Hello everyone, When playing the 1J13 (class 395) service from Margate to St Pancras Int'l on my PC, I encounterd a big issue with the TVM signaling station. When I drove towards Stratford, the TVM was working fine I think. However there was another 395 in the station so when I got towards the end of the tunnel, I had to brake from 170 km/h to 0. I put on the max brake but was not able to make it in time. I can't imagine train drivers to go full emergency everytime they have to stop for a red signal. So does anybody know if this is a bug or do I really need to go emergency? After some research there is a similar problem with the TGV route so I'm still posting this to raise the issue again.
Slowing down when approaching a station is standard practice for a train driver. 170kmh approaching Stratford Station is a bit too fast.
I encountered the same issue on a trip that I took towards St. Pancras. When I entered Stratford, the TVM went from 130 down to 0 immediately and I too had no room to stop. This doesn't seem right to me, as I was arriving into Stratford one minute before the timetabled arrival time to see another Javelin parked on the platform.
I don't know if the system is implemented correctly on the route but a general rule I follow is if the speed indicator continues to blink I keep braking. let's say 170 km/h blinking after reaching the speed I keep braking let's say to 130 Km/h. One thing that notice is that there's 3 speed indication areas on the painel --- --- --- if the last 3 digits are blinking, the next restriction is to stop (000 over red). So for example you have a speed indication like this: --- 170 --- (170 is blinking) you have to reach this speed before the end of the block and as soon as you reach it you keep braking maybe with less brake pressure. You've reached the end of the block and now the painel show: --- --- 170 <-- blinking you have to keep braking on the 395 close to 60-70% brake application. But the thing is when you get this new indication, you're already below 170 and braking... so the only thing you have todo is apply the right brake pressure to stop on time. Sorry for my English but that is how I managed to not get a SPAD when this happens. Don't know weather or not it's right.
One thing to notice is that according the the page below about TVM430 on Wikipedia, before a red cab signal indicator we should get a 080 speed restriction and that doesn't happen on the game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_Voie-Machine
The answer is: it's a little bit complicated. But it can be normal for TVM to show 170 and then STOP. I will let you translate this: "Indication d'annonce d'arrêt" "Cette indication commande au conducteur de s'arrêter avant le premier repère rencontré. Elle peut être présentée après une limitation de vitesse à 080 (indications 80cli ou 80E cli) mais aussi après une limitation de vitesse à 170 (indication 170 cli ou 170E cli)," https://lesiteferroviaire.pagesperso-orange.fr/TVM 430.htm The breaking curve in this case would be as follow: For a beginner I would say that if you see 170 flashing, assume 0 next. As linked by someone else this thread also discusses the occurrence: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/tvm-is-a-buggy-mess.32654/
I have done some research, and apparently it is normal if the TVM jumps from 170hm/h to a full stop signal, however I assume that it happens very infrequently, and usually drops to 80km/h before displaying a stop signal. Second, this should only happen if the block length is sufficient for the driver to stop the train by the next signal without necessarily needing to use a full service brake application. However, in game, this usually happens when a stop is required right between two stations, and does not take into account the length of the block length, which is why most of the time full service is needed persistently, and possibly emergency braking, in order to try come to a stop before the next marker (When the TVM dashboard changes from 170 to 000). The TVM-430 signalling system is designed to try reduce stress on the driver by gradually reducing the speed limit, meaning that maximum braking does not need to be used for long periods of time, if any at all. It also, unlike the game it seems, takes into account other factors such as the train’s brake performance, the length of the block in which the speed reduction has been issued, and also track gradients, which can impact the trains deceleration. I therefore believe that the system has not been properly implemented into the game, and I myself have been subject to this issue, and also noticed some other bugs with it, for example the speed limit jumping from 100 to 160 when there is a train in front, however this time issuing an emergency brake application if the speed is not within the ‘tolerance zone’.
