Dispatching tips, lingo, etc.

[jdtrainman]

(Lee, join in on this thread, please!)

Here are some basic dispatching tips and terminology for all you budding multi-player dispatchers out there!

a) When attempting to establish contact with a train crew, always call the train by it's symbol and lead unit number. "UP Dispatcher 23 Omaha called the I-DULA, UP 4606."

b) Flagging signals (giving permission to pass signals displaying stop). "After stopping, UP 4606 has permission to pass the signal displaying stop indication." (usually appends specific tracks such as "main to main", "main to siding", "siding to main", "main 1 to main 2", etc.)

c) Clearing a train by simulated CTC (what we use in MP sessions). "UP 4606 I've got you lined up to the home signal at East Dresden"; or, "UP 4606 you're cleared to the west end of Dresden on the main".

d) Directing a train to take a siding.... "UP 4606 you're lined into the siding at Dresden for Amtrak and 1 more westbounder." Sometimes the dispatcher needs reminding... "UP 4606, call me back after 3 west." (meaning to call the DS after you've seen 3 trains roll by westbound)

e) No verbal authority is in effect until it has been read back accurately by the train crew. In fact, the train is not supposed to moved until the read-back is OK'ed by the dispatcher. Read-backs are supposed to be verbatim. If I give a train a verbal authority I expect the crew to repeat my authority back exactly as I read it to them before I will OK it.

Things to add to your sessions to give more realism...

Talking detectors.... Go out and record a detector, include detected defects! When you know a train has passed over a detector on your subdivision key up the mic and play the detector recording. Randomize the recordings so you through in a defect occassionally so a train has to stop and do a walking inspection!

I've got recordings of a particular detector on the NS Kansas City District as well as a couple of detectors on the ATSF side that I plan to use at some point when I run a session of ATSF Marceline.

I particularly like seeing the MOW people that have started to be included in our session lately. Remember that there are track-and-time permits issued to these people (which must be read-back verbatim as well) that grant authority for these people to "set on". These types of authorities generally are issued for a specific stretch of track between control points.... Here's an example:

"Track and time permit number ____ granted to Moreau on the MAIN (M-A-I-N) track between Control Point M-198, switch no, and M-225, switch no, until 12:25 p.m."

Moreau is Gary Moreau the infamouns UP track inspector around this area. Note that the dispatcher spells out key words M-A-I-N in order to emphasize those points which need to be explicitly understood. The "switch no" means that the limits of Mr. Moreau's authority do not include the switches at these control points. In essence, he can set on the main track between the two control points but can not enter the OS sections. This keeps the OS section under DS control.

If Mr. M needs to occupy an OS section a separate authority will be issued which he will release as soon as he clear the OS section (this keeps controlled switches/signals out-of-service time to the bare minimums).

When he clears the limits or sets off the track Moreau will call the dispatcher and release his authority. "UP Track Foreman Moreau releasing track and time authority number ____ at 12:15 p.m.". Dispatcher will read back and Moreau will acknowledge correctness then the authority is released.

Even though a TTA has an expiration time the dispatcher will not assume that the authority is cleared but will generally call the person/crew to which the authority is granted several minutes ahead of the expiration time to see if they will be cleared or if they need to extend the authority additional time...

That's all for this posting.... more later... Your turn, Lee...

JBD

[andrewpickell]

When issuing authorities or clearances, identifiable locations must be used to define the limits.

Examples of indentifiable locations are:

Mileposts, siding switches, station name signs, begin/end CTC sign, begin/end main track sign, switching zone sign, cautionary limit sign, or signals (must include mile and subdivision when using signals).

Examples of unacceptable locations are:

hot box detectors, public crossings at grade, bridges, building, rock cuts, or other landmarks.

Feel free to pick my brain in regards to other dispatching techniques, I just received a diploma in Rail Traffic Control :7

Andrew Pickell

[link:www3.telus.net/apickell/SquamishSub/bcrhome.htm|BC Rail Squamish Subdivision for MSTS]
http://www3.telus.net/apickell/SquamishSub/banner.jpg

[kinnamon]

I'll make one point about the language/terms and even the rules used. These will vary a bit from one railroad to another, especially when comparing a U.S. line with a Canadian line.

The way we talk to one another over the radio on my railroad is governed by both the rules we're under(GCOR)and by local custom. The best thing to do is to listen to a scanner, either your own or online, to hear how radio communication is handled on a particular railroad in a particular place.

Check out http://www.railroadradio.net/index.php for a good selection of scanners from a variety of railroads. Leave it on for a while and listen to how the radio is used and to what is being said. Listen to track warrants being given and repeated, for example. Listen to how the CSX dispatcher in Jacksonville talks with crews in Alabama. (Good for CSX M&M Subdivision training!)

I have been eavesdropping on a few msts multiplayer sessions lately and have heard a good bit of unprototypical communication. While this does no real harm, I think it does discourage some people from participating in sessions. I am not very interested in participating in a session in which the dispatcher and train crews are just doing whatever they want to do without regard to the rules and to prototypical styles of communication. It's a lot more fun to make it as "real" as possible.

The other thing I would recommend is for people to look at rule books, signal rules, employee timetables, etc. from the line they are running or dispatching and from the period they are trying to recreate. I did this with the M&M before trying a retro night. I wanted to have an actual L&N employee timetable from the late 60s or early 70s in hand before doing a session.

There is a lot of good research material online, including the bnsf site, for example. They appear to be back up and running at http://www.bnsf-ttc.com/bnsftime/. I lost them for a while!

Those of us who work on or with real railroads are already in the groove for modern railroading, for the most part. We are already studying rules and timetable instructions and using real radios as a part of what we do.

I recommend a little studying and research before one sets up a multiplayer or participates in one. I'd rather wait for a good session until we are ready than to have one every day that fails to match prototypical standards. In fact, I find the reading and research to be an enjoyable part of the hobby.

I have posted a number of good links on the multiplayer forum. These would be a good place to begin. Please see the anchored threads.

Lee

P.S. Who is ready for a CSX M&M night??

[jdtrainman]

I'll echo what Lee said regarding non-prototypical communications. One of the biggest turn-offs for me (both in simming and in HO/N operating sessions) is when there isn't organization or near-prototype realism.

For some people prototype operations are just as much a turn-off, too.

From where I sit, however, I would MUCH prefer to come as close to simulating a real-life run as possible. This is one of the reasons that I have made a bit of a "production" out of derailments in a couple of the CSX M&M sessions. These are the kinds of things that are the nuts and bolts of railroading....

Derailments
Track Maintenance
Slow orders
Malfunctioning switches/signals/crossing devices
Special movements
FRA inspectors and Sperry inspection cars or rail grinding equipment
Floods (remember that most RR right of ways follow rivers/streams because of the favorable terrain)
Severe weather

These are all factors that the dispatcher faces every time he/she punches the clock. Trains don't always start at their initial terminals and run without stopping to their destination. Higher priority traffic may have you sitting in the hole for several hours even! Of course in a simulated session the goal is to run trains....

My whole point is that I am interested in being challenged and to do things the railroad way. Like Lee, I've listened in to some of the recent session and was quickly turned off. Perhaps we should consider including some information in our call-ups which addresses the nature of the session and how things will be handled....

As I wrote my initial post to this thread it occured to me that G-COR and NORAC rules (and whatever the Canuck equivalent is) may be too restrictive or may not deal with every situation we face in our sessions due to the nature of the software. Perhaps we may want to consider developing our own rulebook based upon the best of G-COR and NORAC as applied to simulated railroading....

Also in agreement with Lee, I particularly enjoy doing the historical research to set up a session (trains, equipment, timetable, etc.). Thanks to Bob Zucco, I've got a big stack of train movement records from Lenox Tower that I used when developing the St. Louis Tour activity. It was fascinating to dig through these train sheets and see what was going on at any given moment on that particular date.

The multi-player activity pack I developed for the GM&O route also took these artifacts into account, as well as my collection of GM&O and Joint GM&O/NYC timetables, in setting up the movements in those activities. I would still love to get this railroad into an MP session at some point. With two divisions included in the route there is room for two dispatchers (one doing T&TO the other doing CTC).

My whole point: while I prefer to be involved in a near-prototype or better environment I don't want to discourage anyone interested in multi-player sessions. What I hope that will come of this thread is that our inexperienced players will become interested enough to do their homework and want to sharpen their dispatching skills!

JBD

[CN Rail fan]

Talking detectors.... Go out and record a detector, include detected defects! When you know a train has passed over a detector on your subdivision key up the mic and play the detector recording.


You need a scanner for that right?
On my sub, (CN bala,newmarket subs), the detector says CN detector, bala, no alarms, temperature (temperature)detector out.


Is that okay?I cant participate in an opperating session because i have no clue what the hell it is, if it was explained to me maybe but i dont know, it could get complicated for me. I would be willing to record my area's talking detector system, but i would like to know what this is all about, you dont see the other trains, and i don't have a mic.

[ssw]

Jim, down here, neither the UP or the BNSF use that form of communication when calling trains. Neither use symbols. "UP Dispatcher Spring to UP 6845 North, over" or "BNSF DS 24 to BNSF 4723 West, over" Only time I hear train symbols mentioned is when a DS says (and this is rare for them to use the symbols, usually it's the number) "Yeah, I think I'll move you up to Elm Mott, I've got the C-CDSA at West" or something like that... In fact, I haven't heard a symbol called over the radio here in a year or so.


PS. Lee-I'm game Wednesday or Friday or Saturday night, or all of the above for a MP session.