Topic: Great Britain simulation in Simutrans Experimental

[Carl]

Yes, I expect I will add them at some point.

[NoMorePacers]

Carl, I was just wondering if you still had a copy of that London heightmap kicking around, because I wanted to perhaps use it. If you don't, then it's fine. Thanks either way.

[Carl]

i think it's the one in this zip file - let me know if it doesn't seem right.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rg1fck6f5tve1hi/londonsource.rar?dl=0

[NoMorePacers]

The map you linked seems to be working fine, thank you! Although I do not wish to constantly request things, have you got a copy of the actual map (with lines and trains placed)? I just want to use it to give a better idea of the orientations of train lines on the map.

[Carl]

No problem- this seems to be the most recent version. It hasn't been updated since 2016.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h17vwcgtnvr6r11/London-Oct16.rar?dl=0

[NoMorePacers]

There is a slight issue with that map - I opened it and it said Class90GA-long, Class90DVT-long, GWRHST-front-long, GWRMk3-long, and GWRHST-back-long were missing. I checked the pak.ngb folder supplied with the save and these files were missing.

[Carl]

Yes, I remember why that happened - I misnamed some of the long pak files and had to overwrite them when I went back to the normal map.

It should be fixed in this version:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h17vwcgtnvr6r11/London-Oct16.rar?dl=0

[fam621]

A quick teaser of a rebuild Chelmsford which will be in the next update (sadly the last one before I leave Simutrans)

[Carl]

Sorry to hear you're leaving Simutrans.

Btw, did you get the wrong thread? This would probably fit better following on from one of your previous discussions.

[fam621]

Sorry to hear you're leaving Simutrans.

Btw, did you get the wrong thread? This would probably fit better following on from one of your previous discussions.

The first part is true, the second part is for you know what! APRIL FOOLS DAY BOI!

[Carl]

Haha. You got me!

[fam621]

Haha. You got me!

Definitely did.

Note: This is my last post on this topic before I leave the Simutrans community.

[NoMorePacers]

I have found there to be a blockade at Gloucester, with large tailbacks on the Cross Country Route, which I think is caused by trains being sat in the platforms for too long.

[Carl]

Thanks - I'll take a look. Gloucester is an unusual place for a blockage to arise, but stranger things have happened!

[fam621]

I'm not going to lie, I forgot this map/topic even existed and what I worse forgot about was that this isn't my project. But, I'm keeping people hoping for light at the end of the tunnel for an update.



Note the Scotrail MK2 DBSO. That DBSO was not relivered into Intercity livery as it was cascaded late as one set was still in service in Scotland on the EGIP line (Edinburgh - Glasgow (Queen Street) line) and was finally cascaded in 1992 (almost 2 years later than planned).

Picture taken: April 1995.

[Carl]

Haha - yes, 4 months since the last update is a rather long time. I burnt out a bit from the large Birmingham project. I'm confident I'll get back to it over the summer...

[ScotRail170434]

I'm not going to lie, I forgot this map/topic even existed and what I worse forgot about was that this isn't my project. But, I'm keeping people hoping for light at the end of the tunnel for an update.



Note the Scotrail MK2 DBSO. That DBSO was not relivered into Intercity livery when it arrived in 1992, as it arrived late as one set was still in service in Scotland on the EGIP line (Edinburgh - Glasgow (Queen Street) line) and was finally cascaded in 1992 (almost 2 years later than planned).

Picture taken: April 1995.

Is that the E&G between Haymarket and Saughton?

[fam621]

No, its a fictional map.

[NoMorePacers]

All I can say is have fun with the new West Midlands/LNR and Northern/TPE timetables. 

[Carl]

Yes, I was reading about how poorly the new LNR timetable is going and wondering how it'll go in-game...

[NoMorePacers]

Yes, I was reading about how poorly the new LNR timetable is going and wondering how it'll go in-game...

So many splits and joins in that timetable, it'll be interesting in-game and no wonder it's going wrong in real life...

With the 2014-ish Northern timetable that there is now on the map, the Castlefield corridor gets frequently clogged up. Now there's about twice as many going through that same section, and in my own attempt to put it in, there were absolutely huge blocks on it...

[Carl]

Back to work, then...not loads to show yet, but nice to be back after a break.


larger

[fam621]

Again I have forgotten that this isn't my project. But then again, I'm giving people hope for a eventual update.



In the picture above, you can see that at Barnshore Junction station, I have simulated it having a short platform as per real life (if this station was really to exist). This directly means that HST's and any trains longer than 2 cars have to overhang the platform, therefore making the guard use the SDO system when opening (unlocking in a HST) doors at this station. An example of a service which overhangs this station is the hourly VWC (Virgin West Country) service from Stepford Central or Worcester Forgate Hill. The HST's have to stop at the signal (not on the platform but at the furthest HST stop marker (2+9 marker)) and the guard has to inform passengers of the short platform at this station and unlock the rear doors (the rear 6 coaches of the set irl (1 and a half coaches as simulated ingame)) to allow people to alight at Barnshore Junction station. This is however automatically carried out GPS as the class 170's (operated by Midlands Trains) have GPS controlled SDO fitted to the train and the PIS (Passenger Information System) system will announce that this station has a short platform and passengers would alight from the rear 2 coaches (would fit onto the platform irl) of the train. This is one of the many changes that people should look forward to in the next update.

Picture taken: March 1999.

Note to viewer: This is not a feature in the forthcoming update and this was written for entertainment and for boredom satisfying purposes. xD

[Carl]

Thank you for keeping the punters entertained 
I do have an update in the works, you'll be pleased to hear, and it contains new train liveries, timetable changes, cities, and bus routes - the full works. It'll be here before long 

[Carl]

After a long wait, here's another savegame update! It features more changes in the West Midlands The savegame and pak folder can be downloaded at this link. As ever, you'll need a legacy Simutrans Experimental exe to run this map (see here).

A pictorial guide to the update below!

I've implemented the London Northwestern timetable recast: adding all the new convoluted routes, including the through trains from Rugeley Trent Valley to London Euston via Birmingham. Running these services, the Class 350 has been updated - I've added new London Northwestern livery and updated old London Midland livery. I've swapped around half to the new livery.

Class 230 (former London Underground D-stock) added to the Marston Vale line from Bedford to Bletchley



Class 390 - added the new Virgin livery to these Pendolinos. I've swapped around half to the new livery.



New stations and more timetable updates: stations added in Kenilworth, Coventry Arena and Bermuda Park. Coventry to Nuneaton trains updated to run on to Leamington Spa via Kenilworth.



Cities and towns added or rebuilt include: Coventry, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Daventry, Kenilworth.

Coventry



Warwick & Leamington



Bus routes added: Stratford-Redditch, Redditch-Evesham, Stratford-Evesham, Redditch-Bronsgrove, Stratford-Leamington, Daventry-Banbury, Rugby-Daventry-Northampton, Rugby-Leamington, Local buses in Birmingham, Dudley, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton, Coventry & Solihull.

I still have some bus routes to add in the West Midlands urban area - especially around the north of the conurbation. After that, I think I'll move onto South Wales for something a bit different.

[ScotRail170434]

Is the 221 done in flowing silk?

[NoMorePacers]

Is the 221 done in flowing silk?

In real life only 1 has been repainted so far, so I wouldn't think so. Over half the 390 fleet's been repainted I think, so it makes more sense to include that.

Also it would've been nice to have the WMT 172/0s done but again, I suppose it depends on when the Aventra gets made!

Good job with the new timetable!

[Carl]

That's right - since only one 221 was painted in that livery I didn't think it worth it.

I had forgotten about the WMT 172/0s - will consider doing those! Looks like they would be easy to paint since they are just a WMT purple/livery on the body that looks very similar to the Class 170.

[NoMorePacers]

There's an error at Birmingham New Street - the platform is too short to fit XC HSTs.

[Carl]

Ah, I know why that's happened. Thanks for spotting!

[NoMorePacers]

Also, unsurprisingly, I got a large blockade at New Street at the north side, with the WCML blocked up to Crewe. Probably really hard to try and fix with this new timetable, but I'm just letting you know.

[Carl]

Thanks - yeah, I fixed a bunch of issues before, and ran the map trouble-free for half a month, but I suspected that more might crop up afterwards given the sheer scale of the changes.
The only problems I saw at New Street were around reversing services on the north-end underground through platform - I wonder if that has recurred.
It's possible that the root cause is at Crewe, though - that junction tends to be a source of trouble and has caused more issues than New Street recently. The TfW northbound Manchester trains have baffled me a bit recently and might be the cause. Sometimes they arrive 10 minutes ahead of schedule and sometimes it's 30 seconds. Something's happening to them between Hereford and Crewe - it could be related to the occasional Heart of Wales services coming off Craven Arms junction but I thought I fixed that.
Anyway, I'll look into it later. Let me know if you spot any likely offenders.

[NoMorePacers]

I have had the TfW Manchester services have a nearly 2-hour wait at Wilmslow, which suggests that they are losing time. There also was a large number of trains waiting to use Platform 5 at Crewe on several occasions, and the amount of times I have seen blockades in the Manchester area are too high to count! :p

The blockades at Manchester Victoria I experienced were from the Victoria-Liverpool and TPE Newcastle services being sat in the same platform heading in conflicting directions, which caused a stalemate and long gaps, and Piccadilly also seemed to have issues with the through platforms causing problems (although this area is due to be updated to the most recent timetable change, I am aware).

There was also a blockade at Exeter St Davids with 2 Exmouth-Paignton/Barnstaple trains also being in the same platform heading in conflicting directions to one another again causing long blocks.

I appreciate this is a long list, but I thought I would bring up several issues at once, rather than one-then-another-one-then-another-one-etc.

[Carl]

Thanks for reporting!

I think that the Exeter issue has been fixed - I moved some platforms around before the last upload which fixed a problem just like the one you described - let me know if it still occurs in the most recent version.

I think I've removed the timing point at Wilmslow now so that should be gone - the timing point is now at Crewe so if something's going to go wrong it will be there.

I don't think I've seen those Manchester Victoria issues at all but will watch out for them. The issue with two trains occupying the same platform seems to occur when one train is reversing at the far end but leaves enough space for the following through service to occupy the middle of the platform. I had similar issues at both New Street and Gloucester but I think they're fixed now (let me know if you see them again). This is the same as the Exeter issue.

[NoMorePacers]

I've had a closer investigation of the New Street block, and it seems that a Euston-Liverpool (the standalone one in the lines list) service is sat in the 2nd-from-top underground platform for almost an hour, and this is blocking a Rugeley TV-Euston service from entering the station, and causing a blockade that's ever-increasing in size. Possibly the Liverpool service is missing it's timing point because of congestion somewhere else?