Do we need a 'failure simulator' decoder?

[The Johnster]

It probably means you've paid too much for a 'phone. LOL

 

Paul

 

I own an iPhone; of course I've paid too much for it!

[The Johnster]

A random cake generator sounds much more fun

 

I'd say random cakes sound pretty good on their own.

[The Johnster]

I agree that exhibition running, on unpredictable floors in extreme heat, cold, or humidity, and with layouts being shoved around by the great unwashed, poorly trained operators, and lord knows what else to upset it, does not really need random spaniards in it's works.  But my running at home, on a layout carefully and solidly constructed to give good running in a controlled environment, is pretty close to 100% reliable and most running problems are caused by operator (my) error.  In these circumstances the running may be better and more problem free than was possible on a real railway with day to day issues around delivery or collection as well as mechanical problems and staffing issues.  

 

If this is so, then it is probably worth instituting a random spaniard generator to mix things up a bit, but at the moment I am just throwing them in when I'm in the mood; Sunday's operating session for example included a loco swap as, according to my imagination, 4581's auto gear had failed and 6602 was substituted on the auto service, having to run around at Cwmdimbath.  4581 took 6602's Remploy parcels duty, but was back on the auto in the afternoon having been back to Tondu shed for repair to the auto gear.  But the issue was more than just a loco swap, though, as the morning pickup had to be caped, since there was no time for it to run around and shunt it's traffic without upsetting the passenger timetable as under normal circumstances the mid-morning auto arrives and departs while it is occupying the loop, and it ran in the afternoon instead as a clearance under Control's orders, 5756, one of Tondu's yard pilots, doing the honours.  This sort of thing was not unknown on real railways, and caused all sorts of minor inconveniences to railwaymen, passengers, and customers alike, but everybody got home on time and the goods were delivered, mostly, in time for the following day.

 

I make this stuff up on the spur of the moment, and sort out the problems on the fly like the real railwaymen had to.  All part of the fun, but I wouldn't want to do it at a show!

Edited July 3, 2018 by The Johnster

[Reorte]

...spaniards thrown into the works were a feature of real railway operation...

Didn't know railways were around at the time of Sir Francis Drake!

[36C]

I am considering a card based random operating failure generator system for Cwmdimbath.  One pack of cards will represent items of stock, and another will represent types of failure.  The majority of failure cards will represent normal reliable running.  At the beginning of each operating day sequence, a die is thrown, firstly to determine if any cards are to be drawn at all, and then to determine the number of cards drawn from the shuffled packs.  Stock cards are drawn first, and then failure cards for each type of stock.  Failure cards will represent 4 types of failure according to whether applied to locomotives, carriage stock, auto fitted, or wagons; a carriage cannot have a hot axle box, for example. 

 

the mention of dice brings to mind some of the humorous stories I heard from those playing DND, where the rolled number on a D20 dice from 1 to 20 signifies the level of success in a given roll, rolling a 1 usually ends you up in an equally misfortunate and humorous situation.

 

"Operator rolls a nat-1: the class 55 waiting to roll off shed to join its train suffers a crankcase failure and chucks a piston head through the roof of the loco, which sails over the yard and eventually comes to rest in the inspectors office, roughly in the space his desk used to occupy"

Edited July 15, 2018 by 36C

[The Johnster]

I have to confess that the inspiration for this is indeed DND.