Cambrian Coast

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Cambrian Coast 21/09/2015 at 09:06 #76091
NewBuildmini432
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I would like a Cambrian line simulator. Towns are Porthmadog, Barmouth, Harlech, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and more. Porthmadog, Barmouth crossings are all TMO operated from 4 sides. Driver operated. Train stops and activates crossing. Harlech is too but it is an ABCL, the stop board is the station side only. Porthmadog, Barmouth have full barriers. Harlech is the unusualest level crossing due to it being very long and having 3 barriers. The only manual crossing is Criccieth Beach MCB. It is 1 track which is unusual. The other is ABCL. You will be receiving dozens of calls from all crossings. How would you like this idea? The line has RETB system. Make it work like a normal token system.
Class 150/2 approaching towards Welshpool. Wrong train you got, only 158's are fitted with ERTMS.
Last edited: 21/09/2015 at 09:08 by NewBuildmini432
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Cambrian Coast 21/09/2015 at 09:42 #76093
kbarber
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No longer RETB, it's now worked under ERTMS with 2 workstations at Machynlleth box. Over 400 level crossings, the majority occupation crossings used by farmers, some of whom don't bother to ring in for permission as they should. Apart from that I'm told it doesn't really get that busy. Rules & Regs and pretty much the whole operating environment are rather different to the signallng we're used to. My information is that, essentially, they're creating a whole different (for the UK anyway) way of running a railway down there. Whether Simsig would be able to simulate it, even if there were no conflict of interest and the data could be obtained, I really don't know.
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Cambrian Coast 21/09/2015 at 17:10 #76102
jc92
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RETB is easy enough for Simsig to simulate using stopboards and the driver calling for authority, perhaps with slots set up to replicate tokens, however it'd be intensely boring to run given the long section times/periods of inactivity.
"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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Cambrian Coast 21/09/2015 at 19:02 #76104
Steamer
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" said:
I would like a Cambrian line simulator. Towns are Porthmadog, Barmouth, Harlech, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and more. Porthmadog, Barmouth crossings are all TMO operated from 4 sides. Driver operated. Train stops and activates crossing. Harlech is too but it is an ABCL, the stop board is the station side only. Porthmadog, Barmouth have full barriers. Harlech is the unusualest level crossing due to it being very long and having 3 barriers. The only manual crossing is Criccieth Beach MCB. It is 1 track which is unusual. The other is ABCL. You will be receiving dozens of calls from all crossings. How would you like this idea? The line has RETB system. Make it work like a normal token system.
While there's some unusual crossings on the Cambrian, you do realise they'd all just be an orange bar on SimSig, with the exception of the ones that are actually controlled by the signaller?

"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: 21/09/2015 at 19:03 by Steamer
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Cambrian Coast 21/09/2015 at 20:33 #76105
Forest Pines
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Handy maybe if you want a simulation you can start up, then go off and do something else. Every ten minutes you can pop back and see if anything might be happening soon!

(In other words, surely it would be a bit dull? I mean, I quite like sitting in a real signalbox with a cup of tea admiring the scenery and waiting for a bell to ring, but I'm not sure I want that experience on my laptop)

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Cambrian Coast 21/09/2015 at 22:31 #76108
clive
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" said:
The only manual crossing is Criccieth Beach MCB. It is 1 track which is unusual.
What's unusual about a single track MCB? There are two on SimSig Cambridge.

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Cambrian Coast 22/09/2015 at 03:28 #76111
headshot119
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" said:
I would like a Cambrian line simulator. Towns are Porthmadog, Barmouth, Harlech, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and more. Porthmadog, Barmouth crossings are all TMO operated from 4 sides. Driver operated. Train stops and activates crossing. Harlech is too but it is an ABCL, the stop board is the station side only. Porthmadog, Barmouth have full barriers. Harlech is the unusualest level crossing due to it being very long and having 3 barriers. The only manual crossing is Criccieth Beach MCB. It is 1 track which is unusual. The other is ABCL. You will be receiving dozens of calls from all crossings. How would you like this idea? The line has RETB system. Make it work like a normal token system.
Blaenau Ffestiniog isn't on the Cambrian, not unless we also include the Ffestiniog narrow gauge line as part of the simulation as well. From what you've put I assume you're after just a Cambrian coastline sim as you haven't mentioned Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, or Welshpool. Adding the Cambrian mainline would add a little bit more excitement, but not too much even now the amount of services aren't that great.

RETB hasn't been in use for a few years now, it is signaled as kbarber said under the ERTMS system, which is a whole different kettle of fish so to speak.

RETB is also a far cry from "a normal token system"

Firstly the train is identified by the unique RETB handset number in all communications. And in order to obtain authority to travel along the single line the exchange goes something like this.

Train : "4006 signaler Machynlleth over"
Signaler : "4006 signaler Machynlleth State your message"
Train : "4006 signaler Machynlleth, requesting the Pwllheli to Penychain token and authority to proceed"
Signaler : "4006 Press receive to accept token"
Train : (Driver Presses Receive and checks the display) "4006 Now have Pwllheli to Penychain token on display"
Signaler : "4006 Understand you have Pwllheli to Penychain token on display. You are authorised to pass the start of section stop board at Pwllheli and proceed to the DSB at Penychain.
Train : "4006 Understand I have permission to pass the start of section stop board at Pwllheli and I am to proceed to the DSB at Penychain out"

The train then departs and travels on it's way, as it passes the Loop Limit Marker at Pwllheli.

Train : "4006 signaler Machynlleth over"
Signaler : "4006 signaler Machynlleth State your message"
Train : "4006 I am clear of the loop limit marker at Pwllheli over"
Signaler : "4006 I understand you are clear of the loop limit marker at Pwllheli out"

The train continues on it's way and will stop at the DSB at Penychain.

Train : "4006 signaler Machynlleth over"
Signaler : "4006 signaler Machynlleth State your message"
Train : "4006 I am clear of the single line at Penychain over"
Signaler : "4006 I understand you are clear of the single line at Penychain, press send to return token"
Train : (Driver presses Return) "4006 Token clear of display out" (In reality you'd probably request the Penychain to Porthmadog token at the same time).

The cycle then repeats. It's not really that easy to simulate well!

To anyone who knows the Cambrian and RETB quite well may wonder why Wales and Borders picked Penychain for there training material. As in reality you aren't clear of the single line there till you've passed the DSB and entered the Penychain to Porthmadog section. The driver would actually state he is stood at the DSB and that he isn't clear of the single line when requesting the next section token.


" said:
No longer RETB, it's now worked under ERTMS with 2 workstations at Machynlleth box. Over 400 level crossings, the majority occupation crossings used by farmers, some most of whom don't bother to ring in for permission as they should. Apart from that I'm told it doesn't really get that busy. Rules & Regs and pretty much the whole operating environment are rather different to the signallng we're used to. My information is that, essentially, they're creating a whole different (for the UK anyway) way of running a railway down there. Whether Simsig would be able to simulate it, even if there were no conflict of interest and the data could be obtained, I really don't know.
Firstly I've fixed that post for you You are right though, it is a very different system, both for the drivers and the signalers, and most of the rulebook modules come in to versions "normal" and "ERTMS". Only two drivers depots are competent on ERTMS; Machynlleth and Pwllheli (And Pwllheli is a small depot with only four or five drivers).

Simsig already simulates ERTMS, as part of the fringe between Sutton Bridge Junction and Welshpool on the Shrewsbury sim.


" said:
Handy maybe if you want a simulation you can start up, then go off and do something else. Every ten minutes you can pop back and see if anything might be happening soon!

(In other words, surely it would be a bit dull? I mean, I quite like sitting in a real signalbox with a cup of tea admiring the scenery and waiting for a bell to ring, but I'm not sure I want that experience on my laptop)
If you work at Machynlleth you don't even get the nice view out of the window.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
Last edited: 22/09/2015 at 03:50 by headshot119
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Cambrian Coast 22/09/2015 at 08:09 #76116
belly buster
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This video (from the excellent TS2015 West Highland Extension) starts with a bit of RETB chatter if you're interested.

[video width=425 height=344 type=youtube]uFZrMytcFiw[/video]

Last edited: 22/09/2015 at 08:10 by belly buster
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Cambrian Coast 22/09/2015 at 08:33 #76117
kbarber
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" said:

If you work at Machynlleth you don't even get the nice view out of the window.

Yes, that's what Mike says...

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Cambrian Coast 22/09/2015 at 09:06 #76119
NewBuildmini432
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That sim would be great, the TMO works like crossing keeper manned crossings, but the train stops.
Class 150/2 approaching towards Welshpool. Wrong train you got, only 158's are fitted with ERTMS.
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Cambrian Coast 22/09/2015 at 09:06 #76120
NewBuildmini432
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I have that game and i passed Glenfinnan viaduct, pretty good RETB
Class 150/2 approaching towards Welshpool. Wrong train you got, only 158's are fitted with ERTMS.
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Cambrian Coast 22/09/2015 at 18:23 #76133
GeoffM
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" said:
" said:

If you work at Machynlleth you don't even get the nice view out of the window.

Yes, that's what Mike says...
Well... there are windows, and if you stretch a bit you can see out of them, but the signallers primarily face the screens, not the windows. Fascinating to watch the train position updates on the screens though, at a rate of more than one a second, to metre positions. This metric requires conversion though for certain tasks that are in miles/chains or vice versa, and they have a handy calculator for it.

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