Simple question about RealTimeTrains

[py_megapixel]

This may be a slightly stupid question, but are the unit diagrams on RealTimeTrains orientated with the front of the train on the left or the right? There doesn't seem to be anything on the site to indicate this.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wouldn't rely on the direction, the one for the Avanti double Voyager I used yesterday was totally wrong. I think it can only reliably show which units, not which way round.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

This may be a slightly stupid question, but are the unit diagrams on RealTimeTrains orientated with the front of the train on the left or the right?

No not really, in planning spheres (back in my time anyway), the leading unit (that in position 1) would normally be the leading (ie first) unit on any listing of the formation, so from RTT point of view, reading left to right, the left hand unit should be the leading unit - I have no input whatsoever to RTT or any other such system I would add - but I have just checked a formation (12 450) at departure points in both directions, and the formation is shown to change accordingly. This assumes the information up stream has been put in correctly for the first leg of the diagram concerned.
But as Bletchleyite says, there are occasions when the info shown isn't correct, just depends what's going on, on the day concerned I guess?

 

[BigB]

This is shown left to right, and a good example is the sleeper train which is spot on.

Realtime Trains | 1S25 2031 London Euston to Inverness and Fort William | 10/04/2022

Real-time train running information for 1S25 2031 departure from London Euston to Inverness and Fort William on 10/04/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

If there are reversals en route then this is also shown, but as has been mentioned hundreds of times, RTT data is only as accurate as the data feed, which seems to vary between operator, and in times of disruption is rightly lower down the priority list.

 

[Tom]

It's left deliberately ambiguous, but it is meant to be left to right. XC is the only operator that puts in effort to get it pretty much bang on - but there is a lingering issue on ex Bournemouth/Southampton services where the units will be swapped around. Will be fixed soon, on that one.

 

[scotrail170407]

Scotrail HSTs are notoriously bad for rarely being in the formation shown on RTT; you can have power cars on the wrong end, the set in the reverse formation from what’s displayed, and recently there was even a 2+3 set being shown (which was actually a 2+4)

Everything else on Scotrail generally displays in the way it is actually allocated, though

 

[DBS92042]

Scotrail HSTs are notoriously bad for rarely being in the formation shown on RTT; you can have power cars on the wrong end, the set in the reverse formation from what’s displayed, and recently there was even a 2+3 set being shown (which was actually a 2+4) Everything else on Scotrail generally displays in the way it is actually allocated, though

I've noticed that a reasonable amount with the GWR HSTs as well, where the power cars and set will be shown the wrong way around on RTT