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Running it fluidly...

You are here: Home > Forum > Simulations > Released > Euston PSB > Running it fluidly...

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Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:01 #32526
Joe S
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Is there anyway that Euston can be run relatively 'fluidly'? The way I'm doing it, it seems to constantly run with a few minutes delay, due to me having to route incoming trains in front of outbounds / outbound trains delaying inbounds and such. This is what you'd call 'regulation', I guess. But does anyone have any tips?
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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:11 #32527
GoodbyeMrFish
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I just make use of the up engine line and down crriage line (not sure if im supposed to) but it gives you more space in the station throat. It stops the need for a cross over on the approach lines because it goes underneath them. For me thats about it, i can do it, providing theres no failures, but soon as something has to use another platform i run into trouble specially with the dc lines.
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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:24 #32528
Steamer
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My hints would be: Use the Down Departure line for trains in platforms 1-7, and think about ways of using the Via buttons to make trains get out of each other's way quicker. Not all the possible routes in the throat are allowed, but there are some different options.

GoodbyeMrFish said:
I just make use of the up engine line and down carriage line (not sure if im supposed to)

You shouldn't use either line for passenger trains, because the signals have no overlaps.

"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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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:30 #32529
GoodbyeMrFish
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Thank you for claryfying that, i will now have to rethink my strategy. Things are about to get difficult
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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:33 #32530
Steamer
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What TT are you running, and in what era? If it's the default, it should be 1990s era, where the Down carriage line is the Down Departure Line.
"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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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:36 #32531
GoodbyeMrFish
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Its down departure on the game im running. so maybe its ok to use?
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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:39 #32532
Joe S
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" said:
What TT are you running, and in what era? If it's the default, it should be 1990s era, where the Down carriage line is the Down Departure Line.
As for me, I'm running the 2012 TT with the 2000s era. Is this also OK? I routed one train via the Down Dep Line.

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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 19:39 #32533
Steamer
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Yep, fine to use it then.
"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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Re: Running it fluidly... 24/05/2012 at 22:26 #32540
UKTrainMan
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It's been a while since I've had the chance to carry on with my Euston solo game...but I seem to recall that in it a few arriving trains ended up being in the immediate station throat (i.e.: at or approaching Signal 64 / 65) a few minutes early, but I just about had the chance to route them in and get them into the platform just in-time before a train wants out of another platform via a conflicting route. What I'm trying to say here via far more characters than I probably need is check that the arriving train isn't running slightly early. You do sometimes get this is both SimSig and, in my experience, real life too.
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: Running it fluidly... 25/05/2012 at 07:25 #32547
jc92
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incoming trains do quite often have recovery time included for arriving in the congested throat, most of the time i can get an incoming train squeezed in front of a departure. another issue for the 2003 timetable is that the throat is not nearly as flexible as the current bidiretional layout. most older Timetables will work fluidly with the older layout, as ECS forming outbound services will enter a high number platform, having arrived via the rathole and BORs. equally service trains arriving will use a low platform number, then run via the DL/DCL to camden washer, then to the DCS, or to willesden.

i can tell you, from testing a euston timetable i am currently in the process of producing, it is possible, with accurate timetabling and no failures on, to run euston with minimal clashes at all.

joe

"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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Re: Running it fluidly... 25/05/2012 at 08:16 #32550
kbarber
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" said:
incoming trains do quite often have recovery time included for arriving in the congested throat, most of the time i can get an incoming train squeezed in front of a departure. another issue for the 2003 timetable is that the throat is not nearly as flexible as the current bidiretional layout. most older Timetables will work fluidly with the older layout, as ECS forming outbound services will enter a high number platform, having arrived via the rathole and BORs. equally service trains arriving will use a low platform number, then run via the DL/DCL to camden washer, then to the DCS, or to willesden.

i can tell you, from testing a euston timetable i am currently in the process of producing, it is possible, with accurate timetabling and no failures on, to run euston with minimal clashes at all.

joe
Having said which, it was never easy to do so.

By '03 there were no light engine movements ("bankers", although little or no actual banking got done after Euston was sparked), which undoubtedly made the working a lot easier.

Being able to get departures out of the low numbers down the Departure certainly helped; I recall the 17:00(ish) Holyhead always went that way when I used it in the '80s; there was a small time penalty at Camden (the crossover onto the down fast was low speed turnouts) but it kept the throat a lot clearer at a busy time.

Although Euston PSB had two signalmen's positions, the box was actually triple-manned (at least on the day turns, I'm not sure about nights); there was a requirement that no-one did more than four hours on Station End, so at the halfway point of the shift the Station End man went spare & Camden End man moved to Station End and his place was taken by the spare man. Of course that meant there was always someone to take over if anyone needed a loo break, nip out to buy grub or whatever. (I did hear it said that this arrangement was implemented after several nervous breakdowns in the early years of the box, with signalmen working the panel on their bedroom walls in the middle of the night; that should be treated with a degree of caution though.) In other words, it's a busy job!

The variety of routes given by the routing buttons was an enormous help in keeping things fluid. But it takes time to learn the job sufficiently that you know which route is best to choose. If it's any help, I'm not sure real life was always that fluid - there was a period of about a year in the mid-80s when I travelled in & out of Euston daily (generally on the DCs) and it was rare to get a straight run in, even around 22:30 let alone at busier times.

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Re: Running it fluidly... 05/06/2012 at 00:03 #32769
Frankley Junction
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A couple of keys to success I have found whilst playing Euston single player. Firstly try and avoid going to the other end of the panel without pulling off for the next item. In other words set outgoing routes as you walk down and incoming routes as you walk back. Secondly, I find it enormously helpful to have a sticky behind each platform end at Euston. When you interpose the outgoing TD on an arrival for its next working, look up the departure time and routing by clicking on the new TD and put something like 08:34SL, 17:57DC in the sticky. That way, you can plan ahead and try and set the route for an outgoing train just before the TRTS is received. That way, you can easily work out margins for early incoming trains. As has been said elsewhere the variety of via button routes helps to keep things moving also, so printing out that page of the manual and having it to hand is really essential when learning the panel.
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Re: Running it fluidly... 10/06/2012 at 09:37 #32965
Joe S
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Just another Q: I've got a TC failure from P 14 down onto the DS. This means that I now cannot get anything out via the DF / DS and must use the DD flyunder. (I'm in the 2012TT, so no problems there.) Are the BORs able to be used for outgoing passenger movements, or is it purely ECS movements only?
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Re: Running it fluidly... 10/06/2012 at 10:58 #32967
Stephen Fulcher
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It appears that the backout roads are not signalled to passenger standards - no overlaps etc.

In reality, you would be able to get authority to run a passenger train over them in an emergency from Control, but there would probably be some sort of restrictions, like only one train anywhere near them at any time.

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Re: Running it fluidly... 10/06/2012 at 14:06 #32970
kbarber
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" said:
In reality, you would be able to get authority to run a passenger train over them in an emergency from Control, but there would probably be some sort of restrictions, like only one train anywhere near them at any time.

In many powerboxes - but not all, I suspect - the box supervisor would be able to give that authority. If Clive doesn't know whether that was the case at Euston I'm pretty certain he has contacts he could ask. Certainly there would be restrictions, but they would probably consist of ensuring overlaps manually (and might even be laid down in writing), striking a balance between keeping the job moving and keeping the flexibility offered by less-than-passenger signalling on the BORs.

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Re: Running it fluidly... 10/06/2012 at 17:52 #32977
Steamer
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In the Simulation, the train will phone and ask for confirmation that you want it to proceed onto the Goods Line, and you'll lose a point in the 'others' category.
"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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Re: Running it fluidly... 10/06/2012 at 21:26 #32996
BarryM
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" said:
Just another Q: I've got a TC failure from P 14 down onto the DS. This means that I now cannot get anything out via the DF / DS and must use the DD flyunder. (I'm in the 2012TT, so no problems there.) Are the BORs able to be used for outgoing passenger movements, or is it purely ECS movements only?
Clive says: "This line is not authorized for passenger working in normal circumstances, though passenger moves along it have been known."

I would assume if it is used, block working would be in place with all points clipped and locked.

Barry

Barry, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Re: Running it fluidly... 11/06/2012 at 09:13 #33005
Late Turn
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Clipping points shouldn't be necessary unless there are some unusual circumstances covered by special instructions, as they're all power-operated points and detection will (should!) be available. I don't think it'd require much more than checking that the route is clear throughout (which isn't too demanding as it's track-circuited throughout!) and that suitable overlaps (defined somewhere?) are available.
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Re: Running it fluidly... 19/03/2013 at 03:59 #42432
flabberdacks
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" said:
Firstly try and avoid going to the other end of the panel without pulling off for the next item. In other words set outgoing routes as you walk down and incoming routes as you walk back.
I'm just learning this sim right now, and having played others first I can't help thinking "My entire kingdom for a few auto re-clear options on the up and down Park Street Tunnel-area signals!"

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Re: Running it fluidly... 19/03/2013 at 06:58 #42433
John
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" said:
I can't help thinking "My entire kingdom for a few auto re-clear options on the up and down Park Street Tunnel-area signals!"
I've often wondered about this.

I guess there must be a reason why auto buttons weren't provided on the panel when the signalling was designed.

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Re: Running it fluidly... 19/03/2013 at 16:45 #42436
mfcooper
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" said:
I guess there must be a reason why auto buttons weren't provided on the panel when the signalling was designed.

*cough* money *cough*

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