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"Join Train in Front"

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"Join Train in Front" 24/12/2011 at 14:37 #26124
indian_railways_fan
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72 posts
Would it be possible to provide a facility,maybe in the extreme measures category in the train list to give a command for one train to join the train standing in front of it?

I suggest this because many times,due to some bug in the sim/TT,an engine will refuse to join the train in front of it inspite of it being booked to do so in the TT.In other sims also this bug occasionally cropped up and it was usually sorted out by momentarily reversing the train but nowadays with the detach engine feature,the train will also refuse to move.

I've run into this problem in the Saltley sim which I shall be taking up separately in the sim's thread.

I know that this feature can potentially play havoc with the TT if used carelessly or with incorrect planning but on the other hand it also opens up new possibilities for shunting and adhoc movements.It would give more realism to shunt moves which are many times non-timetabled.A spare/unscheduled loco could also be sent to realistically rescue/bank a train "paused"from the F11 menu.For seasoned players,this feature would be wonderful.

Khalid.

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Re: "Join Train in Front" 24/12/2011 at 23:41 #26134
maxand
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1637 posts
Good suggestion, this would be equivalent to towing away a "broken down" train, especially if the train in front was a single loco.
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Re: "Join Train in Front" 08/01/2012 at 23:58 #26942
UKTrainMan
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1803 posts
Interesting idea. I'd say I'm behind it, but then I know how to edit a timetable to allow, perhaps, a light loco acting as a thunderbird to join to a failed train. But then I can also see that adding this in the suggested location (or a new menu 'thing'would make the whole process quicker and easier. Of-course it would need to check that both the joining train and train being joined to have come to a stop and also check that they're close enough for one of them to be drawn forward (unsure of correct terminology) slowly to join. I'd also like to see a confirmation box just to confirm that is the desired action.
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.
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Re: "Join Train in Front" 09/01/2012 at 11:36 #26975
tccb
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14 posts
I'm confused. What's the difference between this and the regular 'Join' instruction?

Is it that normally both trains need a join instruction, but this 'Join Train in Front' would only need to be in the timetable of one of the trains?

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Re: "Join Train in Front" 09/01/2012 at 14:04 #26986
Josie
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310 posts
No, the suggestion here is that it be an instruction on the F2 train list, like 'shunt forward' or 'reverse direction of train', to join to the train immediately in front at this moment. The 'join' activity in the timetable requires the move to be planned in advance and written in to both trains' timetables.

I think I'm right in saying that this comes as a result of the confusion about locos running round at Washwood Heath No 1 on Saltley. If you do it on the through siding (as first seems logical, because that's by the 'Washwood Heath No 1' label) then the loco won't join back on at the other end because there's no room and the sim doesn't think it's got back to the right location yet. This is the point at which you realise you've done something wrong, but it's difficult, maybe even impossible to fix because the train is in two parts and one part has no motive power! So an 'emergency' instruction to join the train in front right now, regardless of where both parts are and what's in their timetable, would at least get all bits of the train moving again.

As often happens, on paper this sounds like a good idea, but of course I have no idea how easy or possible it would be to write.

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