A heap of confusion

[Maniac302]

I'm having trouble with trains that come in, and then uncouple in the station. For example, loc> 768a comes into track 6, then uncouples. His movement orders tell him to switch directions a couple times, and then couple with 768Aw. The only problem is, there is not 768Aw. So I just shunt him off into the berg, and he stays there. Meanwhile, the cars he came in with are still clogging up platform six.

This is just one example. I don't know what is going on. (I have show unstaffed trains on)

[signalsoftRC]

if you look in the locoplan, you'll see that the loco for the 768A is FROM the D10 (or TEE 10).

Though your description doesn't describe what's actually happening. I think you mean another train number? (765?)

The D10/TEE10 goes to track 4 and the arriving loco will go over into the 768A (which runs a while later) D 10 arrives 8:38, the 768A departs on 10:19... up to you as dispatcher to find a spot in the yard for it... the movement orders are made up that way that you have most flexibility.

the 768Aw is actually an "internal number" that you shouldn't worry about (it's to separate the ID's of the consists)

(it means its the "wagons" (cars") from/for the 786A.) It could be any name... as long as the loco gets on teh same track as the cars where it's looking for... it will work.

with the "pattern" loco changes, you need to look into the locoplan to know which loco goes where/train cars go where.

[Maniac302]

I figured it out a few frustrating hours after I posted this. It didn't make sense why a lot of the locos were switching out, until realized that trains from Zevenaar were coming and and swapping out diesels for electrics, and the trains going to Zevenaar were swapping out electrics for diesels. Then it made sense.

[signalsoftRC]

did you read the chapter 13 "dispatching in Arnhem"?

It contains all needed information :-)

[amollen]

Maniac:

I got started with this sim in January, I went to the following phases:

1) Not a clue what was going on

2) Starting to see the patterns

3) Starting to take control but still making bad mistakes (like sending a loco down the wrong track -- can be a mess to straighten out)

4) Generally be able to run several hours at a time without any mistakes (ok, sometimes I forget to turn that signal to green in time for the scheduled departure, but heck, this is 1965, life was less hectic then )

In general, the loco switching is the most intensive part of the schedule. Weekday mornings between 8:00 and 9:15 are particularly busy. Then when a train is very late and you need to find spare loco's and assign them instructions yourself, that's where you earn your money!

To make it easier on myself, I sketch out graphically which trains stop at which tracks, and where they need to go (according to the loco schedule). It's derived from, but easier to work with than the printed schedule that comes as part of the documentation. I will try to scan a sample of my "system". I guess once you get to be more experienced, you won't need it, but I still need all the help I can get...

[Maniac302]

Yes, I read chapter 13, but it doesn't really make sens until you know what it's talking about, so I glazed over it.

[amollen]

Well, I can scan a sketch of my "system" to a pdf, but I don't see a way to attach a pdf file to a post on this forum. Or is there?

[signalsoftRC]

if you send it to the known feedback address (see manual) then I can make it available to anyone if you like?

[signalsoftRC]

Yes, I read chapter 13, but it doesn't really make sense until you know what it's talking about, so I glazed over it.

Would you agree that that chapter is utmost important to read? just to understand what's going on?

But it should be read AFTER you went through "how to do the basics" on the panel.

Did you try Lodelo too? just to start off?

[amollen]

if you send it to the known feedback address (see manual) then I can make it available to anyone if you like?

Richard I'll get something together today or tomorrow and send it to you...

[Maniac302]

Would you agree that that chapter is utmost important to read? just to understand what's going on?

But it should be read AFTER you went through "how to do the basics" on the panel.

Did you try Lodelo too? just to start off?

Yes, I would agree that that chapter is very important to read. However, when I first read the manual (since I had never done anything like this before), everything was new to me, so it was a lot to take in. I read it again after gaining an understanding of Arnhem, and a lot of the things in the manual made more sense.

Yes, I did Lodelo, but that is just sending trains along one track, one after another. It doesn't involve changing of locomotives in a busy station.

[signalsoftRC]

Lodelo is meant to be exactly that.... gaining experience with basic operations. Arnhem is a step-up. (Hengelo a jump-up)