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| Delay rules make playing hell 27/01/2014 at 06:31 #54273 | |
maxand
1637 posts |
 (Westbury sim) It's 9:00 AM. 6M40 arrives at Westbury UP REC about half an hour late, but I'm not worried; it doesn't have to depart until 9:22. So round about 9:20 I set a route for it (shown). 9:22 comes and goes, and still no sign of movement from 6M40. Finally it dawns on me to check the Train List for 6M40, whereupon I discover a rule that it cannot leave until 55 minutes after it arrives. But when did it arrive? No one told me to note the time. All I can see is that its last reported status was 00:29 minutes late. But that's not necessarily when it actually arrived at Westbury. This Timetable rule reads like something designed by a Microsoft engineer, as they say; factual but unhelpful. By 9:40 I get a TRTS from 6A74 (shown), leaving me no option but to cancel 6M40's route (penalty - ACOA) and replacing it with one for 6A74. I'm too busy trying to hold the whole sim together to waste time looking up the rules for every confounded train in case one applies to its present situation. Why can't the Train List calculate and display the earliest departure time for (freight) trains that arrive late, just as it does for most other trains in the new loader version, instead of publishing a rule? Alternatively, since the rule is well hidden, even in the Train List (I needed to scroll off the bottom of the Train List window to see it), why can't it also be displayed in Messages (even with a sound file) to make us aware of it? I don't care if this isn't prototypical. There aren't many things I dislike about playing SimSig, but this sure is one of them. (Added) Perhaps I should adopt Peter Bennet's advice here. However, I always have an uneasy feeling about doing this. After all, maybe in real life 6M40 needs to linger at UR for an hour just to upload/download goods, or maybe a crew break. It seems preferable to leave such rules in place (for whatever reason they were inserted) but simply to flag them better so the signaller can anticipate them. Last edited: 27/01/2014 at 07:14 by maxand Log in to reply |
| Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 27/01/2014 at 06:50 #54274 | |
Peter Bennet
5360 posts |
This is more a timetable issue than a SimSig issue, whomever wrote the timetable originally decided to put in these rules, whether strictly necessary is open to debate. If it is not to many clicks for you you can f2-> select train -> timetable option -> abandon rule. Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: maxand |
| Isn't 15 mins a bit long to be on the telephone? 27/01/2014 at 07:09 #54275 | |
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maxand
1637 posts |
Thanks Peter. I didn't think it was possible to countermand a requirement for a driver to initiate a phone call in this way.
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| Delay rules make playing hell 27/01/2014 at 07:25 #54277 | |
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John
884 posts |
Personally, I enjoy the realism that timetable rules provide. The fact that 6M40 schedule shows it recessing for an hour would raise alarm bells in my head. Surely it is booked to wait there for such a long time for a reason? Just as in real life, train crew require PNB’s (physical needs break). This means that if their train is delayed arriving at its destination, then there’s a good chance that by the time they’ve finished their break, the next train they’re rostered to work will also depart late. In my place of work I have to go looking for this information and plan accordingly. I don’t have a magic F2 list to calculate it all for me, nor an enchanted message bar replete with sound effects. I have to be proactive and physically check for myself. Yes, in some of the updated loader sims the F2 list will helpfully do the thinking for you – just as in real life certain train crew will phone to tell me that they are now on their PNB and will be departing late, although the sad fact is that the majority don’t. It’s just something you have to watch out for and deal with accordingly. When playing Simsig becomes hell, I’ll stop playing. Log in to reply The following users said thank you: Temple Meads, Finger |
| Delay rules make playing hell 27/01/2014 at 13:06 #54288 | |
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Stephen Fulcher
2025 posts |
There is one new advantage too - the new display in the train list actually tells you which rule applies. I can remember having to go fishing in the timetable for this. Am I right in thinking quite a lot of freight is booked relief at Westbury as well as PNB? Log in to reply |
| Delay rules make playing hell 27/01/2014 at 15:00 #54289 | |
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Danny252
1461 posts |
And today, maxand learnt why every professional signalman I've ever spoken to will refuse to route a train away from a stop at a major station or junction until they have positive information (TRTS or otherwise) that it is ready to proceed.
Last edited: 27/01/2014 at 15:01 by Danny252 Log in to reply The following users said thank you: y10g9, Underwood, TimTamToe |
| Delay rules make playing hell 27/01/2014 at 15:14 #54290 | |
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Underwood
746 posts |
Agreed, I was thinking that, Westbury box isn't far away but the view from the window towards the station is blocked by a bridge, and signaller's don't have the luxury of knowing if there is even a rule in force or not. If you did that in real life you'd probably not get a call from the driver wondering why it's green, he/she might have secured the train and walked off to the nearby DBS messroom Log in to reply |
| Delay rules make playing hell 27/01/2014 at 15:33 #54292 | |
GeoffM
6282 posts 
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" said:Am I right in thinking quite a lot of freight is booked relief at Westbury as well as PNB?The stone trains to/from the quarries to Westbury are handled by Westbury drivers; the trips to/from London are handled by Hither Green drivers - so yes! SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| Delay rules make playing hell 27/01/2014 at 16:38 #54297 | |
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Hpotter
205 posts |
*And Acton drivers, it all depends on how long the driver would have been on shift for as well.
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