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| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 09:18 #63667 | |
Muzer
718 posts |
This was briefly mentioned in another thread, but to make sure everyone picked up on it, I'll paraphrase it here. At many locations - mostly sidings - trains are booked to wait for a long time. I am led to believe (I don't work on the railway so I'm going by what I've heard from others) that at many of these locations, in reality (I'm not sure whether by rule or just by common practice), train drivers will phone the signaller when they're ready to depart (presumably if they haven't already got a route set). This is a problem at the moment in SimSig, particularly in busy areas, as it's often difficult to remember to set routes on exactly the minute a train in a siding is due to depart if it's been there for a few hours, and by the time the driver phones up to complain they're already a few minutes late. Could this be implemented in the core code and updates to appropriate sims (slowly) rolled out to use it, obviously only where this practice exists in real life? Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 09:48 #63670 | |
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AndyG
1835 posts |
If the driver has previously been told to wait due time, (s)he'll ring on the dot of the due departure time if the road isn't set.
I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 09:51 #63671 | |
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Muzer
718 posts |
Indeed, which is useful, but not if the driver never tried to leave early (the train formed a new working/the time isn't set as "set down only" - try the MS1/MS2 sidings at Euston, for example (I'm not sure if this is a place where drivers would ring in real life, this is just an example).
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| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 12:53 #63674 | |
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TimTamToe
656 posts |
Not disagreeing with your suggestion but you can also use sticky note with headcode and departure time at the sidings to help you remember
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| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 12:57 #63675 | |
lazzer
605 posts |
That's true, but actually simulating a call from the driver makes it more realistic. It's easy to forget sticky notes.
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| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 16:01 #63682 | |
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TimTamToe
656 posts |
" said:That's true, but actually simulating a call from the driver makes it more realistic. It's easy to forget sticky notes.Completely agree; just a stop gap until original suggestion may be considered 
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| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 17:41 #63690 | |
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Late Turn
696 posts |
" said:That's true, but actually simulating a call from the driver makes it more realistic. It's easy to forget sticky notes. Not only that, but there's no guarantee - in reality or in the sim - that the train will actually be ready to depart at its booked time. It'd take a brave signalman to pull off for a train that's been stabled in a siding, at such a busy location, for hours without checking that there's a driver present and that he's ready to go! Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 20:34 #63703 | |
Steamer
3925 posts |
Isn't the feature already available, if not widely implemented? Drivers ring in on departure from Barnstaple on Exeter. Out of interest, why do they phone at Barnstaple but not Exmouth?
"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) Last edited: 09/08/2014 at 20:35 by Steamer Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 20:49 #63705 | |
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lazzer
605 posts |
Would that have something to do with Crediton to Barnstaple being No-Signaller Token, with (I assume) no track circuits on the Exeter panel? Our guards do a similar thing at Gunnislake. They have to call Plymouth PSB to tell him we've arrived and are ready to depart. Exmouth is One-Train Working, I believe, and so the signaller may have a track circuit indication on the panel, so he can see the train is at Exmouth. That's all I can think of. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: Steamer |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 20:52 #63707 | |
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lazzer
605 posts |
Update - having just looked at the Western Region Sectional Appendix, it states in the local instructions that the guard of a train must call the signaller at BOTH Barnstaple and Exmouth. This implies that Simsig Exeter does not simulate Exmouth correctly.
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| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 21:01 #63708 | |
headshot119
4869 posts |
" said:Would that have something to do with Crediton to Barnstaple being No-Signaller Token, with (I assume) no track circuits on the Exeter panel? Our guards do a similar thing at Gunnislake. They have to call Plymouth PSB to tell him we've arrived and are ready to depart.Crediton - Barnstaple is not controlled from Exeter, it's controlled from Crediton. "Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 21:22 #63709 | |
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Late Turn
696 posts |
Is the phone call from the Guard in these cases only for reporting/regulating purposes, or (unlikely, I'd have thought) is it to obtain authority to return? I can't think of a reason why the signalman would need to know for signalling purposes - both Barnstaple (beyond Eggesford) and Exmouth are OTW, aren't they?
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| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 21:29 #63711 | |
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AndyG
1835 posts |
" said:Isn't the feature already available, if not widely implemented? Drivers ring in on departure from Barnstaple on Exeter. Out of interest, why do they phone at Barnstaple but not Exmouth?I understood the call on arrival/departure from Barnstaple to the (Crediton) signaller is related to the numerous UWCs along that section, so that permissions to cross call be given safely. The line is worked by two token sections, Crediton-Eggsford and Eggsford-Barnstaple. The Crediton signaller issues/recieves the Crediton-Eggsford token, with 2 pairs of electric token machines at Eggsford (1 each way on both platforms), with a single machine at Barnstaple. All require call to Crediton for permission to remove tokens, but normally the Eggsford-Barnstaple token is retained by the driver at Barnstaple, hence the need for the permission to depart call.  Barnstaple Token cabinet. Post has attachments. Log in to view them. I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Last edited: 09/08/2014 at 21:30 by AndyG Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 09/08/2014 at 21:38 #63712 | |
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Muzer
718 posts |
" said:Isn't the feature already available, if not widely implemented? Drivers ring in on departure from Barnstaple on Exeter. Out of interest, why do they phone at Barnstaple but not Exmouth?Good point, I forgot about that. Out of interest and going offtopic (sorry!), is there any reason why the Barnstaple branch uses ARS in the sim rather than the NSTR code? Did the latter not exist at the time of Exeter's refresh (quite recent IIRC)? Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 10/08/2014 at 00:39 #63718 | |
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maxand
1637 posts |
Before we get bogged down in specific sims, one solution to this problem that really works for me is to set up an always-on-top Events window". Instead of waiting for the driver to phone me, I can see his ETD as an entry in a short list which is "always-on-top" and pre-empt him by setting the route shortly before his ETD, before getting the TRTS signal, as long as I know it is safe to do so. I know there are others who insist on waiting for the TRTS, and while there is some merit in this, it depends on the location. An example of such an entry might be 1635 1B02 D ESD3 HONEntries are ordered by time. At 1635, 1B02 Departs Exeter St Davids, Platform 3 for HONiton. Last edited: 10/08/2014 at 01:01 by maxand Log in to reply |
| Train ready to depart phone calls 10/08/2014 at 00:46 #63719 | |
pedroathome
891 posts |
" said:" said:Not forgetting that Eggesford is operated by the train crew, working (as I understand it) under the verbal authority and supervision of the Crediton SignallerIsn't the feature already available, if not widely implemented? Drivers ring in on departure from Barnstaple on Exeter. Out of interest, why do they phone at Barnstaple but not Exmouth?Good point, I forgot about that. James Log in to reply |