Thanks Simon G,
I think what caught me out was that the warning signs for the 'Neutral Section' around Kings Road are rather small and you don't really notice it/them. I had to run slowly past the area to see what was going on. I think it is a great idea to have this real-life system programmed in but it's obvious that few trains have used it so far and it isn't uppermost in BVE drivers' minds. I remember using it in the Watford-Milton Keynes route, not that it worked/stopped the train but as the signs were very obvious it was good driving practice to shut off power and watch for the end sign. I seem to remember that you got a different sound when running under the 'dead' section!
As you say, perhaps this discussion will have taught BVE drivers to understand and work to the rules concerning 'Neutral sections. I suspect many BVE drivers are just having fun and don't take in 'real railway practice. While having it's faults BVE is really very good and if a user is interested enough they will find it more enjoyable to work to railway rules & regulations and handle their trains more realistically, rather than just flash through section after section without worrying about what would go wrong if you tried that on the real railway.
Another ruling that BVE doesn't show up is where your 'train length' ends when coming off a speed check. Locos such as Class 66's have a 'Train Length' counter. The driver enters the length of the train (in feet) into the system, along with other data, when they take over a train or light loco. Then as the loco approaches a speed check 'termination' board they press a button to start the countdown and as the number approaches zero, when you receive a light buzzer sound, you regain power and pull away again. On trains without such a counter it is purely a mental check that the driver uses to clear the check, but you can never be certain as to how accurate this is, albeit it is probably accurate enough not to allow the rear of the train to be anywhere near going too fast. Even with my method in BVE I often get the warning flash back up, if only for a second or two.
The way I learn the train length is on first using a new route or train, is to run just fast enough to get the 'overspeed' warning and watch where it goes off and remember this spot and then have a mental image of the length that I can use for any other speed check. Perhaps BVE should also be able to derail a train that has gone well over the speed limit and would teach BVE's what the likely outcome would be and respect speed restrictions more.
Whether BVE is capable of allowing a length counter, I don't know, but would drivers want to be bothered having to type the info in before driving off and then actually using the counter!
Cheers.
BillEWS.
I think what caught me out was that the warning signs for the 'Neutral Section' around Kings Road are rather small and you don't really notice it/them. I had to run slowly past the area to see what was going on. I think it is a great idea to have this real-life system programmed in but it's obvious that few trains have used it so far and it isn't uppermost in BVE drivers' minds. I remember using it in the Watford-Milton Keynes route, not that it worked/stopped the train but as the signs were very obvious it was good driving practice to shut off power and watch for the end sign. I seem to remember that you got a different sound when running under the 'dead' section!
As you say, perhaps this discussion will have taught BVE drivers to understand and work to the rules concerning 'Neutral sections. I suspect many BVE drivers are just having fun and don't take in 'real railway practice. While having it's faults BVE is really very good and if a user is interested enough they will find it more enjoyable to work to railway rules & regulations and handle their trains more realistically, rather than just flash through section after section without worrying about what would go wrong if you tried that on the real railway.
Another ruling that BVE doesn't show up is where your 'train length' ends when coming off a speed check. Locos such as Class 66's have a 'Train Length' counter. The driver enters the length of the train (in feet) into the system, along with other data, when they take over a train or light loco. Then as the loco approaches a speed check 'termination' board they press a button to start the countdown and as the number approaches zero, when you receive a light buzzer sound, you regain power and pull away again. On trains without such a counter it is purely a mental check that the driver uses to clear the check, but you can never be certain as to how accurate this is, albeit it is probably accurate enough not to allow the rear of the train to be anywhere near going too fast. Even with my method in BVE I often get the warning flash back up, if only for a second or two.
The way I learn the train length is on first using a new route or train, is to run just fast enough to get the 'overspeed' warning and watch where it goes off and remember this spot and then have a mental image of the length that I can use for any other speed check. Perhaps BVE should also be able to derail a train that has gone well over the speed limit and would teach BVE's what the likely outcome would be and respect speed restrictions more.
Whether BVE is capable of allowing a length counter, I don't know, but would drivers want to be bothered having to type the info in before driving off and then actually using the counter!
Cheers.
BillEWS.