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RTT and things you may not know or realise

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by RalphW, Apr 13, 2014.

  1. 46223

    46223 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Where in Ben's post did he say that people were stupid to rely on RTT?
     
  2. Ben Vintage-Trains

    Ben Vintage-Trains Member

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    I think referring to someone as "stupid" for trusting RTT is a little insulting. I would prefer to think that they have misinterpreted the accuracy of a very official sounding web application.

    The challenge we have with Twitter and Facebook on the day of an excursion is we are all working on the train, and not sitting next to the computer!
     
  3. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Is the Diesel acting as a banker?
     
  4. Hemerdon

    Hemerdon Member Friend

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    Alan, Ben didn't say that, I was merely asking the question. Maybe stupid is a bit strong but if I had spent a lot of money and was looking forward to a great day out (which is what you do going on a steam charter) and had heard through another source that the tour was not running, I would want to confirm it direct with the charter company or their official channels. To me that seems common sense.
     
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  5. 46223

    46223 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Apologies Hemerdon, I read your post wrong and now realise what you actually meant.
    I must get more sleep!:oops:
     
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  6. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    People will always turn up at the last minute, and even worse when departing from the tour destinations. Last year on tour that I was stewarding on, passengers were given three options as destinations, Hastings, Eastbourne and Brighton. So after reaching Brighton the ECS returned to Hastings where, as we departed on time, several passengers appeared on the platform and were left behind, and then then the same thing happened at Brighton. Departure times were clearly printed on the tickets, and in the tour brochure, so what can you do???
     
  7. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    Pax are late for everything, Planes, Trains, Ferries, When Branson launches his space shuttle someone will be late to check in there as well. The only common denominator in every case is the fact the late pax will be aggrieved and complain bitterly that everyone else wasn't inconvenienced and forced to wait for them.
     
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  8. 8A Rail

    8A Rail Member

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    May be people should look at what RTT actually does in the first place and where it obtains it's info / times / details from, this may assist - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/about and http://blog.realtimetrains.co.uk/2013/08/welcome-rttv2.html Just please remember, it is only as good as it's original source of info / times / details. Personally, it is an excellent application and everyone should appreciate the time and work that has gone into rather than criticise or picky over information / times / details provided by RTT. What is the alternative, it dont exist then you all have something to complain about!
     
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  9. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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  10. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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  11. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    There remains quite a lot of confusion over RTT data as it relates to steam charters. This note is to restate a few points as we understand it.
    • A steam charter will always be shown as 'diesel' because there is no facility in the software that migrates into RTT for a 'steam' entry to be made.
    • The maximum speed shown may relate to the registered speed maximum of the locomotive but it may not. The reason is explained in the next point but it does not necessarily mean that just because a 75 mph locomotive is shown on a RTT path as timed for 60 mph, that it will be restricted to 60.
    • The load shown will seldom equate to the actual load of the train. The reason for this is that the software has to handle a form of traction that is slower to accelerate than others on the network and the only way to allow for that and create the space around other services is by tweaking the variables - i.e. to, for example, 715 tonnes and 60 mph.
    So whilst the times shown will be real, the other entries are not and are there to make the software work, or occasionally, force a path to fit.
     
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  12. EltonRoad

    EltonRoad New Member

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    I suppose tell-tale signs that it's steam (if there's any doubt!) are
    1) presence of water stops
    2) light engine or turning paths at one or both ends of the journey (possibly on day before or day after, if light engine move)
    3) slower path than would be expected for a service train or diesel tour, for that route
    4) similar path to previous steam-hauled trips, for a given route
    5) extended stop at somewhere appropriate for steam to come on, e.g. Carnforth, Crewe etc.
     
  13. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Also remember that what is on RTT is not to be taken as 100% fact until it is activated, usually on the morning of the tour.
     
  14. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Al & Ralph have the jist of it, treat RTT as a guide rather than proof of facts beyond all doubt.
     
  15. 5098

    5098 Well-Known Member

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    Even then it's not necessarily 100% accurate, as those of us who waited for last Saturday's Cleethorpes - Carlisle excursion which took a route other than the one shown on RTT can testify!
     
  16. Western Venturer

    Western Venturer Well-Known Member

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    The route of the original would have been planned in advance of course and it would be virtually impossible to put the revised route into the system right away. Its Network Rails Information that Tom uses so to keep knocking RTT for being wrong just doesnt wash,he doesnt put the info in by hand, he just uses the data given by NR .. as Ralph says use it as a guide and cross check it with Gen groups if you can..
     
  17. 5098

    5098 Well-Known Member

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    Wasn't knocking, just making an observation.
     
  18. bonniville

    bonniville New Member

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    does RTT show what diesel unit is allocated to a freight service
     
  19. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    As far as I can make out, for any service you get the speed for which the path has been calculated and whether it is a diesel or electric locomotive. Steam, as you know, is always shown as diesel and usually at 60 mph (even if the loco itself can run at 75 mph). Sometimes the steam path is shown as 75 mph.

    For freight you just get the fact that it is diesel and what speed it has been pathed at. So an example today below:
    http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R91096/2015/10/15/advanced
    If the freight is electric you get that clue but nothing more. For example:
    http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H20530/2015/10/15/advanced

    What you do get when the passenger train is a unit is the actual type. Two examples from today for you:
    http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y39256/2015/10/15/advanced
    http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y58360/2015/10/15/advanced

    Hope that helps
     
  20. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Careful - it is the type that the train was pathed for, not the type that will/did actually work the service. So on the Skegness line, it will be pathed for a Sprinter (classes 150/153/156), but that doesn't (a) tell me which class to expect or (b) prevent a 158 being rostered.

    When I used to use 1Y90 out of York a lot, it always came up on RTT as an IC125, even when a 91 + MKIV set substituted.
     

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