Real Time Trains users

[Ducatist4]

Anyone very familiar with it? Today for example I saw that OO8G was running from Workop to Leicester and was passing Shirebrook at 17.44. It was activated just before lunch I think but it didn’t run. Usually a few others gather to see trains like this but no one else turned up so presumably they knew it wasn’t running.
So, how could I have been sure if it was running or not?

 

[Bletchleyite]

You can tell once the first time goes "bold" to show that it actually did leave the origin. Before that you can't.

 

[Ducatist4]

I guessed that was the case. Problem here is that it’s only ten minutes from Worksop to Shirebrook and it’s twenty minutes from my house to Shirebrook station

 

[FGW_DID]

Anyone very familiar with it? Today for example I saw that OO8G was running from Workop to Leicester and was passing Shirebrook at 17.44. It was activated just before lunch I think but it didn’t run. Usually a few others gather to see trains like this but no one else turned up so presumably they knew it wasn’t running.
So, how could I have been sure if it was running or not?

It is running, just started 46 mins late!

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R02238/2019/07/10/advanced

By the way 0O8G isn’t a real headcode, it’s a scrambled headcode for RTT and doesn’t basically mean a thing!
Although the first digit is usually the same as the real headcode, in this instance 0 - a light engine.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Talking of RTT, why does it obscure freight headcodes/reporting numbers? I'm sure I heard it related to security, but it's not like a headcode tells you a lot about what's on board, surely?

 

[yorkie]

Talking of RTT, why does it obscure freight headcodes/reporting numbers? I'm sure I heard it related to security, but it's not like a headcode tells you a lot about what's on board, surely?

Real Time Trains does not obscure the headcodes; as with Open Train Times and other sites, it shows whatever is in the open data feed.

As for why some headcodes are scrambled in the open data feed, see https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/realtime-trains-freight-headcodes.131018/#post-2577155 (also https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/real-time-trains-headcodes.139860/ )

 

[FGW_DID]

Talking of RTT, why does it obscure freight headcodes/reporting numbers? I'm sure I heard it related to security, but it's not like a headcode tells you a lot about what's on board, surely?

No idea really, I think security / commercial interest is usually the most cited reason but GBRF headcodes usually appear in their correct format.

 

[Highlandspring]

No idea really, I think security / commercial interest is usually the most cited reason but GBRF headcodes usually appear in their correct format.

That’s a commercial decision (agreed with Network Rail) taken by GBRf who encourage their operational staff to use the website rather than paying out for individual access to internal rail industry specific platforms.

 

[Ducatist4]

Got back there just in time to see it! 2x class 37’s.
Thanks everyone!

 

[Andy Pacer]

I did hear that go past the back of my house, and sounded like 37's so that's useful confirmation!