Happened to me just now as I approached Route 128 6 mins early. was sat there in the cab patiently for 5 minutes then thought to move the camera around a bit and heard a faint sound of a diesel loco thought might setup a camera shot for passing train but I found the train just behind my train. My service was Amtrak Northeast Regional #95 from Boston to Providence 6:09.
I was doing the Reverse Engineering scenario and ATC/ACSES made me 20 minutes late by the time I left Back Bay for the last leg towards Route 128. ACSES started slowing me down again, so I checked the live map only to see 4 trains waiting head to tail at a red signal south of Route 128. Contacting the signaller allowed me to still get into the station to finish the scenario, but the rear of the 4th train took up 50yds of the platform, so I had to ease up to it to become the 5th train stuck in the traffic jam.
I think DTG are just taking the at American car culture and their 12 lane traffic jams. Edited by DTG Natster - Removed inappropriate language.
In one of the scenarios, it was said that ATC/ACSES does allow more than one train in a block, which explains this situation. As I have no clue regarding ATC/ACSES, however, I can't judge whether this is accurate for the real-life system.
There's no possible way this is accurate to real life that 2 trains bangs their couplers to get in a platform.
Honestly I can't see the problem, it's not broken at all, you can still finish the scenario and get a gold medal
Even in europe, not all "Stop" signals mean stop. There are quite of them that actually mean "proceed at restricted speed, be prepared to stop for obstacles". This is very common for auto-blocks, signals operated automatically, separating train moving the same direction. One of the reasons why such operation is allowed is failure of signal. Imagine such signal failed, and got stuck on Stop. You pull up to such signal and wait.. and wait. You might try to contact the dispatcher, but the signal might be situated in a valley, or other area without signal. And even if you contacted them, it is an automatically operated signal.. the dispatcher cannot check or change it state. The best he can do is dispatch a crew to check it... and until that, the traffic is backing up on the line. But because it is a signal separating flow in the same direction, it is safe to proceed at speeds that allow you to stop if you spot an obstacle. The worst case scenario is that you pull up to a train that it is stopped (like in the video obove).
In TSW, however, the worst case scenario is that you run through a red signal and get rudely bounced out of the sim. There is a remecy for this: before testing a red signal before passing it, press ESC followed by S followed by ESC again to save the session. Someone whined about this lately, but what could be easier? And it's the same procedure as before, anyway.
People are getting too caught up with the whole two trains occupying the same block issue, yes that's accurate. Is the train hitting the back of the one in front of it accurate though? And is the way the train immediately starts following behind you once you get even slightly moving accurate behavior? That first issue is almost certainly a no from everything I understand, it should always leave a slight gap at least. And on the second issue I can only guess, but I have to imagine in real life the drivers would wait at least a couple of seconds to give themselves some spacing from the train in front most of the time.
If the signal has a number plate it *should* be safe to proceed, if it doesn't except a scenario ender. Also, cab signal aspects will be different.
I don't see that as the issue at all. The issue is there being 2-3, sometimes 3+ trains lined up behind one another in one signal block because the red signal won't change and never does change until you quit out of timetable mode. Brandon has explained on here that multiple trains in 1 signal block ARE allowed in real life. I also think DTG talked about it in a stream recently too.