New user - Euston

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New user - Euston 12/04/2016 at 12:16 #81795
Bonan
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Hi all,
This is my very first post on this forum board. To begin with, here is a quick presentation on who I am: I live in Sweden, is 20 years old and work as a signaller in real life. I recently found SimSig and thought it would be interesting to play with a busier station than the one I work at. So I downloaded the Euston simulation and ran the 1980s timetable. I've figured out how to set the differnet routes, via buttons and so forth. However, I'm a bit confused about the different trains and their destinations. For example:

I start the simulation at 4 in the morning. There is a train departing Camden Carriage sidings soon after, titled "Empty seed to platfor, 14". No problems yet, it happily goes down to PL14 and procceeds to detach the locomotive. My guess is that the locomotive is supposed to go back to Camden, but it won't proceed past the backing out roads. It still reads as "empty seed to platform 14", even though the carriages are still there. Am I supposed to instruct the locomotive to run to a different timetable?

In real life, I've found the drivers to usually know where they are supposed to go...

Swedish driver and part-time signaller
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New user - Euston 12/04/2016 at 16:57 #81803
Steamer
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Could you confirm the name of the timetable? There are several 1980s timetables for Euston, and I can't find one which contains the train you describe? The train's headcode would be useful as well.

It sounds like you haven't interposed the new descriptions in. In the timetable of the first train, it will have a list of activities at Euston. It sounds like one of these is a divide activity (DR: XXXX, where XXXX is the train identity- if it's a light engine it will start with a 0). You need to interpose this description at the signal at the end of platform 14. Clicking on this new description will tell you the train's timetable- it might, for example, go to the Backing Out Roads, stop, and then head back into Euston later on and attach to another train.

"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: 12/04/2016 at 16:57 by Steamer
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New user - Euston 12/04/2016 at 17:01 #81804
Dick
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The detached loco automatically becomes 0F01S and runs to its own timetable. 5F01S remains in platform 14 awaiting 3F01
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New user - Euston 12/04/2016 at 17:14 #81805
Steamer
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Found the timetable now- 1980/81 V3.

As Dick says, 5F01S runs into Platform 14, and detaches 0F01S at the rear- this is shown in its timetable. If you press 'I' and enter '0F01S', and click the signal at the end of P14, the description will appear there. You can then click on it and it will show you 0F01S's timetable (note only the first 4 characters are displayed). In this case, it runs to the Backing Out Roads, then reverses and enters the Parcels Dock. Leave the 5F01 description at the buffer stop end of platform 14- it has further activities (it joins 3F01 next), so you don't want to lose track of what's in there and what it does next.

Quote:
I start the simulation at 4 in the morning.
Abandon the game and start again- the timetable should be run from midnight. Starting a timetable later than the TT writer intended can cause nasty side-effects to occur. For example, a train might enter at 04:10 that's booked to join a train that should've entered at 03:00- the latter won't have appeared because you started the simulation late, and never will enter, so the 04:00 entry will sit at Euston forever because the train it's supposed to join won't ever appear. Entry of some trains is governed by rules based on previous trains- again, if you've skipped the earlier trains, the later ones won't turn up.

"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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New user - Euston 12/04/2016 at 22:19 #81818
Bonan
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Thanks, that makes sense. I'll start a new simulation at 00:00 and see what happens.
Swedish driver and part-time signaller
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New user - Euston 12/04/2016 at 22:38 #81819
AndyG
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Welcome to SimSig, hope you like it.

You will find there's plenty of help on here for newcomers, and also in the WIKI documentation.

I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either.
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New user - Euston 12/04/2016 at 23:44 #81820
flabberdacks
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Euston PSB with that timetable is one of the best single player SimSig experiences, in my opinion. Enjoy it, and definitely don't be afraid to post any questions you might have.

The trick with Euston is to always make a note of what a train does next *before* you send it into the station. You might be very busy and forget that an arriving train has detached both a loco from the front AND carriages from the rear. It can get confusing during busy periods.

Manually updating the train's headcode as soon as it arrives works best for me.

Last edited: 12/04/2016 at 23:49 by flabberdacks
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The following user said thank you: Bonan
New user - Euston 13/04/2016 at 09:03 #81825
kbarber
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Also worth remembering that in real life Euston was worked by two signalmen, and was so busy that there was a limit of 4 hours on the Station End panel on both day turns so there was a 3rd signalman in the box and everyone rotated halfway through the shift. In spite of that, it attracted the highest grading (Class F, in the grading system of the time). I once 'visited' on a quiet Saturday afternoon (it would have been in the mid-1980s) and, even with the signalman watching very closely and helping out, it was a challenging place to work.

It's a superb sim, but you will be seriously stretched trying to work it until you have become familiar with both the layout and the traffic.

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New user - Euston 13/04/2016 at 17:12 #81827
lazzer
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I tend to play the 1980 sim with one of the "problem" scenarios on. The most interesting one is when platform 15 is closed, as there is no other platform that can fit all of the sleeper stock in for the empties to Wembley. So you have to put the last portion somewhere else and create a new light loco to come and collect it.

That's what I do anyway. I only discovered this when I used platform 1, and came unstuck.

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New user - Euston 13/04/2016 at 17:44 #81829
jc92
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" said:
Euston PSB with that timetable is one of the best single player SimSig experiences, in my opinion. Enjoy it, and definitely don't be afraid to post any questions you might have.

The trick with Euston is to always make a note of what a train does next *before* you send it into the station. You might be very busy and forget that an arriving train has detached both a loco from the front AND carriages from the rear. It can get confusing during busy periods.

Manually updating the train's headcode as soon as it arrives works best for me.
I really appreciate hearing how much you enjoy it. If Euston ever gets loader updated I intend to update the timetable in line with newer features and theres a few extra movements to creep in. Ive also got the Carriage working Notice too!

"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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The following users said thank you: lazzer, flabberdacks
New user - Euston 13/04/2016 at 18:48 #81830
lazzer
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" said:
If Euston ever gets loader updated I intend to update the timetable in line with newer features and theres a few extra movements to creep in. Ive also got the Carriage working Notice too!
This sounds good to me.

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New user - Euston 16/04/2016 at 17:18 #81867
Bonan
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Well, I've now played until about 6 in the morning, and things are really starting to heat up!

Once i figured out how to see what the trains will do next, I had no further problems except learning the track layout in detail. So far it has been very enjoyable to.

One other question: If you accidentaly set a path for a train too early and have to cancel it, how do you do that? If I just cancel it the train recieve an adverse change of aspect, even though it isn't about to move. In real life, I would just call the driver and inform him about the change, but I can't seem to be able to call a train in the sim, only answer calls?

Swedish driver and part-time signaller
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New user - Euston 16/04/2016 at 17:37 #81869
Dick
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Unfortunately you can't call the driver, you will always get an ACOA.
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New user - Euston 16/04/2016 at 20:24 #81871
Jan
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Although since recently you won't get any penalty if the train isn't due to depart for at least 10 - 15 minutes I think (can't remember the exact value).
Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick.
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New user - Euston 16/04/2016 at 20:28 #81872
Steamer
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" said:
One other question: If you accidentaly set a path for a train too early and have to cancel it, how do you do that? If I just cancel it the train recieve an adverse change of aspect, even though it isn't about to move. In real life, I would just call the driver and inform him about the change, but I can't seem to be able to call a train in the sim, only answer calls?
In later versions of SimSig (i.e. simulations which use the SimSig Loader), adverse changes of aspect are ignored if the train isn't due to depart for more than 10 minutes, to allow for this scenario.

However, there is a cheat that will allow you to avoid the penalty: pause the simulation, open the train list (F2), right-click the train in question, select 'Reverse Direction', close F2 and cancel the route from the signal. Once you've done this, un-pause and you won't get an adverse change of aspect penalty. The train should return to the correct direction automatically after a couple of seconds- check via F2 and reverse it again if need be.

You can't do this on later simulations (F2 reverses now take 1 minute to complete), but as mentioned above there's no penalty if cancelled more than 10 minutes away from departure time.

"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: 16/04/2016 at 20:29 by Steamer
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New user - Euston 17/04/2016 at 00:51 #81873
flabberdacks
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If the train is in the platform at Euston it should return to its correct direction automatically.

If you use that cheat for any other train which is not in the terminus, it will continue to reverse until it arrives at a signal, or another train. You will have to correct its direction.

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New user - Euston 19/04/2016 at 12:33 #81917
Bonan
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I have one more problem, probably me doing something wrong:

After all the arriving sleepers has been shunted together in platform 15, 390 meters long, they are sitting there as 5S04 waiting for joining train 0A86. However, when 0A86 arrives in PL15 it refuses to couple, saying "train 5S04 in front". Why won't it work? This is causing serious trouble later on when PL15 is needed for arrivals.

Swedish driver and part-time signaller
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New user - Euston 19/04/2016 at 20:37 #81922
lazzer
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" said:
I have one more problem, probably me doing something wrong:

After all the arriving sleepers has been shunted together in platform 15, 390 meters long, they are sitting there as 5S04 waiting for joining train 0A86. However, when 0A86 arrives in PL15 it refuses to couple, saying "train 5S04 in front". Why won't it work? This is causing serious trouble later on when PL15 is needed for arrivals.
I assume you are trying to couple 5S04 to 0A86-2, and not 0A86 which is a different loco?

Last edited: 19/04/2016 at 20:37 by lazzer
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New user - Euston 20/04/2016 at 09:42 #81926
Bonan
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That's it. I'll go back to a previous save and see what happens.
Swedish driver and part-time signaller
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New user - Euston 22/04/2016 at 15:27 #81962
Bonan
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I'm stuck again... :whistle:

Around 0840 a light loco, 0H07-1, leaves from PL3 once train 5M13 has left before it. 0H07-1 is supposed to shunt to PL7 via signals 21-26 in the same manner as many other light locos. As far as I know, once in PL7 it's supposed to couple to the ECS train 5H07 and leave for Willesden.

However, 0H07-1 responds differently and instead of just departing on the shunt signal, the driver calls and asks for authority to proceed. However, instead of moving out into the station throat, he goes back to the buffer stop. The fact that 1A06 is approaching on the fast line and is scheduled to use PL3 makes this even more annoying.

Swedish driver and part-time signaller
Last edited: 22/04/2016 at 15:29 by Bonan
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New user - Euston 22/04/2016 at 20:24 #81966
flabberdacks
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" said:
I'm stuck again... :whistle:

Around 0840 a light loco, 0H07-1, leaves from PL3 once train 5M13 has left before it. 0H07-1 is supposed to shunt to PL7 via signals 21-26 in the same manner as many other light locos. As far as I know, once in PL7 it's supposed to couple to the ECS train 5H07 and leave for Willesden.

However, 0H07-1 responds differently and instead of just departing on the shunt signal, the driver calls and asks for authority to proceed. However, instead of moving out into the station throat, he goes back to the buffer stop. The fact that 1A06 is approaching on the fast line and is scheduled to use PL3 makes this even more annoying.
I believe that is a bug in the sim. It happens regularly, especially platforms 4, 6 and 7 in my experience, regardless of the train or loco.

Abandon the loco's timetable and manually work the movement by using 'Reverse direction' command and setting the route you wish it to take. Once the loco is behind the correct shunt signal, put it in the correct direction and then restore the timetable - select 'Run to another timetable' then pick the same headcode. Select the next working to be the movement back into Euston from the shunt signal.

For example:

0AXX
0600 Euston
0602 Euston Sig 28-47 Rev
0604 Euston <-- select this one so that the next working is just to proceed into the platform under signals and join onto the correct train.

Hopefully this makes sense! Good luck

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New user - Euston 22/04/2016 at 20:37 #81967
Bonan
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That worked - thanks again!
Swedish driver and part-time signaller
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New user - Euston 23/04/2016 at 15:37 #81974
flabberdacks
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" said:
That worked - thanks again!
Excellent. Unfortunately it happens multiple times every playthrough.

Your clue that it is happening will be a light loco calling requesting 'authority to proceed' - to my knowledge no actual timetable movement should require that particular message. You will note the loco facing in the 'Up' direction when it hasn't yet left its original platform.

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