stop camborne wednesdays" Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 20:42 #25903 | |
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AndyG
1835 posts |
or just pop the required sim time to lower the barriers in a berth ahead of the train. Once lowered and the train comes, it overwites the time too. It's a trick I use on the Portbury line; when the train moves up to the stopboard, put its TD at Ashton Jn, with a time 18 minutes later in the track below. The train usually arrives at Ashton within a minute or 2 of its due time (and you don't lose the sticky if disconned in mplay. Just need a reminder at the top of the stairs though.... for something :S I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 21:46 #25907 | |
GeoffM
6284 posts |
" said:or just pop the required sim time to lower the barriers in a berth ahead of the train.Tends to confuse the automatic station announcers though... "The approaching train is not scheduled to stop". Maybe there ought to be some sort of penalty for using the TD berths for anything other than trains and certain commonly used phrases. I doubt it would be popular though. SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 22:02 #25909 | |
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Stephen Fulcher
2026 posts 
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What do "real" signallers think on the issue, and do they use the TD for anything stated above? That would be a gauge as to whether such a feature were required. Even if unpopular, if it is realistic then it fits in with the aims of SimSig. We do after all have sticky notes for such things. Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 23:42 #25917 | |
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AndyG
1835 posts |
" said:" said:or just pop the required sim time to lower the barriers in a berth ahead of the train.Tends to confuse the automatic station announcers though... "The approaching train is not scheduled to stop". Maybe there ought to be some sort of penalty for using the TD berths for anything other than trains and certain commonly used phrases. I doubt it would be popular though. Only do it as stickies aren't saved in mplay, and can't be seen by other clients...hint hint :whistle: I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Last edited: 20/12/2011 at 23:43 by AndyG Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 23:51 #25920 | |
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Firefly
521 posts |
Quote:and can't be seen by other clientsDon't want to see everyones stickies, would suggest a tick box on the sticky to select if visible to all or just yourself. Therefore, Failures or similar can be seen by all, but notes and TD descriptions are kept to yourself. FF Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 20/12/2011 at 23:52 #25921 | |
postal
5190 posts |
" said:What do "real" signallers think on the issue, and do they use the TD for anything stated above?The splash screens for the Saltley sim might give a clue. When they were taken, Lawley Street FLT was not open for business and you can clearly see -WE-, AINT and OPEN in the 3 berths associated with the terminal. “In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 21/12/2011 at 04:47 #25929 | |
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maxand
1637 posts |
Thanks for your comments. My main purpose was to promote this nice little timer. As an afterthought I raised the issue of "sticky timers", but baulk at making it a feature request as there are so many available free substitutes. I think anyone who wants to pursue this as a feature request should do so in UKTM's thread (see post #5). A built-in timer could do so many more things than an external one.
Last edited: 21/12/2011 at 06:09 by maxand Log in to reply |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 22/12/2011 at 07:13 #26039 | |
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Firefly
521 posts |
Quote:A built-in timer could do so many more things than an external one.Although there will no doubt be a couple of boxes around the network where someone has decided to buy a kitchen timer for one reason or another it's certainly not common and it wouldn't be used for the reasons that you've suggested (remembering to put up barriers). With the exception of the examples already mentioned I cannot see how a timer can be of any use to a real world signaller. As a tester I use a stopwatch to test that the approach locking release timers, approach control track timers, route locking release timers are set correctly but I don't recall ever seeing a signaller use a timer. When testing on a panel there's often things that I need to remember, i.e. I've had a wire removed from a certain relay, I've restricted the aspect of a signal or that I have a member of staff watching a certain signal and I must remember to tell them when I've finished testing. (yes, people have been left out in the cold many times before now). I achieve this by writing myself a note on the scrap paper pad and placing that note somewhere prominent on the panel. (just about every panel/iecc that I've ever worked in has a large bulldog clip with scrap paper to write on). If you want to remember something in SimSig, write yourself a sticky and place it over a section of track somewhere that you can't fail to miss. I rarely play SimSig, but when I do I always have paper and pad at hand to make notes with. Quote: WE-, AINT and OPEN in the 3 berths associated with the terminalAlthough this is done in yards and sidings etc it's not generally done on the open railway. The problem is that anything that you put in the description appears on TRUST screens all over the network and it could cause confusion. You certainly wouldn't put a train description in a berth to serve as a reminder, train descriptions should only be interposed where the train actually is. (I hate it on multiplayer games when people try to help by interposing a TD description on my first track circuit) Things that you do often see in the real world is BLOK, -T3-, or the item number of a possession but of course these are only on lines that are closed due to engineering works. One feature that I would like to see is annunciators. Many panels have an audible warning at the strike in points of level crossings, that's to say you get a buzzer when a train is approaching a level crossing. Annunciators are also used on panels at the entrance to absolute block sections in order to remind the signaller to send "train entering section". A buzzer would no doubt help you lower your barriers in time for you train. FF Log in to reply The following users said thank you: postal, maxand, alan_s |
| Re: Quick timer gadget 22/12/2011 at 11:36 #26053 | |
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kbarber
1712 posts |
" said:
The old relay- and uniselector-driven systems forced a format of number-letter-number-number. That rather limited what could be done with them. Many years ago I visited Willesden PSB, shortly after computerised describers had been installed. The regulator on duty (Jim Peplar), although a very old-fashioned old railwayman, really appreciated the novel ability to use a VDU screen to see what was happening next door (old railwaymen are very good at realising the benefits of new technology). Just before I got there, a broken rail had been discovered somewhere in the Watford PSB area. Jim carried on turning trains out, regulating to the best of his considerable ability, then decided to "see what damage we've done". The Watford screen had a lot of describer berths filled with DETS; I'd never seen other than the standard description format before but clearly the signalmen were comfortable with it as Jim's only comment was how many sets of detonators had been put down to show the protection. That was a long time before TRUST of course. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: maxand |