[rickloader]

The information provided by the OP is minimal. We don't even know the train ID. Why didn't he try one of the other trains? There are many starting after 05:00 when it is already daylight. The 2nd contributor just says nf TT mode doesn't work at all. No info given.
I just did a fresh install on a used i7 w10 laptop ,nf timetable runs ok.
Without info we can only guess that a previous train in a multi train sequence was held up and so. OR could not start the chosen train.
Rick

[Weter]

Hello, Rick.
My thoughts:
First. Siebren have confessed, he is new, using TT mode,
Second. (guess) he didn't try to read provided instructions (I've seen, IIRC, some text within route description, abvicing to read them)
Third. timetable have briefing possibility. You can use it for warning players to read instructions, or to briefly point, is this timetable file "player" or "service"
If the work would be continued, may be, Robert could find the way to add some "keys" for hiding "service" timetables from list for player to select.
Fourth. Your timetable is very dig, and train names can't give an idea to player, whether it's "playable" train, or intermediate stage "service" between some "actual" trains.
This points us back to second: player have either to READ your instructions prior to choose the proper train (IIRC, it was said somehow about trains naming there)
Either, player will have to guess, try, get error maybe, and try again., so reading seems to me better tactic.
Fifth. Sorry for my straightness, but some things are obvious to author, but new (especially), non-British players, having no knowledge about train naming rules would be puzzled with so huge bunch of train names and particular timetables within groups, some of which are not intended for player usage.
Hence, it's normal, when You sure, that all works, as You've intended, while player is at a loss, whether he did something wrong, ORTS has a bug, or timetable is corrupted.

To Mike. I'm sorry to tutor an adult man, but please, be more careful, talking about technical-complex simulations. Furthermore, Rick (an author) will read it. However, anyone, would be confused, after reading such comment. Namely,

Quote

New Forest timetable mode does not run at all for me.

can start panic between author and users, can make worries and false distraction.
Please note, that making such complex timetable for such complex route is many years-long work, most part of which is debugging. Obviously, there were many mistakes and non-straight solutions, which demanded months and months to sort-out. Else, author can be tired, or involved to very hard events of his personal life at some moments, so such brief statements, as You have written, are able to stress author.
So, I dare to ask You: please be more kind and patient to author, and in case, You encounter some problems, running his timetables, spent a little time to specify the problem, You encountered, and circumstances, accompanying it. And try to avoid such non-informative declarations.
In other hand, them could mean, that's just You did something wrong, but no additional details to decide, where was a mistake.

Timetable mode is wonderful thing, but any error would make it non-functional, so let's be patient and kind again. Particularly, with authors, who make such a huge work, giving that to us.

[rickloader]

Thanks Weter, I think your post is helpful to all. It does not do for a timetable author to berate his users. Sorry. You are right that many British names will not make sense to foreigners, or even younger British players. For example Light Engine" (LE in nf tt) might suggest a locomotive empty of fuel and not the British meaning a loco alone hauling no train.
In New Forest route there are no "service trains between actual trains" All trains are intended to be player trains. (Exception - static trains, no loco)Typically in a nf Duty (or roster) a loco leaves the depot > picks up stock > runs the service (s) > disposes of stock >retires to depot. To achieve this in nf tt a sequence of linked trains is formed.. In addition timetable mode requires complex operations to be split into smaller steps. Or the train can be come "stuck" as if OR has lost the next move. Maybe this has happened to the OP.
In NF tt such split trains often have a suffix A B C etc in the train name.

I have largely failed to explain the scope of nf tt. The tt is a historically accurate recreation of the 1950s network. Maybe this is not unique, but there must be few such examples in any sim. The complexity is astonishing, and to think the original tt was compiled without computers....... How can this complexity be rendered intelligible to casual users?
When Nf tt was released, I expected to be roasted over my inaccuracies. Not one comment about historic mistakes. But most seem to hanker after MSTS style activities, and absurdities like trains popping in and out of portals.
Rob has given us a wonderful tool with timetable mode. I regret that OR users seem resistant to the potential.
Rick

[Siebren]

hello Rick,

Werter is right. In general I first try and after some time I read the manual to get the full potential of an option. That did not work in this timetable mode. Not your fault Rick, it's just the way it works. And indeed I now see trains which do start!

Don't know if the TT mode in the OR menu could be changed in such a way that trains which are not playable, I mean which do not start, are left out from the menu. And I don't know if that's doable or desirable.

Thanks for creating the route, it's beautiful.

regards, Siebren.

[Weter]

I can say this: timetable mode is still WIP and many could be done further.
It's still concept now.
Author (Robert Roeterdink) told about two years ago, he would be glad to have an assistant, who could take this project after his retirement, becoming his successor.
He was ready to teach such volunteer. (At least, so I understood these takings)
In case, You interested, having skills, and maybe willing, why not PM roeter for discussion? Furthermore, You both live nearby.

[roeter]

I'm still here, and hope to be for some time to come. But it's true, no other developer has shown any interest in timetable mode. It does mean there is only little development, for I like to do other things as well, not just coding for OR.

Siebren, on 09 July 2023 - 01:53 AM, said:

Don't know if the TT mode in the OR menu could be changed in such a way that trains which are not playable, I mean which do not start, are left out from the menu. And I don't know if that's doable or desirable.

There are no trains in a timetable which are not playable. All trains should start and all trains are playable. What Weter was referring to, is that some trains may be of little interest to the player. For instance, if you have a route which covers only part of a real network, you may have trains which start from the last station where they stop, and run only to the end of the route. That may take just one or two minutes, and therefor would be of little interest. But these trains would still run and be playable.

As Rick explained, the problem you encountered is due to something going wrong somewhere. The New Forest TT has lots of conflicting moves into and out of yards. Some such moves are very closely timed. The TT mode has some build-in random settings. Delays on start, restart after signal check or station stop have a random element. Due to these random delays, train timings can differ a few seconds between runs, and this may just be enough to alter a sequence of events.
Where, normally, the train exiting a yard would request its path just before a train entering that yard would request that path, the random delay may just change that sequence, and if the incoming train requests its path just a second before the outgoing train, things are stuck. That means these two trains are stuck and will not run, and any train these may form during the rest of the day will also not run. Other trains may get stuck behind these trains and these, and all trains these would have formed, will also not run etcetera.
Now, you may run the timetable 99 times and all goes well, but the 100th time, things get stuck. Been there, seen it, happened in almost all timetables I created.
Such a problem is easily solved, setting a $wait or $activate command, issue is just that you have to find out when and where it happens.

So, therefor, it would be a great help if you did not just say 'it doesn't work', but provide proper details of what is happening. Attaching the full log-file would be a great help. It shows what train you wanted to run, and perhaps also has some info on what happened before. More info could be obtained by starting an 'observer' (some observers are included in the timetable), around the time of the selected train. Observers are never formed out of other trains so will always start. A screenshot showing the Alt-F5 dispatcher HUD can be of great help in locating the problem.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[rickloader]

Hi Siebren, I`m glad you got the route working.. For new users it might be useful to run one of the static observer trains. These have "OBS" in the title. They allow you to watch trains at busy locations. When loaded press 8 and find a good view point. If you <ctrl 9> to the viewer and zoom out you will see the trains moving on the whole network. I find this very satisfying, because the intention is to recreate the historic network.
Yes Weter, it is a pity no one came forward to add to timetable mode, and that the declared aim to merge tt mode and activities seems to have faded. But Rob did say he might make additions, and we must remain grateful for the superb facility he has created.
Edit. post crossed with Rob and Weter. Thanks for the explanation
Rick

[Weter]

Rick was right: actually, only trains, named "static" are not selectable and don't move at all.
The other example - "trains" for taking cars out of platforms to many-hour stabling and opposite, or for just moving from one track/yard to another.
These are indeed about less interest for player. However, why not to play as a shunter locomotive's driver all 6-hour shift?

Robert's content:
1. Add there discreet pre-run with 1-second(?) step.
For instance, train could struck the dead-end and jump 1-2 meters backwards, causing error and stuck, alternatively, with time acceleration more, than 300-500%

2. I would also recommend to turn "path reservation visualization" on, by Ctrl-Alt-F11 to see, which train occupies the block, and corresponding signal aspects.

3. Two authors could make it better with their twice-more ideas and cooperative design work.

Rick, I'm sorry, but let's not mess users with terms "static" (it hasn't own name, couldn't function anyhow, and couldn't be chosen) and "observer" train (fully-functional train with a special short path, for not to interfere any traffic activity.

Siebren, please understand me right: I have no right to force anyone to do anything, but I dream about TT mode development.

[Weter]

And more: You can re-attach external and passenger cameras to any train, being an "observer", by choosing it from the list, brought up by Alt+F9, then - see, what it does wrong.