[Weter]

Advancing Suojarvi timetable, I've encountered another "problem":
There is commuter EMU connection between Kuznechnoe and Leningrad, so K. is a distant terminal station for them, as an electrification ends there.
This way, there is 2-track pool for night storing of 2 EMU consists, which have to start at mornings back towards Leningrad (the way will take 3 hours/156 km) before the first morning EMU from Leningrad can reach Kuznechnoe and return.
So two last EMUs at the evening don't return before midnight, but rolling to the pool sidings instead (the platform tracks are needed for long-distant passenger trains passings at night, so they have to be free).
If I specify $forms for them, than two morning trains won't be generated, as evening trains didn't arrive yet.
If i'll not specify anything for last two ones, they'll simply disappear after arriving to last stop.
How can I handle the problem?

[roeter]

Best way is not to run your timetable from midnight to midnight, but from about 03:00 to 03:00 - that is, start and stop in the 'dead' hours when most (passenger) trains are stabled. Trains after midnight can be started using the $next parameter at the start time. These trains are included at the 'end' of the timetable, not at the beginning. Overnight trains can best be split it two - one running from start to about 03:00, inserted at the end of the timetable, and the other half starting at 02:00 (either at a station or just 'somewhere'), this is inserted at the beginning of the timetable and forms the train which arrives in the morning. These trains overlap so you will always see these when running any other train around that time. The only drawback is that you cannot run the overnight trains as through trains, but that's a small price to pay. I've build my timetable on this principle and it works fine.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[Weter]

Hello, Robert.

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not to run your timetable from midnight to midnight, but from about 03:00 to 03:00 - that is, start and stop in the 'dead' hours when most (passenger) trains are stabled

what does "not to run" "start and stop" "stabled" mean?
Is $next means, that mentioned train will be started next day?

I made a pool part of train, created at 0:00, started 15 minutes before main train departure, and arriving to platform 10 minutes before departure, last-forming main train there. If I add $forms to evening train, the formed train won't appear this day. So I deleted $forms and $stable, because without that, all procedure ignored.

[roeter]

Normally, if you don't do anything special, the first trains in the timetable are the trains which start just after midnight. But passenger services run on after midnight, and that creates the problem you describe above.
But in most passenger services there is a 'dead' time, when no services are run or, if there are overnight trains, just a few. Usually, this is between 02:00 and 04:00. The first trains of a 'day' start around 04:00 (or later), and the last trains end around 02:00 (or earlier).
What I suggest is to set up the timetable based on these timings. So the first trains in the timetable are those which start around 04:00, the last trains are those which end around 02:00. This can be done by setting the '$next' parameter for all start times (row #start) after 00:00, but before 04:00.
So the timetable will not start around 00:00 and finish around 00:00, but it will start around 04:00 and finish around 02:00.
If there are overnight trains, these should then be included at both ends of the timetable (perhaps in part only).

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I made a pool part of train, created at 0:00, started 15 minutes before main train departure, and arriving to platform 10 minutes before departure, last-forming main train there. If I add $forms to evening train, the formed train won't appear this day. So I deleted $forms and $stable, because without that, all procedure ignored.

If you add $next to the start time of the train which is formed, it will appear this day at the end, not at the beginning of the timetable.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[Weter]

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This can be done by setting the '$next' parameter for all start times (row #start) after 00:00, but before 04:00.

Then, all of them will appear only after first midnight, right? But how

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If you add $next to the start time of the train which is formed, it will appear this day at the end, not at the beginning of the timetable.

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If there are overnight trains, these should then be included at both ends of the timetable (perhaps in part only).

How exactly?

Thanks, it looks like explict explanation. I have to read, translate, realize, understand and try all of your suggestions.
Be well and blessed for what you've done for all of us and for keeping on helping and supporting us at timetable questions, Robert!

For letting me understand it easily, may I ask You to comment the concrete example, please?
So, if yes, let's see (I have no opportunity to attach actual timetable-or file till Sunday)

EMUs from Leningrad arrive at 21:xx and 23:xx and after unboarding passengers and maybe salons cleaning (say,10 minutes, I consider that's enough), each of them continue to pool spurs (for freeing platform-tracks for night services), where stay till 5:30 (then departs at 5:46) and 6:20 (6:38 resp.), after that, they roll back to platform for boarding before return traveling to Leningrad.

[roeter]

Attached is one of the timetables for my fictitious route. It covers the trains on three short branch lines, all connected to the main line at the same station.
The services on these branchlines are operated by DMU's. In total, 7 units are required to cover all services.
This timetable is a bit different as it does not define the trains in time sequence, but is set up according to the trains worked by each unit. So, first all services, in both directions, are shown for the first unit, next are the services for the 2nd unit etc.
All units start and end in the same pool. The interesting bit is that 2 units (no. 3 and 7) terminate after midnight - a situation similar as to what you describe.
As you can see, all services for each of the units are defined from when they leave the pool (starting around 05:00) until they return to the pool.
 ORTT_2017_CRV_locals.zip (27.39K)
Number of downloads: 16

The attached file below shows the 'split' working of an overnight train.
The first train is the part which runs in the morning. This starts at the first stop after midnight.
The last train is the part which runs in the evening. This starts just before midnight at its origin station. The last stop is the station where the train calls after midnight, but the path is set up such that the train will continue for about another hour. It will then just disappear 'somewhere'. That does not matter - I have no intention of ever running that train beyond the last stop, and there are no other trains around that place and time where the train finally disappears. But it just has to end somewhere.
 Overnight.pdf (335.13K)
Number of downloads: 23

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[Weter]

Interesting command $endstop-i didn't note that anywhere before.

So, the midnight is something like a barrier, we can't just bypass with ORTS, so we need some tricks for our trains to behave, as it was designed?

Now I have to try that and see how it works.

[rickloader]

Hi Rob, thank you for the attached timetables. I notice the trains are arranged not in time order, but in a complete sequence for each unit (unit 1,2,3) This corresponds to the "duty" for a locomotive on British Railways.
I have never been sure if presenting the timetable out of time order would confuse OR, so it is useful to know this is not the case. I have been finding it difficult to follow my timetable, and I thinking of arranging all the linked trains in one block or Duty as in your example .
Thank you for continuing to advise on timetables
Rick