Elvas Tower: Timetables - Dark Routes - Managing Traffic - AI Turntables - Elvas Tower

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Timetables - Dark Routes - Managing Traffic - AI Turntables Rate Topic: -----

#11 User is offline   rickloader 

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 08:52 AM

If you are developing a route, substitute sidings for platforms, because timetable mode only recognises station platforms. No matter that it is really a siding. Having named sidings (= platforms) scattered about the route adds enormously to the flexibility in controlling trains.
I`m not too keen on the contributed timetable editor. Better to start with an excel compatible spreadsheet like Libre Office. I know some folk are scared off by excel, but the basics are easy. Later you will be glad of the more advanced features, especially the search and replace function. Also Excel is capable of expansion, and Chris J is developing some neat features for excel based timetables.
Please do have a go with timetables, they are very rewarding, giving the feeling of a whole train world come to life. Many of the conventions we accept in train sims seem ridiculous when you have run in timetable mode. AI traffic, static decorative consists, trains popping out of "portals", are all superceded.
I`m very pleased to help if I can.
Rick

#12 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 09:08 AM

View Postrickloader, on 13 February 2020 - 08:52 AM, said:

If you are developing a route, substitute sidings for platforms, because timetable mode only recognises station platforms. No matter that it is really a siding. Having named sidings (= platforms) scattered about the route adds enormously to the flexibility in controlling trains.
I`m not too keen on the contributed timetable editor. Better to start with an excel compatible spreadsheet like Libre Office. I know some folk are scared off by excel, but the basics are easy. Later you will be glad of the more advanced features, especially the search and replace function. Also Excel is capable of expansion, and Chris J is developing some neat features for excel based timetables.
Please do have a go with timetables, they are very rewarding, giving the feeling of a whole train world come to life. Many of the conventions we accept in train sims seem ridiculous when you have run in timetable mode. AI traffic, static decorative consists, trains popping out of "portals", are all superceded.
I`m very pleased to help if I can.
Rick


Hi Rick,

The nice thing about these small narrow gauge routes - is they are manageable and a closed system - no cars coming in - no cars going out - all the rolling stock for the railroad must exist somewhere on the route all the time - this seems like the perfect place to test out the full functionality of Timetables... The route also has a working turntable at each end - actually there's three in total... SR_Tom built every freight and passenger car the railroad ever owned (a surprisingly high number given the small size of the railroad)... From the historic schedule - it seems the bulk of the operation was passenger service (mixed freight) - with some occasional freight trains thrown in...

I'll be back for more I'm sure...
:)

Regards,
Scott

#13 User is offline   rickloader 

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 10:15 AM

Is this the one Scott? It is charming, and a lovely story!
https://www.youtube....h?v=dHd5c5nc_UI
Quote " all the rolling stock forf the railroad must exist somewhere on the route all the time"
YES! Yes! that is exactly the crux of time tables. Picture this : midnight, the locos slumber in light steam at the loco yard. All around the sidings are scattered freight cars waiting for the new shift. Dawn and the locos leave shed to start their duties. Coupling to waiting stock as the first trains pull out. Others shunt and make up trains, exchanging stock between them. On arrival engines detach their trains and retire to the loco yard. No mere activities or scenarios, but a whole network in action. If you can get a historical time table to follow you have an extra dimension.
Only OR can do this, and it ought to have taken the train sim world by storm...........
To return to earth, here is an example basic timetable to get you started. Its actually for the zz route, but you can substitute your own values. note the .ods format. This is because the more common .xls won`t accept more than about 256 columns = trains.
Rick

Attached File(s)

  • Attached File  zz1.zip (11.91K)
    Number of downloads: 265


#14 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 11:05 AM

View Postrickloader, on 13 February 2020 - 10:15 AM, said:

Is this the one Scott? It is charming, and a lovely story!
https://www.youtube....h?v=dHd5c5nc_UI
Quote " all the rolling stock forf the railroad must exist somewhere on the route all the time"
YES! Yes! that is exactly the crux of time tables. Picture this : midnight, the locos slumber in light steam at the loco yard. All around the sidings are scattered freight cars waiting for the new shift. Dawn and the locos leave shed to start their duties. Coupling to waiting stock as the first trains pull out. Others shunt and make up trains, exchanging stock between them. On arrival engines detach their trains and retire to the loco yard. No mere activities or scenarios, but a whole network in action. If you can get a historical time table to follow you have an extra dimension.
Only OR can do this, and it ought to have taken the train sim world by storm...........
To return to earth, here is an example basic timetable to get you started. Its actually for the zz route, but you can substitute your own values. note the .ods format. This is because the more common .xls won`t accept more than about 256 columns = trains.
Rick


Hi Rick,

Hah - yes - looks like they have a hodgepodge of roads in the film but that sure captures the essence... I've been enthralled since the 70's/80's when some guy made a fictional route in HO 2-1/2 that was often showcased in Model Railroader...

As for TT - you sell it well...
:)

Here's the best working example left today - I've been occasionally stopping in for years - the WW&F - it's a few miles from where my parents live in Maine... They're up to around 5 miles of track now (volunteers from all over the world come to lay track every summer) and still growing - they have ambitious plans to somehow get it back into its namesake town - Wiscasset - which is heavily trafficked by tourists - if they do their non-profit will be taking in some serious cash to expand... As it stands now - they're a bit of a hidden gem...

https://youtu.be/3HSqYt8ybqM

https://youtu.be/qisn5BaOy3Y

If you have any interest in participating in the B&SR - I could ask Tom if he would send you the route and stock - it's quite complete - highly detailed - a little jewel really - with multiple high quality steam locomotives... My involvement has been predominantly in the terrtex/textures dept... This really deserves a quality timetable to showcase it - all the pieces exists - they just need the brains to move them around intelligently... Up to you - just let me know...

Regards,
Scott

#15 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 12:20 PM

I thought the answer to dark routes was to add signals but to place them all underground. You'll still see the aspects in the f4 display but conceptually speaking they could be thought of as train orders or track warrants.

Thoughts?

#16 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 12:51 PM

View PostGenma Saotome, on 13 February 2020 - 12:20 PM, said:

I thought the answer to dark routes was to add signals but to place them all underground. You'll still see the aspects in the f4 display but conceptually speaking they could be thought of as train orders or track warrants.

Thoughts?


Hi Dave,

That was my initial thought... As I stated in my first post - I have yet been able to get two AI trains to pass while traveling in opposite directions - on a 15 mile single track main with multiple defined passing sidings - in TimeTable mode... On routes with signals - this is not a issue... I’m thinking I need to define the sidings as platforms as Rick mentioned - then use a $wait command to establish the meet - I haven’t tried this last part yet...

Rob had mentioned to me to download Paul’s Springfield Terminal route - as he made an advanced timetable for it demonstrating many of the TT features - including advanced freight switching - on my ToDo list as well...

Pretty cool stuff...

Regards,
Scott

#17 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 14 February 2020 - 04:14 AM

Hi Folks,

Just to add the resources for TT Operation - for those choosing to try it...

Here's the link to Rob's working example of complex TT Operations for Paul's Springfield Terminal route:

http://www.elvastowe...post__p__247419

Here's the most up to date manual I could find on TT Operations - this includes Turntables:

Attached File  Timetable Commands.pdf (233.18K)
Number of downloads: 322

Regards,
Scott

#18 User is offline   rickloader 

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Posted 14 February 2020 - 04:50 AM

Thanks for the offer to participate in the B&SR. i don`t think i`m the man for the job, as i know nothing of US practice, but I would be pleased to advise where I can on timetables.
I think it best to develop the timetable in collaboration with the route builder, because timetables do test the track layout and signalling. I abandoned the zz timetable example attached because the runround spurs were not long enough to satifsy the timetable path handling, and locos just froze through lack of space.
Trying to write timetables for existing MSTS routes can be frustrating because routebuilders often indulge work- arounds that are invalid in ORTS. I thought the Lyme Regis branch an ideal subject for a demo timetable. But the route builder lacked the correct signal, so he superimposed 2 stop signals. Game over in ORTS!
It is a very good idea to look at existing timetables because although well documented, an example helps to see how the various commands fit together. I must see if I can find Paul`s route, as still have a lot to learn.
Rick
Edit. Crossed post! Thanks for the link to Paul`s TT : I had missed this. I think this would serve well as a template for the B&SR TT as it is very well made, and is a dark route. I particularly like the timetable list where separate freight, and passenger TT are combined. A minor point is the $activate command. I couldn`t get this to work and Rob said the activate command wasn`t yet activated!

#19 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 14 February 2020 - 02:48 PM

Hi Rick,

Understood - we all have our own rows to hoe...

I’ll give some of this newfound knowledge a shot and see if I can get something to work...

I’m sure I’ll be back...

Regards,
Scott

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