Hi all I have a question which has been perplexing me recently and was hoping for a little community support. I was scrolling through the BML service mode the other day and thought how do I spend a day in the life of one train. I know we have header codes which I understand are the routes the trains run on but could I take for example train 377xxx and run it from the depot in the morning, complete all its services for the day and then stable it at the end of the day? If I'm correct I can't search by train number so how is it achieved and how do you do? Is it in game or do I need to have a look at real world tables, find a train number and work back. I just cant seem to disseminate how to play with "one train" for a days worth of service on a given route. Thank you
You can choose "Return to Free Roam" after finishing a service so you can stay with the same train, unless it leaves the game map. If you start from the Timetable service list, every time you will get a random train.
You can’t find individual trainsets in TSW. The only way I know how to do it would be to follow a train through its day in real time and hope it never leaves the map. I don’t know if individual train numbers are always allocated randomly on all routes or if the timetable authors can specify a particular train number to certain services in order to keep better track of them in complex timetables like BML. Even if they could there’s no way to find them from the game menus.
I always try and keep the same train from leaving the depot till its off the map or stabled. Usually return to free roam works but sometimes you have to wait a while for the next objective at the end of a run, which might not appear at all, or you run into the inevitable red signal bug but that's more likely on bigger/complex routes.
It's become a very blurred line in recent months. It's possible I may be, two years of working at home with TSW2 and this forum is leaving some scars I fear. I shall persevere however into the solitude or party of insanity.
I like that a lot!! Could that be the makings of a meme? "One man's insanity is another man's solitude. Hmmmm?? You're fine, Chief. Keep on keepin' on.
I like the idea of doing a "shift" and have tried to do it too, but I've kinda given up for two reasons. On many routes, trains go off the map, either because the route continues past one or both ends of the route in-game or because a train can switch to an AI only route like some of the Rush Hour routes. It's only really feasible on routes with both/all termini in game such as Cathcart Circle, the branches on LIRR and ECW, PC, etc. The other big reason is that unless it's a really busy route where trains need to gtfo out of the terminus shortly after unloading, the next service may be a long wait. On PC for instance, trains coming into San Francisco during AM rush hour sometimes sit for hours before heading back south. Even on busier routes, 15 and 20 minute waits seem long when I only plan on playing a couple hours. Sometimes there's another train leaving soon to switch to but not always.
On bakerloo (and presumably any future LU routes, as well as the Tyne and Wear Metro if we ever get that (I'd love to see the T&WM but I doubt it'll be the fun you think it will be, like the Channel Tunnel)), as each individual train has its own number so you can follow the train throughout the day (example 235D-03 is the 3rd journey on the shift of train/duty 235D, the D stands for de-icer and has no consequence in TSW). OTher than that, no.
Don't wanna burst your bubble, but Bakerloo sees crew changes at E&C. The turnaround times are so short that crew must change and wait for the next train to arrive. Now, I do realise this might not be a good idea in the current Bakerloo timetable. Just thought you'd be interested to know. This concept is something I'm experimenting with. I'm thinking... If the description says "drive from Brighton to London. Next service: 1A26." Would this but enough to help you guys know which is your next train? The risk involved in this is because timetabling can become repetitive, it is easy to accidentally miss things, so it could say in 1A26 that your next service after is also 1A26.
I think it would be good Joe yes. It’s that whole “keep the same seat warm” thing all day and seeing what the train does. When I’ve watched streams and Matt says “and this is train is doing this etc” it’d be good to see what, how it does. Appreciate the timetable is huge but I get a lot of value of the service description so would welcome
Are you aware of the free "rosters" that Vulcan Productions developed? https://www.vulcanproductions.co.uk/tsw.html Essentially the rosters tell you where and when to "spawn", which train to go to, then on completion of the journey which train to take next. And so on. They have only done them for East Coastway and Great Western, but they are very good and a good model to try to put together for other routes. I should maybe also mention Wonterail's brilliant timetables https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/wonterails-service-mode-timetables.17878/
