PC Route Learning Methods?

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by Sunscreen, Apr 16, 2020.

  1. Sunscreen

    Sunscreen Guest

    Hi all,
    I enjoy playing with a minimal or no HUD as Im of the opinion that the sim is designed to be used primarily by looking out of the window and referring to the indications in the cab.
    On that note does anyone have any good techniques for route learning? Any real UK based drivers out there have any advice? Is it notes, shorthand, what is the accepted method?
    I'm primarily on ECW, NTP and GWE. In fact thats all I ever go on and at the moment ECW only. I'd like to be in a position where I know where each signal is, signs, anything of operational significance. I'm not so good at devising a method..
    Thanks for all input. Its all helpful.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 16, 2020
  2. Olaf the Snowman

    Olaf the Snowman Well-Known Member

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    I made this post a couple of months ago in response to this question. Some people found it helpful so I’ll leave it here again.

    To add a bit more detail specific to your question, here are the following tips:
    1. Firstly, don’t do all at once. In real life, you would get a set number of days to learn a route. For example, from Paddington to Reading you may get 20 days. You don’t need to learn everything on day 1 so take your other time otherwise you’re head is just going to spin if you try to take in too much at once.

    2. Following on from above, I would go in this order:
      1. Learn the station names and just rough geography of route including major junctions
      2. Learn line speeds and braking points
      3. Learn braking points for stations. For number 2 and 3, pick something nice and obvious if possible. E.g. a signal or a structure such as a tunnel or whistleboard, etc... Remember, in real life, you could be operating a train in extremely thick fog so your route knowledge needs to be spot on especially if doing 125mph which will take no less than 1 mile to stop using emergency or 1.5-2 miles for controlled stop.
      4. Something very minor but is not easy as it seems is stop boards because they are not always at the end of the platform and there are several different ones depending on coach length. Try to learn where they are. If you can remember the short platforms, this may be the easiest because you know it will just be at the end of the platform such as Moulescomb.
      5. Try to pick up on certain route risks. E.g. Like above, short platforms so you need to ensure your approach into the station is slower. Another risk is leaving London Road towards Brighton, there is no starting signal and the signal is located on a bend at the bridge so this is a SPAD risk if you had a single yellow before London Road.
    3. Writing notes may help if that works for you. In real life, you would get a highly detailed route map and you can just annotate it. Seeing as that isn’t going to happen, you could just take a print off the very basic ECW map in the TSW manual and annotate it. E.g. write speeds down or braking point or “short platform,” etc...
    Ultimately, your knowledge will pickup with experience so just keep doing the same routes over and over again.

    In real life, you would have access to the following:
    1. Detailed route maps
    2. Route Risk Assessments which are usually done by Senior Operation managers which highlight all route risks of where there can be loads.
    3. Sectional Appendix which are by Network Rail.
    4. Route learning instructors who will teach you through the route in a classroom (although not all companies have this)
    5. Cab pass so you go in the cab with other drivers not just for your company. You can pick up a wealth of information from drivers that have been operating on the route for years
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2020
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  3. Sunscreen

    Sunscreen Guest

    Superb Olaf. Thank you very much for the detailed response. All duly noted. I think the map printout is a great idea so ill give that a try. Really appreciate it :)
     
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  4. Mkdog45

    Mkdog45 Well-Known Member

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    Hi,
    I found these on Youtube (not done by me). They are done by domeone called The British Ace, I have found them useful and you might too. It seems like they are uploading recently.



     
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  5. Sunscreen

    Sunscreen Guest

    Thanks Mkdog45! I think that'll come in very useful! With some enforced downtime on my hands sitting down with some maps and a notebook to watch those is right on the cards! Your help is greatly appreciated :)
     
  6. LastTrainToClarksville

    LastTrainToClarksville Well-Known Member

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    Frankly, I'd be much more impressed if the author of the Newhaven Aggregates tutorial had set the train type to "Goods" before beginning to drive.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2020
  7. Thorgred

    Thorgred Active Member

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    how do you switch to goods mode for the class 66 then?
     
  8. Sunscreen

    Sunscreen Guest

    I think it might be a button just above the main reservoir pressure gauge. Not sure without checking..
    Edit- its through the electro-motive control panel on the overhead. 'Brake Timing'
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 19, 2020
  9. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    There are two buttons, top left of the main front panel, one called "PASS" the other "GOODS", whichever is lit will set the brake pressure system for those types of loads.
    From what I know (limited indeed) freight charges and discharges brake pipes a lot slower than passenger cars
     
  10. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Just thought of another thing, when running Light Loco, set this to passenger, again to get better brake response
     
  11. Trim

    Trim Active Member

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    I could well be mistaken, but I don't think the setting has any effect on brake pipe pressure, but it changes the locomotive's own distributor to the "goods" setting, meaning it responds more slowly to changes in brake pipe pressure, in particular when releasing the brakes. The locomotive distributor needs to match the distributors on on the train, so that the brakes release more or less together. What you don't want is for the loco brakes to release and the driver applying power while the train brakes are still applied, as this puts strain on the coupling and could potentially lead to flats on the wagon wheels.

    British main line rolling stock uses distributors on each vehicle to connect the brake pipes with the brake reservoir and cylinder on that vehicle. Distributors can be built to respond at different rates, but there are two "standard" settings: Passenger and Goods. Most locomotives and some wagons/vans have levers to change from one setting to the other, depending on the type of train and how it is coupled (passenger settings are mostly used for buckeye-coupled trains, although the coupling to the locomotive is often a screw link).
    This is exactly what real drivers do. There is an interesting rail accident report (broken rails caused by a severe flat on an 80 tonne wagon) that mentions this here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c906140f0b602410001b1/R272006_061220_Urchfont.pdf
     
  12. Sunscreen

    Sunscreen Guest

    Are those not indicator lights? They dont appear pushable. The brake functionality is adjusted through the control panel on the overhead- at least that's how it appears to work on the TSW 66. The TS20xx 66 might be different from a quick Google..
     
  13. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    I was driving the AP 66 enhancement pack on TSx yesterday and the system charged and discharged more slowly on goods than pass, and that's what I meant by "brake pressure system" rather than "brake pressure"

    When I read about it a while back it seemed more to do with the way that there is often less maintenance and more varied systems on freight than there would be on passenger cars (let alone that I would imagine a fully loaded coal train would weigh a bit more than a fully loaded passenger train of similar length)
     
  14. LastTrainToClarksville

    LastTrainToClarksville Well-Known Member

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    Yes, the PASS and GOODS indicators on the "dashboard" (not sure of the correct term for this) indicate the type of train being operated. In some of this engine's freight activities, the PASS indicator is lit instead of the Goods indicator. Changing this setting requires using the ELECTRO-MOTIVE panel located above the driver's window:
    TSW_Electro-Motive panel.jpg

    The small arrowheads, in this case indicating Brake Timing, can be set by clicking on the arrows to move the focus up, down, left, or right. Use them to point to Unit Information, then click the F3 button to select that setting. The choices will be PASS and GOODS. Use the arrows again to move the focus to GOODS, then click the F3 button again. Finally, click the F4 button to return to the main menu. The GOODS light on the "dashboard" should now be illuminated.
    Does this really alter the simulated engine's behavior? I think it does, but even if it doesn't, this setting would, I assume, be changed by a real life driver before moving the train.
    [I'll try to come back to this post and insert more screenshots later to make these procedures clearer.]

    By the way, this panel is also used to set up slow-speed driving, used in loading.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2020
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  15. Sunscreen

    Sunscreen Guest

    Thanks for this super reply bud. Very helpful. I'll try and determine what functionality is represented in game but Im very impressed by the way you explained it. The slow speed function I haven't learned yet either so again good intel. Keep it coming :)
     
  16. British Ace

    British Ace Member

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    Thanks Mate, this is me by the way, just when I made my DT Live it was a couple of years ago when name different
     
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  17. British Ace

    British Ace Member

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    Soz mate
     
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  18. British Ace

    British Ace Member

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    I also now have a Lewes - Seaford Class 377 tutorial! :)
     
  19. Mkdog45

    Mkdog45 Well-Known Member

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    Your video are an enormous help!
     
  20. Mkdog45

    Mkdog45 Well-Known Member

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    Attached Files:

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  21. British Ace

    British Ace Member

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    Cheers, saw nothing else on YouTube, so thought I'd make some, not heavily detailed, but easy to understand. Plus helps people do the thing they love in a much more realistic way. East Coastway is a fairly local route to me, so I was more intrigued to learn it off by heart which I have now. Also could be a big help for future career. :) More on the way!
     
  22. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    You can’t access this unless you have an account and you need to be a railway professional to get an account by the looks of things.
     
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  23. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    No you don’t. Just scroll down the page to view the PDF.
     
  24. Mkdog45

    Mkdog45 Well-Known Member

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    You do need a network rail logon for the online version but if you scroll down to the bottom you have access to the pdf file which you can download and do not need a logon for.
     
  25. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    That’s strange, they weren’t there earlier, just a blank section where the files are. This was the same as the last time I followed a link to that page a while back. The files show up there now. Cheers.
     
  26. deans.ma

    deans.ma Member

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    I've completely memorized the peninsula route over the past few months. Can't exactly give any tips other that just regularly playing it through.

    I know every speed restriction, signal speeds (per caltrain rule), approx. stopping distance for each station, etc.

    I turn off all the HUD indications, but being on xbox I don't believe theres a way to disable the big speed HUD in the bottom right, so I just cover it with a piece of paper.

    -Dean
     
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  27. Sunscreen

    Sunscreen Guest

    Thanks Dean. :)
     
  28. Mkdog45

    Mkdog45 Well-Known Member

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    You can connect a keyboard to the Xbox and press F1 and that will move all of the hud.
     
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  29. deans.ma

    deans.ma Member

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    Yeah but I prefer controller and crawling on floor to plug a keyboard into the back of my xbox everytime I play TSW is a pain in the ass.

    -Dean
     

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