English Teamwork 2 planning and discussion

[1993matias]

Phew, I'm glad I didn't clash with any of your changes!

If the golden letters and the moon are on the south side, the compartments will be on the north side - the coastal side. But considering the timings of night trains in Montspoor, I don't think all that many passengers will be enjoying the view at 5 am. It works great for me!

I will slowly be preparing the layout for the introduction of IC services by adding the required timing points, data at switches, speed limits, etc. This will take place over some time, so there will be several small updates released on the drive - probably without announcements. The trains themselves will not be added until everything is finished.

PS: If some of the IC trains were to contain auto-carriers to Cairndow, do you have a preference as to which side of the train they should be coupled to?

[1993matias]

There has been a minor update probably fixing a couple of dispatcher messages. Other than that a lot of preparation for IC lines in Montspoor has been done. They will hopefully be fully implemented before the end of September

[Sascha Claus]

Glück auf,
after some absence I’ve tried to build something new, and the new sub-version is available as New_EN-Teamwork-v59f.nt3 on the Drive. New are some harbour piers of Warstones and Hull.

Ferry M/V Dragonstone was launched and is busy shuttling between Warstones, Harrogate on the island of Dragonstone and Crab Town on the island of Claw Isle; alternating between the seaside termini. Note that the harbours are not yet finished, so passengers have to swim to the shore or otherwise organize last mile travel on their own.

Another two ships, M/V Driftmark Castle and M/V Driftwood Throne, were launched as well and are ferrying cars and passengers on the longer route to Hull on the larger island of Driftmark. Preparations for loading trains onto the ferries were seen as well. Note that these ships might look to the casual observer like a train—but that’s just an optical illusion!

Further construction was paused, as there were some urgent phone calls neccessitating attention:

Code: Alles auswählen

  0  Do  5:21:26            M        M-R53  5316. Zählerüberlauf: Signalanlage Sd_pl29_blocked
  0  Do  5:34:01            M        M-S31 31004. Zählerüberlauf: Signalanlage Cc_pl10
  0  Do  6:01:46            M           R1  6705. Zähler bereits 0: Signalanlage S946
  0  Do  6:28:19            M        M-R62  6203. Zähler bereits 0: Signalanlage S1002
  0  Do  6:33:20      M-Ferry      M-Ferry   104. Zähler bereits 0: Signalanlage S917
  0  Do  7:03:18      M-Ferry      M-Ferry   105. Zähler bereits 0: Signalanlage S2102
  0  Do  7:05:22            M        M-R63  6303. Zähler bereits 0: Signalanlage S1030
  0  Do  7:34:40            M        M-S31 31014. Zählerüberlauf: Signalanlage Cc_pl10
  0  Do  7:47:27            M           R2  4217. Zähler bereits 0: Signalanlage S794
  0  Do  8:29:04            M           R1  1016. Blockade, Wartezeit mindestens: 0:05:00 
  0  Do  8:31:04            M        M-R77  7728. Zähler bereits 0: Signalanlage S63
  0  Do     9:00         TW-2         TW-2     1. Ausrücken für nicht eingerückten Zug
  0  Do     9:11 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  TP_01050
  0  Do     9:27 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Titchwell_pl3_RE1-R11
  0  Do  9:28:04            M           R1  1020. Blockade, Wartezeit mindestens: 0:05:00 
  0  Do     9:45         TW-1         TW-1     1. Ausrücken für nicht eingerückten Zug
  0  Do    10:11 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Willey_pl3_RE1-R11
  0  Do    10:25 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Wj_pl1_RE1-R11
  0  Do    10:34 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Willey_pl3_RE1-R11
  0  Do    10:41 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Wc_pl1_RE1-R11
  0  Do    10:49 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Wj_pl1_RE1-R11
  0  Do    10:50 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  TP_01010
  0  Do    11:04 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Willey_pl1_RE1-R11
  0  Do    11:09 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Wc_pl1_RE1-R11
  0  Do    11:17 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  TP_01010
  0  Do    11:31 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Willey_pl1_RE1-R11
  0  Do    11:49 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  Titchwell_pl2_RE1_R11
  0  Do 12:04:30 ------------ ------------ -----  Abfahrt ausgefallen am Taktpunkt  TP_01027

A load of signal counter over- and underruns, then at 9:28:04 engine M / R1 # 1020 was blocked at a red signal, which apprently led to some missed departures down the line.

[1993matias]

Oh no, that's not good! I can take a look on Wednesday at the earliest. My apologies for the inconvenience caused

[1993matias]

Further construction was paused, as there were some urgent phone calls neccessitating attention:
[...]
A load of signal counter over- and underruns, then at 9:28:04 engine M / R1 # 1020 was blocked at a red signal, which apprently led to some missed departures down the line.

The issues have been fixed on my part. Should I fix them in version 59f from you? Otherwise you are free to continue on the recently uploaded version 59e-fix.
I did not know you tracked signal system over- and underflows which is why I did not either. Now I know

I am also glad to see some activity here. Preparations for the IC services along Montspoor are waiting but not forgotten. One day...!

[Sascha Claus]

Mahlzeit,

The issues have been fixed on my part. Should I fix them in version 59f from you? Otherwise you are free to continue on the recently uploaded version 59e-fix.

I’m continuing with your 59e-fix.

I did not know you tracked signal system over- and underflows which is why I did not either. Now I know

I’m tracking everything. Signal counter over- and underflows shouldn’t happen and are often symptom of something gone wrong.

[1993matias]

Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience

You might want to add to the contact at 26963/5945 the following to the route field: M-RE7(n=7017), M-R71(n=7167), M-M(n=67061)
And check the check box for "not valid for these routes". That should fix the counter issue there, I just forgot about it when fixing this version.

[Sascha Claus]

Mahlzeit,

Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience

here we have white-and-red railway undertaking which is using “sorry for the inconvenience” really often …

You might want to add to the contact at 26963/5945 the following to the route field: M-RE7(n=7017), M-R71(n=7167), M-M(n=67061)
And check the check box for "not valid for these routes". That should fix the counter issue there, I just forgot about it when fixing this version.

Done! We’ll see how it works.

Also, I’ve renamed the Touregio (SC-TR23) trains from Clydesgow and Torkham to Willey, which are eagerly awaiting extension to the sunny beach resorts of Montspoor. The old names where too whimsy because I couldn’t think of something better. Now I’ve managed to dig up some names that are radiating a mood of summer holidays and were used for actual trains:

• Morning/Evening Flamingo → Ferryden
• Morning/Evening Bluebird → Bolsward
• Morning/Evening Pelican → somewehere north
• Morning/Evening Toucan → Titchwell

How sunny the beaches will be up there in the north remains left to the imagination of the viewer. Additionally, the Morning/Evening Comet was renamed Clansman.

[1993matias]

Great! It's always good to see more long distance traffic that's not hourly! When does it arrive/depart in Willey? I can start planning the extensions I would extend the Bluebird all the way to Bordele as that is the main city and where the main passenger yard is. How about the Pelican going via Bolsward and then along the coast to Penmarch (where electrification ends)? The Flamingo would take the straight line from Flornes bypassing Bordele.
I'm wondering what's so special about Titchwell that a train would terminate there and not in Coates... Maybe some attraction?

PS: There seems to be some forgotten locomotive remnant of the IC1/IC5/IC6 tests. You may find and delete any trains registered as M-IC1/M-IC5/M-IC6 - although M-IC6 no. 99972 looks like the only troublemaker As the other white-and-red company says, we apologize for the inconvenience

[Sascha Claus]

’n Ahmdchen,

When does it arrive/depart in Willey?

They are part of the additional morning & evening IC1 trains. The ordinary trains split in Torkham into IC11 to Inverfyne and IC12 to Coates. The rush hour trains split into IC12 to Coates and TR23 to Willey and beyond, forming a rush hour addition to the ordinary, hourly IR23 to Willey.

The timetable can be determined by careful observation of the underground station southwest across the river from Willey. Note: TR23 is running with cab car towards Torkham (even if the cab looks like an ordinary baggage car), so no locomotive runaround needed. IR23 has no cab cars, so needs a loco runaround (and a proper timetable, as 24/7 service is not intended to be final).

Technical stuff: sub-routes of TR23 are differentiated by train number: 101+111 = Flamingo, 102+112 = Bluebird, 103+113 = Pelican, 104+114 = Toucan; at the terminals, the train name is swapped from morning to evening version and vice versa.

I would extend the Bluebird all the way to Bordele as that is the main city and where the main passenger yard is. How about the Pelican going via Bolsward and then along the coast to Penmarch (where electrification ends)? The Flamingo would take the straight line from Flornes bypassing Bordele.

to both!

I'm wondering what's so special about Titchwell that a train would terminate there and not in Coates... Maybe some attraction?

Maybe I was throwing darts at a map? If it is extended to Coates, maybe go somewhere the direct IC12 from Torkham doesn’t? E. g. along the bypass to Coates North or Harold's Cross for connection with the northbound S-trains. Or even further north?

PS: There seems to be some forgotten locomotive remnant of the IC1/IC5/IC6 tests. You may find and delete any trains registered as M-IC1/M-IC5/M-IC6 - although M-IC6 no. 99972 looks like the only troublemaker As the other white-and-red company says, we apologize for the inconvenience

Loco found and sent to Bender.

PS: There are still some birds unused, and some smaller towns without direct trains to Montspoor. A Gull from Dumfries, another train from Quainton, one from Falkirk etc.

[Sascha Claus]

Morning,

a new, half-finished version has been uploaded. The Warstones ferries were reduced in length from 260m to 230m, which is more in line with current Baltic sea ferries. The rear ramp was widened to accommodate three tracks, so that three sets of coaches can be loaded at once; a move neccessitated by the tight turnaround times of the ferries.

While watching the ships and twiddling with the shunting points, the idea of a fast catamaran ferry between Keswick and Hull crept up on me. Similar to Halunder Jet, it could do that in 3½ to 4 hours per direction and offer people from Keswick and Coates another option to go on holiday (or a daytrip). And Coates – Hull would be the perfect distance for an ordinary low-speed night ferry.

Meanwhile, shunting operations in Hull and Warstones are halfway complete, so that the Hull → ⛴ → Warstones → Coates/Torkham/Clydesgow section of the first night trains are running. Departure of the train to Coates in Warstones is 21:30 and leads straight into a depot (as do the other departures); the remaining section Warstones → Montspoor border will follow after the line is built.

Next step are the shunting ops for the opposite direction. Arrival of the InterNight from Coates in Warstones is 7:00, if I’m reading the timetable correctly (and another pair ar. 5:00/lv. 0:00, that will be handled later).

Oh, and for reasons, the Morning/Evening Toucan trains were renamed Tigerduck. Now, back to work.

[1993matias]

While watching the ships and twiddling with the shunting points, the idea of a fast catamaran ferry between Keswick and Hull crept up on me. Similar to Halunder Jet, it could do that in 3½ to 4 hours per direction and offer people from Keswick and Coates another option to go on holiday (or a daytrip). And Coates – Hull would be the perfect distance for an ordinary low-speed night ferry.

A night ferry from Coates all the way around the peninsula seems a bit counter-productive. Maybe from Selden it makes more sense? It already has ferries across to Ferryden and a harbour with infrastructure. Coates' harbour is industry and cargo oriented. A quick estimate is Coates -> Hull = 300+ kms, Keswick -> Hull = 175 kms. Selden is around 60 kms north of Coates.
High speed ferries from Keswick are very welcome! Feel free to initiate construction at a desired location in Keswick - maybe near the station?

[...]the remaining section Warstones → Montspoor border will follow after the line is built.

The final composition of the night trains from Coates to Warstones have been decided to be WLABmz-WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bcmz-Bmz-BDmpsz, 165 metres long. In Redbanks this train will be attached to another one coming from Cairndow forming one long train to Bordele, hence the short length.

Next step are the shunting ops for the opposite direction. Arrival of the InterNight from Coates in Warstones is 7:00, if I’m reading the timetable correctly (and another pair ar. 5:00/lv. 0:00, that will be handled later).

Correct, the expected arrival time in Warstones for the night train (number 699) is at around 7:00. The departure from Warstones is expected at around 21:30 for the return night train (number 694). These timings are of course subject to the actual line being built and can be changed.

- - - - -

The timetable can be determined by careful observation of the underground station southwest across the river from Willey. Note: TR23 is running with cab car towards Torkham (even if the cab looks like an ordinary baggage car), so no locomotive runaround needed. IR23 has no cab cars, so needs a loco runaround (and a proper timetable, as 24/7 service is not intended to be final).

IR23: Would it be possible to shift the timings in both directions by 30 minutes? That way they can run 30 minutes apart from the current IC1 on the route to Flornes (and Bordele). This will make timetabling a bit easier on my end
TR23: Does it run "opposite" the IR23 trains? Or does it run completely disconnected from other schedules? I suppose the tourists wouldn't mind longer stops here and there for the train to fit into the existing schedules.
I don't expect TR23 to be operational any time soon, as there are still lines to be built for it. What times does it leave Torkham, and when do you expect it back at Torkham?

Technical stuff: sub-routes of TR23 are differentiated by train number: 101+111 = Flamingo, 102+112 = Bluebird, 103+113 = Pelican, 104+114 = Toucan; at the terminals, the train name is swapped from morning to evening version and vice versa.

I might change the numbers locally within Montspoor as they clash with some IC1 train numbers (they go every four numbers from 111/112). But you will (hopefully) not notice that as I'll make sure to change it back before the border.

I'm wondering what's so special about Titchwell that a train would terminate there and not in Coates... Maybe some attraction?

Maybe I was throwing darts at a map? If it is extended to Coates, maybe go somewhere the direct IC12 from Torkham doesn’t? E. g. along the bypass to Coates North or Harold's Cross for connection with the northbound S-trains. Or even further north?

I'll put the Tigerduck somewhere past Titchwell. Where? That's a surprise

[Sascha Claus]

’n Ahmdchen,

A night ferry from Coates all the way around the peninsula seems a bit counter-productive. Maybe from Selden it makes more sense? It already has ferries across to Ferryden and a harbour with infrastructure. Coates' harbour is industry and cargo oriented.

is the ferry harbour in Selden sufficiently large for, say, a Stena Hollandica-sized ship?

Coates' harbour is industry and cargo oriented.

So are Harwich and Hoek of Holland/Rotterdam. But for a few thousand passengers per ferry, some place might be found. Kiel managed a place quite close to old town and railway station.

A quick estimate is Coates -> Hull = 300+ kms, Keswick -> Hull = 175 kms. Selden is around 60 kms north of Coates.

At 22kn / 40km/h, that’s a good night’s sleep between Coates and Hull, even when travelling slower in the firth/sound/bay south of Selden to Coates. Selden – Hull would be six hours; that would be a short night, and if passengers are allowed to stay onboard longer, you can’t go anywhere else with the ferry to earn some money.

High speed ferries from Keswick are very welcome! Feel free to initiate construction at a desired location in Keswick - maybe near the station?

Near the rail station would be preferable, but which one? And won’t the locals complain about the loss of beach or waterfront promenade?
And what size would you prefer? A huge one like Cruise Barcelona of 254m×30.4m and 52 km/h, a large one like HSC Express of 103.5m×14.5m and 68.5 km/h or a small one like Halunder Jet of 56.4m×14m and 65 km/h?

The final composition of the night trains from Coates to Warstones have been decided to be WLABmz-WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bcmz-Bmz-BDmpsz, 165 metres long. In Redbanks this train will be attached to another one coming from Cairndow forming one long train to Bordele, hence the short length.

In Warstones, the IN will be split into two for Hull and Harrogate. Since we need two sets of coaches to run daily, I suggest one as WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bmz-WLABmz-Bcmz-BDmpsz and the other one as WLABmz-Bcmz-BDmpsz-WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bmz and the first three carriages to Hull, the rear to Harrogate. The accessible couchette would be going to Hull one day and to Harrogate the other day; and the accessible seating car the other way round.

Would you mind if I attach some seating cars for Redbanks? And how’s the Cairndow train gonna look?

Correct, the expected arrival time in Warstones for the night train (number 699) is at around 7:00. The departure from Warstones is expected at around 21:30 for the return night train (number 694).

They would then go onto the 9:00 ferry to Hull (arr. 12:00) and the 14:45 ferry to Harrogate (arr. 15:30). OK, I’m going to change the timetable of M/V Dragonstone, which is alternating between Warstones – Harrogate and Warstones – Crab Town, then we have a 10:15 departure in Warstones to Harrogate (arr. 11:30).

Arrival from Hull would be on the 20:00 ferry (dep. Hull 18:00) and from Harrogate on the 20:45 ferry (dep. Harr. 20:00).

IR23: Would it be possible to shift the timings in both directions by 30 minutes? That way they can run 30 minutes apart from the current IC1 on the route to Flornes (and Bordele). This will make timetabling a bit easier on my end

In Torkham, half-hourly IR1 from Clydesgow is split into one half-hourly section for Inverfyne, which is alternating between hourly IR11T to Rothesay via Cairndow and hourly IR21T to Warstones via Cairndow. The other half is alternating between IR23 to northeast (Willey) and IR24 to east (nameless country). So yes, switching IR23 and IR24 so that the timetable changes by 30min is easy.

TR23: Does it run "opposite" the IR23 trains?

On its way from Cydeshire Airport to Torkham, it runs together with IC1 between the regular half-hourly IC1 trains at 15min offset. The IC1 section (Challenger/Chariot/Chief/Clansman) continues to Coates at the same offset to the regular IC1. Since IC1 and IR1 are in Torkham at the same time to enable connections between them and the local trains, TR23 will leave a few minutes after its IC1 half, and therefore at 15min offset to IR23.

I suppose the tourists wouldn't mind longer stops here and there for the train to fit into the existing schedules.

Agreed.

What times does it leave Torkham, and when do you expect it back at Torkham?

At the times it currently runs … I’ll have to take a look and report back.

I might change the numbers locally within Montspoor as they clash with some IC1 train numbers (they go every four numbers from 111/112).

If you keep my locos with base route SC-TR23, make sure to not clash with the existing train numbers (100-114 so far).

I'll put the Tigerduck somewhere past Titchwell. Where? That's a surprise

Panama?

[1993matias]

’n Ahmdchen,

A night ferry from Coates all the way around the peninsula seems a bit counter-productive. Maybe from Selden it makes more sense? It already has ferries across to Ferryden and a harbour with infrastructure. Coates' harbour is industry and cargo oriented.

is the ferry harbour in Selden sufficiently large for, say, a Stena Hollandica-sized ship?

Coates' harbour is industry and cargo oriented.

So are Harwich and Hoek of Holland/Rotterdam. But for a few thousand passengers per ferry, some place might be found. Kiel managed a place quite close to old town and railway station.

A quick estimate is Coates -> Hull = 300+ kms, Keswick -> Hull = 175 kms. Selden is around 60 kms north of Coates.

At 22kn / 40km/h, that’s a good night’s sleep between Coates and Hull, even when travelling slower in the firth/sound/bay south of Selden to Coates. Selden – Hull would be six hours; that would be a short night, and if passengers are allowed to stay onboard longer, you can’t go anywhere else with the ferry to earn some money.

All right, you're the ferry boss, make it happen I have no idea where to put the ferry in Coates Harbour though. You can leave it in a temporary terminus somewhere in the middle of the river - let passengers fix last-mile transport, as you suggested in an earlier post
Selden can surely fit 200+ metre ferries somewhere. Allocation for freight ships has not happened yet, so be sure to grab a spot before someone else does!

High speed ferries from Keswick are very welcome! Feel free to initiate construction at a desired location in Keswick - maybe near the station?

Near the rail station would be preferable, but which one? And won’t the locals complain about the loss of beach or waterfront promenade?
And what size would you prefer? A huge one like Cruise Barcelona of 254m×30.4m and 52 km/h, a large one like HSC Express of 103.5m×14.5m and 68.5 km/h or a small one like Halunder Jet of 56.4m×14m and 65 km/h?

You can choose exactly the ferry you see fit The station I had in mind was Keswick Central (the terminus station). And I am sure the citizens will be ecstatic to see more infrastructure in lieu of beaches and waterfront promenades! I know I would!

The final composition of the night trains from Coates to Warstones have been decided to be WLABmz-WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bcmz-Bmz-BDmpsz, 165 metres long. In Redbanks this train will be attached to another one coming from Cairndow forming one long train to Bordele, hence the short length.

In Warstones, the IN will be split into two for Hull and Harrogate. Since we need two sets of coaches to run daily, I suggest one as WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bmz-WLABmz-Bcmz-BDmpsz and the other one as WLABmz-Bcmz-BDmpsz-WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bmz and the first three carriages to Hull, the rear to Harrogate. The accessible couchette would be going to Hull one day and to Harrogate the other day; and the accessible seating car the other way round.

I can do WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bcmz - WLABmz-Bdcmz-Bcmz? Who needs seating cars overnight anyway when night train tickets are subsidized after all
An alternative is to have two night trains 30 or 60 minutes apart from either terminus on your end, thus avoiding the splitting and allowing for longer trains including luggage compartments.

Would you mind if I attach some seating cars for Redbanks?

I would rather not as shunting time in Redbanks is very short (10-20 minutes) and space is not a lot. Then I would prefer the two separate trains solution with extra seating cars the whole way.

And how’s the Cairndow train gonna look?

Coates <-> Cairndow and further west: WLAmz - WLABmz - WLABmz - Bkmz - Bdcmz - Bcmz - Bcmz - Bmz - Dmz (and possibly two car carriers)
Bkmz has a small bistro compartment.
There is also a possibility for a 2nd night train from way west via Cairndow all the way to Bordele (Cairndow eastwards ~3:45, westwards ~3:45)

[...]So yes, switching IR23 and IR24 so that the timetable changes by 30min is easy.

Great! I'll plan with IR23 in Wiley around :46 instead of the current :16