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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions?

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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 25/11/2017 at 20:44 #103344
Joe S
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128 posts
Hi all,

More of a quick question from me really as to how most people play multiplayer sessions and whether late trains should be dealt with swiftly...

For me, when I'm alone, as I've alluded to elsewhere on the forum, I like causing all sorts of disruption and then trying to recover things.

However, on MP sessions, delays to some trains can be simply - on occasion - allowed to rack up which potentially causes no end of issue later, when in reality it would be cancelled / terminated short of destination or run fast etc.

I suppose I'm saying it can be a little frustrating at times to see 40-min delays to trains when these could be nipped in the bud in one fell swoop by terminating it short and restarting it there for its backworking...

I know it's a case of the host having the final say, but should we all be aiming for as on-time a railway (sim) as possible and deciding to terminate X short or run Y fast, or one that has the most delay and challenge in signalling (and soldering) on through major disruption without doing anything to combat it?

Rest assured I thoroughly enjoy MP sessions now I'm getting into them and am grateful for people who allow me to join in, and I hope this thread is not seen as a criticism at all - rather just me putting my thoughts out there and seeing most people deal with such things.

It certainly may be a case of me needing to re-program my brain from thinking 'need to sort that train now', to 'just enjoy the ride'?

Sorry for the ramble...
Joe

Last edited: 25/11/2017 at 20:45 by Joe S
Reason: None given

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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 25/11/2017 at 22:04 #103353
Chromatix
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190 posts
IRL decisions on stop-shorts, special stops and stock-swaps are taken by Control, which is separate from the actual signalling task. When playing alone, you get to make those decisions yourself.

In MP sessions, it might be convenient to have the host act as Control. This is especially relevant if there are enough players that the host doesn't (usually) need to take a panel.

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The following user said thank you: Ar88
How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 26/11/2017 at 00:13 #103366
BarryM
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2158 posts
What is need is a direct communications link with the Host either using TeamSpeak or Skype to request or suggest changes.

Other wise type away!

Barry

Barry, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Last edited: 26/11/2017 at 00:40 by BarryM
Reason: edit

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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 26/11/2017 at 00:30 #103368
MarkC
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1082 posts
Turning back a late runner also depends on having suitable locations you can make the change easily, whilst trying to avoid causing a blockage
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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 27/11/2017 at 10:46 #103406
kbarber
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1708 posts
In real life turning trains short of destination may also depend on traincrew. If the driver normally gets relief at the timetabled turnback point and is then due PNB, can they get to a suitable PNB location before the end of their PNB 'window'? (When I was on the railway, every driver's shift was required to include a Physical Needs Break of at least 40 minutes, to be taken between the 3rd & 5th hours of the shift.) If it is possible to get your driver to a suitable location having turned the train short of destination, will there be a driver available to take the train forward from there? (Or a siding to put the train out of the way until a driver is found, whereupon the train can take up a suitable next working (or be run ecs to wherever). Of course, if you do put the train in a suitable siding, you may need to allow walking time from there to the PNB point - your driver's entitled to that, as well, before the start of the PNB.

If the relief would be end of shift, it may get even more complicated. But some drivers are quite amenable to a bit of overtime so you might get lucky. (Of course it used to be that a driver working beyond 8 hours was entitled to ask to be accompanied in the cab by a qualified person - secondman/drivers assistant at least, though another driver was also acceptable. So you need to have one of them available by the time your driver gets to the end of 8 hours on duty.)

Of course drivers might have their own reasons for being amenable. If you were very unlucky you might find your driver had already done lots of favours previously just so they could guarantee a right-time finish today, to see their team at home in the cup or their favourite band performing locally.

Of course all this was dealt with by Control. As a 'bobby' all you knew was what Control said about which trains to turn where, decisions that sometimes seemed completely perverse if you didn't know that sort of background.

A miracle any such service alterations ever worked, when you think about it...

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The following user said thank you: BarryM
How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 27/11/2017 at 22:09 #103426
belly buster
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368 posts
It comes down to the host. Each host will have a different perspective and not necessarily have any background on the operational railway (e.g. me!).

Also a host may have different levels of experience on a particular sim, which can make TT editing tricky or slow, when there are other problems to deal with or maybe have their own panel or two to run.

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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 27/11/2017 at 23:47 #103429
postal
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5189 posts
mark265 in post 103368 said:
Turning back a late runner also depends on having suitable locations you can make the change easily, whilst trying to avoid causing a blockage
Alternatively you can let a late runner get to its destination then run back non-stop (when the train enters or departs from its originating point find the train in F2, edit the TT and jump past all the locations until the location at which you wish the train to resume normal running and then click on the Set Current/Next location button).

It used to happen a lot on the Paddington - Slough locals in the earlier years of this century. If you were waiting at Langley and the Down train was running late with the next Up train cancelled, you would get on to the Down train, go the one stop to Slough then run back fast to Paddington passing all the punters at Langley who didn't understand the tricks FGW would use to keep its Public Performance figures up.

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Last edited: 28/11/2017 at 14:58 by postal
Reason: None given

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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 28/11/2017 at 19:29 #103451
DriverCurran
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682 posts
How to deal with disruption..... an easy one this.

That one's cancelled, and that one is cancelled, now what to do with this one, I know this one is cancelled as well, and have a guess at the next one .....

I am now calling my taxi. :)

Paul

You have to get a red before you can get any other colour
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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 28/11/2017 at 20:47 #103452
Meld
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1098 posts
DriverCurran in post 103451 said:
How to deal with disruption..... an easy one this.

That one's cancelled, and that one is cancelled, now what to do with this one, I know this one is cancelled as well, and have a guess at the next one .....

I am now calling my taxi. :)

Paul
Paul - have you got some Kiwi blood in you - sounds just like our resident Kiwis normal working day

Passed the age to be doing 'Spoon Feeding' !!!
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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 28/11/2017 at 21:10 #103453
pedroathome
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881 posts
Meld in post 103452 said:
DriverCurran in post 103451 said:
How to deal with disruption..... an easy one this.

That one's cancelled, and that one is cancelled, now what to do with this one, I know this one is cancelled as well, and have a guess at the next one .....

I am now calling my taxi. :)

Paul
Paul - have you got some Kiwi blood in you - sounds just like our resident Kiwis normal working day :)
Just don't cancel your own train home though, or, cancel the relief on the way in....

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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 28/11/2017 at 21:32 #103454
JamesN
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1570 posts
Online
postal in post 103429 said:
mark265 in post 103368 said:
Turning back a late runner also depends on having suitable locations you can make the change easily, whilst trying to avoid causing a blockage
Alternatively you can let a late runner get to its destination then run back non-stop (when the train enters or departs from its originating point find the train in F2, edit the TT and jump past all the locations until the location at which you wish the train to resume normal running and then click on the Set Current/Next location button).

It used to happen a lot on the Paddington - Slough locals in the earlier years of this century. If you were waiting at Langley and the Down train was running late with the next Up train cancelled, you would get on to the Down train, go the one stop to Slough then run back fast to Paddington passing all the punters at Langley who didn't understand the tricks FGW would use to keep its Public Performance figures up.
Being a Pedant, and defending my colleagues’ honour somewhat - the running fast of the Up Service would make that train an automatic PPM failure. The purpose of running fast is to prevent delay spreading to other services; reduce impact to passengers later in the day. Performance figures are a secondary concern to the people making these kind of decisions.

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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 29/11/2017 at 00:07 #103459
DriverCurran
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682 posts
The inspiration for the last comment came from this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXw4jUDs_V0 at around about 4 minutes 45

Paul

You have to get a red before you can get any other colour
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How do you deal with disruption / late running in MP sessions? 29/11/2017 at 04:53 #103469
kaiwhara
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584 posts
Meld in post 103452 said:
DriverCurran in post 103451 said:
How to deal with disruption..... an easy one this.

That one's cancelled, and that one is cancelled, now what to do with this one, I know this one is cancelled as well, and have a guess at the next one .....

I am now calling my taxi. :)

Paul
Paul - have you got some Kiwi blood in you - sounds just like our resident Kiwis normal working day :)
John, I am horribly offended by the accurate comments in this thread!!!

Resident Kiwi

Sorry guys, I am in the business of making people wait!
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