I've always been a bit of a casual when it comes to TSW, but I wanted to try and use it with a bit more of an eye to how things would be operated in the real world. Currently we are only scored on our laser focused attention to speed limits and distance from stopping point, I know real drivers wouldn't receive a score for each drive (?), but in real life, how are drivers 'scored'? Is there anything like making the braking and acceleration as smooth as possible? Along the lines of 'scoring' how stringent are drivers to speed limits? Also, take an example of a train, not early, not late, perfectly dry day, pulling out of a station, there is a 40 mph limit ahead, do they manage there speed to hit it AT 40, or do they accelerate as fast as they can to the current limit and then coast to the 40? Similarly, braking, do they leave it as late as possible and hit the limit 'on the brakes', or do they manage their speed so that they hit the limit on the minimum amount of braking required?. And as an aside, but still related to the real world, is there enough signalling information in the game, without using the HUD, to make it viable to not use it? either the 'upcoming speed limit' signs are small and I miss them, or the game changes speed limit without any trackside signal.
Drivers will "know the route" so well that they will know what they need to do to achieve right time running - be that accelerating hard up to line speed, or a gentler curve. This also gives them knowledge of where and what all the speed restrictions are. They'll also "know the timetable" so they will know if they are pathed behind, or likely following, a stopping train - allowing them to achieve steady speed through a set of double amber/amber signals rather than accelerating every time they see a green, only to bring it down to slower speed at the next amber. In the UK, OTMR (On Train Monitoring and Recording) "polices" the driver - I'm not sure of the full list of things recorded - and it will change by train operating company - but parameters such as speed, braking intensity, reaction time to AWS/Vigilance and fuel economy can be monitored. The only way to completely realistically drive a route in TSW is to learn the route as a real driver would.
The easiest way to think of it is that trains have black boxes which record everything about the service you do from power application to speed and even the horn usage as well. In real life you are not given points for being on time but for driving safely. Now days with the brand new trains you can't take them over the speed limit but when I first started driving there were still older trains in service and so you could give it a bit extra if you were behind but I would never do that! Regarding your example I am going to turn it into two. 1. If it was the same situation as in your example then generally I will build up to the 40 gently and if I get to 40 before the limit I won't go over 40 (coast) and if I don't make it to 40 I will shut off if going downhill or give it a chance to get closer to 40 if going uphill and then coast. 2. Again the same situation as yours except I know that the next train behind is a fast one. In this case I will still keep acceleration smooth but make sure I don't hold him up as I know that if i was the other way round I would be cursing him. Both of these are how I would do it as it varies not only between TOCs but drivers within a TOC as well due to different confidence and experience. I would rather brake smoothly and turn up 5 minutes late than brake harshly and have frustrated customers and an even angrier TM! If you are going to drive realistically the key thing to remember is to plan ahead and focus on the safety and comfort of your driving before the timetable is considered. In game the only routes I use the HUD on is SOS and Bakerloo and so I would say yes it is 100% possible to drive HUDless, apart from when checking loading at stations, as long as you spend enough time familiarising yourself with the routes.
