bristolian
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Posts posted by bristolian
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2 hours ago, Rivercider said:
I have a small handful of old TOPS printouts from my days in the Bristol Area Freight Centre. I can also remember several of the TOPS printouts, so might be able to interpret some of the information if a scan of a printout is posted.
On a similar subject, being able to produce a realistic traffic flow for a particular yard or location is somewhere between a science and an art.
cheers
Hello Kevin, I hope you're keeping well. I'm just working my way slowly through what the various figures in the columns mean. I've deciphered the Vehicle Number (easy!), Type, Length, Weight, Brake Force, and whether loaded or not (that won't particularly matter in my case).
I'm entering in a list of the various wagon sightings that I still have (after losing my notebooks many years ago), and adding their relevant details as per the above.
Once I've done that, I need to figure out how to provide a a way of adding a randomly-generated list of wagons into a Train List, and have that file calculate the weight, length and brake force...
Very Best Wishes, Bob.-
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On 31/08/2021 at 16:31, HillsideDepot said:
Rather than simply working out a way to produce a document that looks like a TOPS report I wanted something a little bit interesting.
But first, what is a TOPS report like? What does it include? Fortunately, there are a few examples on-line, via Flickr and there are two British Transport Films productions which include shots of various reports. From 1974 comes "What's TOPS" which is on one of the British Film Institute DVDs while "Using TOPS" (1978) is available to view on BFI Player
https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-using-tops-1978-online
What comes apparent is that there are several different reports, and that things seem to have changed over time. And, whilst I could work out what some columns of figures were telling me, I couldn't decipher some of the others. Given this incomplete knowledge I decided that rather than try to replicate any one report I'd instead construct something that would look like a TOPS report but which would have the data I want when running Mortimore's Yard.
The 1974 BTF film describes the file structure of TOPS
And I opted to construct something similar. Rather than using Microsoft Word as on the Seaboard Central Rail Road I opted for Microsoft Excel as I didn't want to type everything from scratch each time, but can copy and paste various data fields.
Just like TOPS I have a Wagon File (OK, it's a tab within the spreadsheet)
A Locomotive File
A Location File based on a STANOX list found on line- albeit not as old as I'd like, so with lots of closed places missing - with my own locations added (and colour coded by Region to help finding places)
Rather than a Wagon Distribution File I have a Traffic Origin and Destination file. This includes the actual loaded flows and the return empties (which may not go back to where the loads originate from)
And finally my Train File where I construct the actual report by copying and pasting formulas (to preserve the cell formatting elements)
There are some elements within the Train File which are calculated off other cells, such as the train length and counting the loaded and empty wagons. Each train has its own template within the spreadsheet tab, which I can then populate with the necessary details. My idea is that I will populate several days' worth of train lists, print them out and then work through them over a number of operating sessions.
I'm sure that there are better ways of doing what I have here, and no doubt someone will be able to automatically generate the traffic rather than manually deciding "two of this, one of that, and three of the other", while some think the whole think is already over engineered when I could scribble things on scraps of paper but, for me, it adds something to running the layout.
This is superb - it's given me impetus to try this in Train Simulator. I haven't (as yet) figured out how to create the various files I need, but I'll have a bash :).
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On 01/02/2017 at 19:22, Banger Blue said:
Perhaps this may help. I made these crib sheets when I had access to TOPS/TRUST and was basically learning the interesting bits by trial & error.
TOPS PROCEDURES INDEX.doc 45 kB · 1,269 downloads
Hello, are these files still available, please?. The links don't work now.
Thank you.-
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On 19/09/2021 at 16:09, Bomag said:
From Longworth/Harris allocations it looks to be DMCL 50240/50245 and TBSL 59095. They returned to NL on 2nd May 76 and the to the Gosforth in June
Thank you very much :).
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Sorry for the late reply to this thread. Back in October 1975, Bristol received at least two Class 101 three-car sets from the Eastern Region. They returned NE back at the beginning of May 1976.
The sets concerned were numbered B900 and B901. B900 comprised E50168 / E59082 / E50266. I didn't log the individual cars for set B901 though.
Can anyone help, please?. :).
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On 03/02/2018 at 15:58, luckymucklebackit said:
Sadly the Lostock Hall Website is no longer available, following the links leads you to an advert for running shoes
Jim
It's back online - http://www.prestonstation.org.uk/10D/intro.html
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Good afternoon everyone,
Earlier, reference was made to the Avon County Council 'Bin-Liner' operation, and of the opening in 1985.
I was present for a test-run before the official opening, when 45001 reversed a rake of PFAs to the terminal...
45001 sits in Lawrence Hill Yard with the rake of PFAs - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/13123907625/in/photolist-vMSGuB-kZJ1T8-kZJVch-kZJ248-kZHZDK-kZHsvp
45001 reversing at Barrow Road - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/13124192514/in/photolist-vMSGuB-kZJ1T8-kZJVch-kZJ248-kZHZDK-kZHsvp/
45001 at the Great Western Refuse Transfer Station - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/13124016533/in/photolist-vMSGuB-kZJ1T8-kZJVch-kZJ248-kZHZDK-kZHsvp/
47592 'County of Avon' was the loco chosen to work the official opening train...
Sadly, I don't have the dates of those two workings - can anybody help?.
Very Best Wishes,
Bob.
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Morning everyone,
Can someone please tell me when the 19:34 Bristol - Newcastle TPO (1E38) ceased running, and did it become the Bristol - Derby TPO instead?.
Also, what was the booked departure time (in 1987) of the Bristol - Derby TPO, and what was its' headcode?.
Thanks in advance.
Very Best Wishes,
Bob.
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47202 was involved in a collision with 33032 at Frome early in 1987.
Prior to cutting up, the loco was stored at Bath Road with its number painted out. I only managed this photograph.
47202_br.jpgHere is a view of mine from the Bath Road bridge - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/21495898464/in/photolist-qu15uP-yKw6H3-edHKYG
Very Best Wishes,
Bob.
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It was there for a while, it had failed!
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Evening folks,
If anyone is bored, there ar plenty of shots from Brizzle in my Flickr stream too-
http://www.flickr.co...tos/bristol-re/
And also here:-
http://bristolian.rr...s.aspx?id=21237
Very Best Wishes,
Bob.
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Morning everyone,
I purchased mine for £74 through Ebay, I thought I'd take a chance...
It arived this morning, from a model shop in Essex, completely undamaged, and with free second-class postage
.I'm very impressed with this model, to me the Hornby version is very inferior.
Very Best Wishes,
Bob.
Mortimore's Yard - '70s trip freight workings
in Layout topics
Posted
Hello Kevin,
I've decided to limit the data that I require in Train Simulator to the wagon numbers, types and brake types, allowing for both fitted and unfitted consists.
This will enable me to carry out plenty of shunting at Lawrence Hill, for example :). Any further information that you can provide, though, will no doubt be greatly appreciated by all of us!.
Very Best Wishes, Bob.