SimSig

[jonny]

This is indeed a very recommendable simulation, cos you can chat on MSN at the same time!

[tubeguru]

I put it on difficult level earlier.

You might think that running four trains in rotation between Bank and Waterloo was easy, but not when you have two track circuit failures in 90 minutes on the points from the Depot road 5 to Waterloo platform 25!

I had to freeze the service with two trains at Bank and two at Waterloo, all four set non-ARS so they didn't get any ideas about moving off and getting stopped in the tunnel for ages.

I ended up an hour behind!

It's not easy ...

[tubeguru]

For those who play Simsig, you won't be able to run it on ARS the whole time, because train 5C01 needs manual routing out of the depot to platform 25 at 07:31.

Actually, that's rubbish if you've got ARS set for class 5 trains. I usually run the ARS sims (Didcot eg) with ARS switched on for class 1 and 2 trains only. I like to route freight/ECS/light locos manually.

[jonny]

Ive played the whole timetable on difficult

I think I had 4 service suspensions during the day, all due to the points at Bank being locked by Track Circuit Failure.

I think I ended up with about 65% lol.

[tubeguru]

I just had a signal lamp failure and two track circuit failures in an hour!

I think that's pushing it a bit, but I did have all the sliders on max for failures ...

[jonny]

I only got one Signal Lamp failure all day.

There were a few delays due to broken windows and stuff, but there were no points failures. Just tons and tons of Track Circuit Failures.

[tubeguru]

Bump time.

I was just playing the updated Bristol sim in 1985 mode and it occured to me that I need someine to help play it. It's OK to start but then at about 8am the number of trains is just crazy and you have run-rounds to do at Temple Meads.

Is anyone else on here playing Simsig these days?

[tubeguru]

For those of you who play Simsig (and for those of you who don't), they've just released two new Scottish sims. First there's Edinburgh which contains a somewhat massive area of coverage, and there's also Central Scotland, based on Glasgow Queen Street to Stirling and the surrounding lines. For the first time you get semaphores to control. There's also work in progress on a North East Scotland sim (Perth to Aberdeen) but there's no timetable available for that yet.

I'm up to 06.21 on the 2006 Edinburgh timetable and I now have 35 trains keeping me on my toes.

Jonny - I think I'm going to need your help with it soon on multiplayer!

[jonny]

Over the next few weeks I should be available at some point, but I'm not sure exactly when yet, I'll let you know!

[tubeguru]

I've now got 45 trains and even on 1/2 speed I still can't keep up!

[Edgemaster]

I may be up for a bit of multiplayer action at some point, I may 'revise' with it over the holiday!

[tubeguru]

That's good, because the sims I am playing are a bit hectic for one person. Bristol 1985 is a good example ...

[tubeguru]

OK, time to bump this one to the top because, just in time for Christmas, Simsig have released THREE new sims.

Liverpool Lime Street looks to be the "easiest" of the three, followed by Saltley (a sprawling, comprehensive simulation of the West Midlands area around Birmingham, but without New Street station), and the frankly awesome-looking Euston. Despite only covering the two miles of line from Euston to the Primrose Hill tunnels, the sheer complexity of trackwork looks like it may make for some headaches, especially in '60s mode where there are likely to be significantly more movements than there are now (parcels, goods, loco movements etc.).

Euston was indeed originally written with the 1960s in mind, but there are options for '80s and '90s layouts for when the timetables become available for those periods.

The website is at http://www.simsig.co.uk for those who are interested in such things.

I'm now off to get my arse kicked at Euston ...